Last week our (6-9) students stepped from their cars dressed in mix-matched shoes and colored hair. They were allowed to dress “wacky” in celebration of our 100th day in school. This has been a tradition for the past few years, however, this year it seems to have taken on more significance. With so many schools still closed for on-campus learning or in hybrid models, we are delighted to be celebrating our 100th day of on-campus learning. I should’ve colored my hair!
Yesterday in the (9-12) I was with our 6th grade students teaching William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth. We invited two actors from the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company to join us through ZOOM. As I sat back and listened to our students share their insights and perspectives on the themes and characters of the play, there was a palpable atmosphere of excitement and joy. Although the students’ depth of knowledge was impressive, it was their enthusiasm that was the telltale sign of a Montessori child. Watching them reminded me of the quote, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Acquiring knowledge is fundamental, but joy and enthusiasm are the meaning-makers of education. That’s what counts at TNSM.
Lastly, I wanted to share an example of higher-order thinking from a first grader at lunch today. As we sat outside enjoying this amazing weather, the neighborhood tornado siren began its routine test alarm. The first grader asked what the sound was, and I explained that they test the siren the first Wednesday of each month. He took another bite of Audrey’s amazing Cincinnati-style chili and then asked, “What if a tornado comes on the first Wednesday of the month?”