“A child who becomes a master of his acts through repeated exercises [of grace and courtesy]…is a child filled with health and joy and remarkable for his calmness and discipline.” – Dr. Maria Montessori
Have you ever entered a Montessori classroom and noticed that the children are naturally respectful of each other and often helpful? An older child may help a younger child zip his jacket zipper. A child might accidentally spill beans on the floor and two children stop what they are doing to help her clean up. Two students having a disagreement decide to go over to the peace table to work it out. These are manifestations of tGrace and Courtesy in the Montessori classroom, which is built upon 1) treating the child with respect, 2) teaching the child to respect herself, 3) teaching the child to treat others with respect, and 4) teaching the child to treat her environment with respect. Grace and Courtesy remains a focus at every level of Montessori education.
When we respect a young learner’s dignity by teaching the basic rules of etiquette, it fills a need in them. Dr. Montessori once taught a small group of children how to politely blow their noses; she explained every step in detail and showed them how to do it quietly and respectfully. After this presentation, the children erupted into spontaneous applause. They were delighted to know how to do something, that to adults would seem so basic. However, to these young learners, their teacher had shown them something they were longing to know how to do.
What does this look like in our classrooms? Treating the child with respect means that we speak to the children with soft voices and at eye level. We give the children freedom to choose their work and decide where they want to work. Yet the guidelines and limits of the environment are understood by all. For example, a lesson should be put back where it came from before moving on to something new. Children are free to choose their work, but are not free to disturb the work of others. We call this “freedom with responsibility.”
There are specific Grace and Courtesy lessons that demonstrate how to respect and care for oneself, such as blowing one’s nose, washing hands, getting in and out of a chair, putting on shoes, hanging up or putting on a jacket, etc.
Lessons on respecting others include how to greet a visitor, walking around a rug, how to ask for help, using soft voices, inviting others to work, how to solve a conflict with a classmate, etc.
Lessons on respecting the environment include carrying and rolling up a rug, setting the table, how to take materials off of shelves, washing a plant, washing a table or mirror, etc. We are working daily on cultivating a sense of gratitude and nurturing wonder.
One of the main goals of a Montessori education is to prepare students to be contributing and valued members of society. This starts with lessons of Grace and Courtesy, which are key to modeling peace, learning how to act in social situations, showing respect for each other. These are tools our children will use their entire lives!
Ah, summertime! There is nothing like long, languid days that stretch slowly into the evening, running barefoot in the cool grass while chasing fireflies, and biting into cold crispy watermelon, the juice dripping down your chin. Summer is a time to relax, to play, to spend time with family and friends, to explore, daydream, and wonder.
There is a growing body of evidence that these same activities are key to developing important executive functioning skills. In the article “Why Free Play Is the Best Summer School“, Jessica Lahey states;
“Unscheduled, unsupervised, playtime is one of the most valuable educational opportunities we give our children. It is fertile ground; the place where children strengthen social bonds, build emotional maturity, develop cognitive skills, and shore up their physical health.”
This is great news for parents and children alike! No need to fill our children’s days with structured activities or for entertaining our children all summer long. The more unstructured “free” time we give our children the greater their chances of developing critical problem-solving skills, confidence in taking risks, and essential self-regulating skills. If you worry about loss of academic progress, relax! A recent study failed to prove such a slide exists for most children. You can read the details of the study, ”New Research Casts Doubt on the ‘Summer Slide’” Youki Terada at edutopia.org/article/new-research-casts-doubt-summer-slide.
So, sit back with a cold glass of lemonade and let yourself – and your children – just be. Dr. Montessori said it best,
“Let the children be free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and, when the grass of the meadows is damp with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning as it wakes every living creature that divides its day between waking and sleeping.” (The Discovery of the Child)
I look forward to seeing you as the summer comes to a close, whether it be at an orientation for new parents or parents new to the next level, at one of our community picnics, or on your child’s first day of school. You needn’t wait until then to be in touch. I welcome your ideas, questions, and conversation at any time.
In our 2019 Community Connection Magazine, we feature a section on class notes from recent graduates and former students of Greenspring Montessori School. Read more about what our graduates have been up to in high school, college, and beyond.
Spencer is currently a senior at Dulaney High School and he will be attending Towson University’s UTeach program for Secondary Mathematics Education next year. In a recent interview, Spencer shared, “I always wanted to be a teacher. A lot of the people throughout my Montessori career have helped form who I am.” Spencer seeks to bring Montessori education to students in public schools.
Lexi is currently a high school senior at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. She has applied to Boston University, Tulane University, and Occidental College. Lexi is interested in majoring in psychology and she would eventually like to get her doctorate degree. At Mercersburg, she is the head of Jewish Club, a photo editor for the school’s newspaper, and she has been in four different theater productions throughout her two years there. Lexi is currently working on her capstone project leading a workshop on self-confidence and body image for middle school-aged girls in the area.
Rachel Morrison
Attended from 2006 to 2012
Rachel is currently an EMT and is attending Harford Community College to become a licensed paramedic. Her mother, Carol Morrison, rejoined the Greenspring community last year as our Accounting Manager.
Samantha Little
Attended from 2001 to 2012
After graduating from Greenspring, Samantha attended the Institute of Notre Dame. She later attended CCBC Essex to obtain her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. Now in her last semester, she plans to continue on to either Notre Dame University or Towson University to get her Bachelor’s degree in teaching. She shared, “the reason I actually chose this field was because of my Lower Elementary teacher, Ms. Mandy. The way she helped her students as well as making sure everyone was successful inspired me to do the same thing.”
Aaron Brown
Attended from 2000 to 2008
Aaron is currently in his senior year at Brown University studying mechanical engineering, and he is applying to graduate school for a PhD in mechanical engineering, where he plans to research energy and environmental sustainability. He was elected to Tau Beta Pi at Brown University and in his spare time, he enjoys playing baseball, piano, and running.
Joseph Hornig
Attended from 1993 to 2000
Joseph and his brother Timothy both attended Greenspring as children. Joseph is a graduate of American University in DC and now lives in Southern California. He works at the University of California at Irvine. He is currently enrolled in UCI’s Master in Human/Computer Interaction and Design program.
Graham Wimbrow
Attended from 1992 to 1997
Graham leads a software development squad for a financial investments research firm, working to define the systems architecture for a new technology group. He attributes his spirit of unwavering curiosity and his drive to learn from experimentation in part to his days in a Montessori classroom.
Jocelyn Durkay
Attended from 1989 to 1998
Jocelyn attended Vassar College and double majored in Art History and Italian, then went on to receive a Master of Social Work degree, which led her to work in public policy. She is currently a policy analyst at the Colorado Energy Office, where she works on renewable energy and energy efficiency policies for low-income customers. In her free time, she volunteers to build trails and she is excited to be planning for her wedding.
Sean Elavia
Attended from 1986 to 1988
Sean attended the school when it was located at a church in Towson. After Montessori, Sean attended St. Joseph School in Cockeysville. For college, he attended Loyola University and later completed his law degree at the University of Maryland, School of Law.
Sean currently works as a corporate attorney and offers pro bono services to various charities and religious organizations when he can. His two daughters attend Greenspring in the Toddler and Children’s House community.
Jeffrey Tannenbaum
Attended from 1973 to 1979
Jeff attended Greenspring Montessori School when it was located on Park Heights Avenue and it was known as The Montessori School. He went on to attend Washington University and now works in Accounting for Laureate Education. Jeff’s daughter is currently a student in Mr. JR’s Lower Elementary class. Jeff writes, “[It is] very fulfilling to see all of my children attend the same school that I attended as a child and be able to experience the joy of independent learning that the school facilitates. [It is ] also very pleasing to see the strong growth and health of the school for the current and future generation of Montessori students in Baltimore.”
Hear from our 2019 Adolescent graduates about their experiences at Greenspring Montessori School and mark your calendars for the 2019 Adolescent Graduation on Wednesday, June 12 at 10:00am.
Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers who braved the weather to join us on Friday, April 12 for our Spring Grounds Day! We so appreciate all of the faculty, staff, parents, and children who rolled up their sleeves to help us create beautifully prepared gardens, grounds, and outdoor learning environments. With the help of over 40 volunteers, we filled raised garden beds with soil for our students to begin planting vegetables, planted flowers in our decorative gardens in front of the school, moved logs and natural elements into our classroom outdoor environments, built picnic tables and outdoor furniture for our classrooms, and removed invasive ivy from our trees.
Take a look at the photographs from the event in our gallery below.
The American Montessori Society Peace Committee has awarded the Ursula Thrush Peace Seed Grant to Greenspring Montessori School and a partnering parent group to fund a project that promotes peace education.
This grant was created by the American Montessori Society Peace Committee to honor the memory of Ursula Thrush. Dr. Thrush’s extraordinary dedication to fulfilling Maria Montessori’s vision for peace through children inspired many Montessori educators to include peace education in their classrooms and communities. Among her numerous achievements, Ursula founded the Maria Montessori School of the Golden Gate in San Francisco and helped establish The Science of Peace Task Force and the Montessori Peace Academy.
Greenspring Montessori’s grant submission was prepared in partnership with a group of Greenspring Montessori parent volunteers who have been gathering to discuss their own challenges and aspirations for their children as it concerns diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging. In addition to supporting one another, the parent group felt called to support the school in providing whatever education, resources, materials, and open dialogue was needed to support Greenspring in becoming the embodiment of peaceful society Maria Montessori and Ursula Thrush envisioned.
“The Peace Seed Grant Committee is impressed with the originality of your project and the deep thought that has gone into it. We are pleased to award this grant for a project that is consciously working toward understanding and further Social Justice among the many teachers, parents and students at your school. We are also impressed with the 19 different languages that are already a part of the school. The timing of this project is excellent!” -Award letter from Lesley Nan Haberman, Sonnie McFarland, and Judi Bauerlein
The Ursula Thrush Peace Seed Grant will support the school to:
1. Provide an introductory professional development workshop for Greenspring Montessori School staff to clarify what diversity, equity and inclusion is, how it is relevant to their work, and to begin to explore why diversity, equity and inclusion learning is critical to deepen their understanding of and ability to provide proper support for the varying needs of Greenspring Montessori School’s diverse student base.
2. Offer a workshop to Greenspring Montessori staff and parents on identifying and combating unconscious and implicit bias.
3. Offer a workshop to Greenspring Montessori staff and parents on age-appropriate best practices for talking with your children about race.
The grant activities will begin in fall of 2019 and will be complete by January 2020. These activities are a small subset of a larger body of work in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging that the school is committed to carrying out in the years to come.
Spencer Herrin
