I Love This Place!

Hi Friends, I am so grateful for this community!  Parents dropped off some beautiful gifts to recognize the first day of Diwali, our parent volunteers have been working hard to keep our campus beautiful and flourishing–and of course–our students never cease to astonish! Speaking of our students, we had a lovely kick off for our Annual Fund Giving Week where parents could check out a little something students had been working on to demonstrate what they love about The New School Montessori. And how about this? Over the course of a week, our 6th grade students worked with the Urban Wilderness crew, …

Sharing Cultural Lessons & Traditions in (3-6): Dia de Muertos & Papel Picado

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.  The (3-6)-year-old children had the pleasure of welcoming two TNSM parents to their classroom and to the non-napper program to learn about Mexican tradition of ‘Day of the Death / Dia de Muertos’ and Papel Picado.  Jan’s mom, Karla, came …

Native American flute music brings healing

Our Appreciating Differences teacher, Johnnyé White, invited guests, Edward and Lydia Ellis, to share Native American flute and drum music along with a story about the character painted on their drum.  Lydia inspired students with tales of overcoming life-changing strokes to regain enough mobility to continue to express herself musically. Lydia was a teacher in a school system for many years and taught flute lessons. Her life changed dramatically 12 years ago when she suffered from 2 strokes within a 48-hour period that left her hand and leg altered in ways that made it difficult to walk – and impossible …

Benefits of giving teachers time to know their students

Hello Friends, I hope everyone is finding the parent/teacher conferences meaningful and helpful as we work together to support these amazing kids. Recently a parent shared a NYT article that illustrated the powerful benefits to student learning when a child has a teacher for multiple years.  As a Montessorian who has seen the profound impact of this, I wanted to forward the article to our community.  Way to go Maria Montessori!   Best, Jeff Groh Director What Most American Schools Do Wrong Oct. 22, 2023 By Adam Grant Dr. Grant, a contributing Opinion writer, is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School …

Looking Forward to Parent/Teacher Conferences

Hello Friends, We will soon be having our Parent/Teacher Conference Day and Professional Development for our Elementary staff. Our teachers are eagerly looking forward to connecting with you to discuss your child’s progress and growth.  These conferences provide a valuable opportunity for us to join forces as partners in your child’s education journey. At The New School Montessori, we believe that fostering strong connections between educators and parents is essential for your child’s success and well-being. Whether your child is in the early stages of Montessori education or has been with us for a while, these conferences are a great …

Peace Education

Dear TNSM Friends, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the profound philosophy of Maria Montessori and her vision for creating a world without war through peace education. Maria Montessori had a profound belief in the power of education to transform not only individual lives but also the world at large. One of her central goals was to foster a culture of peace, harmony, and understanding among children, as she saw them as the architects of a more peaceful future. Montessori education is built on the fundamental respect for each child as a unique individual. By recognizing …

Camping overnight with (9-12) students – they were prepared!

Dear Friends, Last Thursday our (9-12) students packed their backpacks with a sleeping bag, pillow, change of clothes, and a toothbrush, hopped on a bus and headed out to a bucolic farm in Moscow, Ohio for an overnight camping trip.  After about two months of nearly no rain, it rained. For two days. Almost non-stop. When I arrived in the afternoon to deliver food, I anticipated students huddled in their tents, teachers forcing a smile under hooded rain gear, with both the atmosphere and mood of the event aptly described as “damp.” I could not have been more wrong. A handful of students …

The Diversity + Community Events Committee provided some resources for how to talk with children about tragic world events.

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. Last Friday, nearly a week after intense violence in Israel and Gaza, parents on the Diversity and Community Engagement Committee met. We connected over a shared grief for humanity and a curiosity around how we talk about this decades-long conflict and the …

TNSM alumna Narvis Tribble sang the National Anthem at an FCC soccer game.

Narvis Tribble attended The New School Montessori as a toddler in preprimary through her lower elementary years. She auditioned for, and now attends, one of Cincinnati’s magnet schools,  SCPA (School for Creative and Performing Arts) and will no doubt continue to expand in her creative and performance skills. We were thrilled to see Narvis singing the National Anthem at a late summer FCC soccer game. Way to go, Narvis! Click to see Narvis’ interview. Click to hear Navis singing the National Anthem at the FCC game.

TNSM alumni create a lasting remembrance of their friendship and times at The New School

New School Montessori grads often continue in their TNSM friendships – even rooming together in college. This band of friends decided to celebrate their bond by going together to have a little reminder of The New School Montessori (a tattoo of a ginkgo leaf) to carry with them on life’s adventures. Ryonen Ignatius (alumna from the 1980s, current K-3rd grade TNSM art teacher and mom to Brando and Jesse) drew up the sketches and performed the tattoo work. As other friends heard about it, more contacted Ryonen to get their ginkgo leaf tattoos too. Our school leaves lifelong impressions on …