The Head and the Heart

Hello Friends, As many of us know, Montessori education is renowned for its holistic approach, aiming to develop not only academic proficiency but also essential life skills, including emotional intelligence, compassion, and kindness. Maria Montessori said, “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education. The task of the teacher is to cultivate the love of the beautiful, the sense of the true, and the feeling of the good in the hearts of children.” Our TNSM environments include mixed-age groups, allowing younger students to learn from older peers and vice versa. This dynamic creates a sense of community and fosters empathy as …

The Best Part of Me Is…

New School Montessori 1st-3rd graders celebrated Valentine’s Day by being paired with a classmate they didn’t know very well. The goal was for each set of students to get to know one another better.  Students asked their partner questions about what they liked, and what they like about themselves too. Students shared about their families, pets, favorite books, vacations and went wherever their interviews took them. Students then created a gift for their new friend, based on what they learned about them.  In the process of learning about each other, students also learned some things about themselves. The next project …

(3-6) classes learned about and celebrated Lunar New Year.

This article is written by TNSM parent members of the Diversity and Community and Engagement Committee (D+CE) and expresses their views. At TNSM, we are grateful to have this D+CE forum that allows opportunities for members of our community to share their own beliefs, always with the goal of  expanding our understanding of each other’s experiences and points of view. Declan’s mom, Erin, came to visit the non-nappers and kindergarteners to share about Lunar New Year, a tradition celebrated by many Asian communities around the world, including Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese people. This tradition lasts 15 days, and celebrates themes …

Goodbye to an old friend (with student tributes)

Dear Friends, As many of you noticed this week, the time had come to say goodbye to a cherished member of our school community – our old Ginkgo tree. After careful consideration and consultation with arborists, it had been determined that the old Ginkgo tree, which has been a symbol of our school for many years, must be removed due to safety concerns and to facilitate a smoother flow for drop off and pick up procedures that will be implemented next academic year. While it is always difficult to bid farewell to such a significant part of our environment, we …

Presenting “Voices of Our Community”

At TNSM, we are grateful to have the Diversity and Community Engagement (D + CE) forum that allows opportunities for members of our community to share their own beliefs, always with the goal of expanding our understanding of each other’s experiences and points of view. As part of our forum efforts, we are proud to bring to you “Voices of Our Community” –  a once-a-month special feature of our D + CE blog that aims to become a “window” into our unique TNSM community, rich in backgrounds, origins, ethnicities, and thinking. We believe in the power of acknowledging, honoring and celebrating …

The Absorbent Mind

Hello Friends, I love sitting in our Montessori environments. I always witness a vibrant and bustling classroom filled with laughter and curiosity.  Without fail, I am impressed with the patience, kindness, and skill of our teachers as they guide their students, honoring the absorbent mind at play. In the Montessori world, the absorbent mind refers to the innate ability of young children to effortlessly absorb information and experiences from their environment. Maria Montessori observed that during the formative years (especially from birth to around age six), children possess a remarkable capacity for absorbing knowledge without conscious effort. This concept underscores …

Good news and…well, more good news!

Hello Friends, We are off and running with the Kaleidoscope Center! It is thrilling to watch the first steps being taken toward the construction of this extraordinary new building. We can not fully express our sincere gratitude towards all of you who made this dream possible. The generosity continues as we come together as a community of parents, grandparents, and alumni to help reach our fundraising finish line! Since the start of the school year we have raised an additional $100,000 through gifts ranging from $100 to $60,000. We are SO close to reaching our goal.  As we continue to …

Montessori Math

Hello Friends, Thank you to our amazing (3-6) staff and families who participated in our Parent Ed Night last week on Montessori math materials. For parents new to the Montessori method, it’s essential to recognize the significance of these materials in promoting a strong foundation in mathematics during the early developmental years. Montessori math materials are carefully crafted to provide children with concrete, hands-on experiences in mathematical concepts. Unlike traditional methods that may rely on abstract symbols and rote memorization, Montessori materials are designed to be manipulative and sensorial. This hands-on approach allows children to physically engage with the materials, …

Cultivating Compassion

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a fundamental aspect of our educational philosophy at The New School Montessori – the cultivation of compassion in our children. In a world where headlines often highlight the need for empathy and understanding, instilling these values in our children becomes paramount. The Montessori approach, renowned for its holistic and child-centered methods, is particularly effective in fostering compassion in our young learners. Montessori education places a strong emphasis on developing not only academic skills but also essential life skills, with an understanding that a child’s emotional and social growth is equally significant. …

Montessori and AI? Observe and let our questions guide us

Hello Friends, I have, for the past two days, been immersed in conversations around how AI will impact education with Montessori leaders from across the country. It has been a thrilling experience to hear from passionate, bright, and hardworking educational leaders. Our facilitator has been Nita Farahany. Nita spearheads research on futurism, law, and ethical implications of emerging technologies for society. She is co-editor of the Journal of Law and the Biosciences and is on the board of advisors for Scientific American. Previously, President Obama appointed Nita to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, where she served …