The Observer
At the beginning of this year, some of the oldest students in Upper Elementary had the idea of reviving a school newspaper that had been written by UE students in the past; they remembered getting the editions of the “HMS Press” when they were in Lower Elementary, and they wanted to start it back up. What a big work they were about to embark upon!
In Montessori education, there are some very special stories, called Great Stories, that we tell at the beginning of each year. The Great Stories are for the whole community, and they introduce each of the areas of study we explore throughout all six Elementary years.
The first of these stories is The Great Story of the Universe...
What an exciting time to learn more about government! It seems to be working its way into all levels here at HMS. Last week, the Lower Elementary community went on a wonderful field trip to the New Hampshire State House in Concord. This is a politically charged time of year, and with the Presidential election coming up this year we really wanted to spend some time learning and thinking about how our government works. We are so fortunate to be close to Concord, and jumped at the chance to see this government building in action.
The first time I went to Hillside Middle School to cast my vote as a resident of Ward 2 in Manchester, NH, I noticed that all of the workers appeared to be older, probably retired residents of our community. I couldn’t help but notice that there were no younger members of my local community among them. I asked the ward moderator how one would become a person who works at the polling place on Election Day, and so began my entrance into the Ward 2 election worker community. I’ve worked ten elections now, first as a volunteer ballot clerk and later as an elected official, one of three selectmen in our Ward. I’ll admit: it was incredibly exciting to see my name on the ballot…
Imagine if the whole world was your classroom. Within the walls of the school, we have a prepared environment that sets the stage for our students to learn. But for elementary children, who are intensely curious about the world, what is within the classroom is not enough. In order to answer their many questions, students in the elementary often need to look to resources beyond the classroom and their families.
Ever wonder why this newsletter is called The Observer? It’s because observation is such a fundamental part of Montessori education. At Hollis Montessori School, evaluation of student progress relies heavily on the guides’ observation of students’ work and activities in the classroom. In addition, parents are strongly encouraged to observe their children’s classrooms and the work that goes on there.
