Category Archives: Citizens of the World

World Connections Through Montessori

by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Development

At The Montessori Children’s Academy, we are always looking for opportunities to connect our students with other children and cultures through events inside and outside of the Prepared Environment. Maria Montessori believed that widening the children’s horizons was an important aspect of learning that we are part of something bigger and that we are all connected and needed.

We prepare MCA students to become global citizens through a variety of activities, lessons, and projects that will strengthen and develop their sense of belonging in this world. It also teaches our children at a very young age that they can have an impact and make a difference. This is something that has always been integrated into MCA, where we have inspired families to continue looking for opportunities where they can make a difference in their own communities outside of school.

In the Geography area of MCA’s classrooms, there are color-coded Cultural Folders representing each continent. In those folders our students find pictures of people, houses, food, and a variety of other items from each Culture. There are folders for North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Antarctica, Asia, and Australia. Often, the children will also find corresponding Cultural Boxes that house souvenirs from each continent. A student chooses a folder and the corresponding flag, along with the colored globe, and can discuss the pictures with a friend or simply review alone while also examining the objects.

As part of our Cultural studies, MCA students learn to sing moving, meaningful songs such as “The Universe”, “Beautiful Earth”, and “The Continents” by Shelley Murley (Montessori Minute Melodies: https://music.apple.com/us/album/montessori-minute-melodies/279575407) and are exposed to many wonderful books and fables with stories and messages from various cultures. We invite parents into our classrooms to introduce students to their own culture and traditions. In the past, parents have shared traditional celebratory clothing, food, or various small items, as well as assisted us in celebrating Diwali, Lucia, Yom Kippur, Chinese New Year, and many other cultural events. MCA is proud of our diverse community and celebrates the uniqueness that each child, family, and staff member brings to our little corner of the Montessori world.

Around September 21^st of each year, our students and staff celebrate the International Day of Peace. For many years, it has been an annual MCA tradition to participate in a worldwide celebration where approximately 150,000 Montessori students from 65 countries come together to sing “Light a Candle for Peace”. Dr. Montessori was a huge advocate for peace and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times! Her legacy of Peace Education lives on to this day. During the celebration, our students come together to hold hands and pass the colored Globe of Continents or a Peace Flag while singing at the dedicated New Jersey time, usually around 9:30AM. The chosen song always starts with children in New Zealand and then travels to all the continents throughout the day. For video footage of children singing around the world and to listen to the song “Light a Candle for Peace”, we invite you to visit www.singpeacearoundtheworld.com.

In past years, students, families, and staff from The Montessori Children’s Academy have built relationships with and donated money or supplies to Montessori schools in need in countries like Uganda and Puerto Rico. We have also assisted with rebuilding schools throughout Asia by collecting pennies and hosting numerous bake and craft sales.

Most recently, MCA enjoyed an exchange program with Bladins Montessori School in Malmö Sweden. Our students created art projects and booklets representing the USA and introduced Flat Stanley to Sweden. Those items made their way to Sweden where Bladins’ students reciprocated with art projects, pictures of Swedish foods and traditions, and even a life-size Pippi Longstocking. Once here in America, Pippi visited all MCA classrooms and our students fell in love with the character while learning about her adventures and the author Astrid Lindgren. Swedish students viewed photos of some of MCA’s classrooms and compared our Prepared Environments with theirs. Bladins’ main hallway entrance now displays of all the items that our MCA students sent to Sweden.

At MCA, we love sharing and connecting our students and our school to all corners of the world.

“Culture and education have no bounds or limits; now man is in a phase in which he must decide for himself how far he can proceed in the culture that belongs to the whole of humanity.”
~ Dr. Maria Montessori

The Montessori Children’s Academy and Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary: A Match Made in Nature!

By Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Development

In a quaint neighborhood in Short Hills, New Jersey, within walking distance from the train station, lies a hidden gem; a sanctuary, nestled in the woods known as Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary (CHA). The arboretum was developed by Cora L. Hartshorn on 16.5 acres of land that had been gifted to her by her father, Stewart Hartshorn, in 1923. Cora Hartshorn passed away in 1958, leaving the arboretum and bird sanctuary to Millburn Township.

In addition to a bird observatory and lab facility, CHA offers over 16 acres of beautiful woodlands with three miles of protected hilly hiking trails. The grounds of this non-profit organization are not only home to undisturbed nature, but house a diverse woodland habitat where native trees, plants, and animals can thrive. CHA offers several impressive environmental educational programs, and the old Stone House contains some live animals, a beehive, and other rotating exhibits.

Throughout the school year, CHA is a popular field trip destination for school groups, and on the weekends, you will find families participating in guided hikes, Nature Scavenger Hunts, camping in the woods, learning about composting, and more. There is no fee to enter, but donations to CHA are encouraged.

CHA invites parents to explore its weekly Arboretum Sprouts program for children 18 months to 3 years (with a caregiver) or the After School Turtle Tots drop-off program for 4-year-olds through Kindergarten. Both programs offer nature experiences through hikes, songs, stories, songs, hikes, and hands-on learning.

At CHA, there are opportunities to volunteer, to sponsor an Arboretum Animal, and to become a Hartshorn Arboretum Member. The Montessori Children’s Academy has taken, and will continue to take, advantage of all that CHA has to offer for our students, and we are thrilled that one of our current MCA mothers, Anudeep Virdi, proudly volunteers at CHA. MCA, with support from Mrs. Virdi and the Executive Director of Cora Hartshorn, Tedor Whitman, is thrilled to be building a relationship to support this local hidden treasure, where residents and families from around our great state and beyond can explore and connect with nature all year round.

Now more than ever, especially since the pandemic of 2020, children are spending more time indoors and have come to depend on screen time where abstract impressions are being introduced. In Richard Louv’s bestselling book, Last Child in the Woods, the author discusses how to save our children from “Nature-Deficit Disorder”. Louv makes direct connections to a lack of nature experiences in children and childhood obesity, attentional issues, and depression. Dr. Maria Montessori also recognized the need to involve the body in order for “natural learning” (or concrete impressions) to take place.

“What the hand does, the mind remembers.” ~ Maria Montessori

Dr. Montessori spoke often of children learning and exploring the world through their senses. For example, while observing a leaf, a child’s vision is being stimulated. While smelling the leaf and listening to the sounds of the woods, the olfactory and auditory senses are being developed. And when touching the leaf, the tactile sense is being stimulated. These are all happening at the same time and constitute a holistic Sensorial learning experience.

The Montessori Children’s Academy is thrilled to announce that we will be hosting a Harvest Family Fun Day at the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary this fall. More information will be sent to our MCA parents, and we encourage all of our families to join us outside in nature while we connect with everyone in our MCA community.

“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 wet 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.” ~ Maria Montessori

For more information on Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary, please visit: https://hartshornarboretum.org

The Montessori Children’s Academy Celebrates Montessori Education Week 2024

by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Development
and Tori Inkley, Executive Director

During the week of February 25 – March 2, 2024, several hundred students at The Montessori Children’s Academy (MCA), along with Montessori students from around the world, will celebrate Montessori Education Week! Montessori Education Week is an annual event that is celebrated around the world in honor of Dr. Maria Montessori and the legacy that she left behind. In 2007, the year Maria Montessori would have turned 100 years old, some of our MCA students celebrated with a cake that had 100 golden icing dots, representing the Golden Unit Beads from the Golden Bead Material. Students work with this actual material in the Math area when they are introduced to the Decimal System. In past years, parents and students have written about their most memorable Montessori experiences, which MCA has displayed in the hallways of our school. [A few are included at the end of this blog post.] And one year, our Elementary students even created a replica of the Montessori Pink Tower using the school’s 3D printer. Other highlights from past Montessori Education Weeks have included proclamations and/or visits by the Mayor of Morristown and the Deputy Mayor of Millburn, and one year, MCA was even recognized by the New Jersey Governor for the valuable role Montessori schools play in providing education to young people.

This year, one of the ways the children at the three MCA campuses (Chatham, Florham Park, and Short Hills) will commemorate this special week is by demonstrating Montessori Practical Life exercises to parents and visitors during school drop-off and pick-up. The children will also sing Montessori songs, study Italy, review the timeline of Dr. Maria Montessori’s life and work, and practice the Silence Game while thinking of peaceful things, much like Dr. Montessori did. Also, during the 2024 Montessori Education Week, current parents are invited to spend time observing their children working in the classrooms and noticing the pride they exhibit while demonstrating their growing independence in the Prepared Montessori Environment. This year, the grand finale of our Montessori Education Week celebration will be a pizza party, with pizza being supplied for all staff and students by Nonna’s Italian Restaurant in Florham Park.

In addition to the special “in-house” activities, each year, MCA students create artwork or other items that represent some of their favorite Montessori materials or work. These beautiful pieces are showcased in displays titled, “I Am a Montessori Child, and I Can Change the World” at the public libraries in Chatham, Florham Park, Livingston, and Millburn. During this week, posters and banners with decorate the local areas around and inside our schools, so that children, parents, and our local communities will observe that “Maria Montessori is all over town!”

Lastly, for the first time in our 25 year history, MCA has established an international relationship with a Montessori school in Malmö, Sweden. Our students are learning that children all around the world use the same types of Montessori materials as they do right here in their classrooms in New Jersey. During Montessori Education Week, the students in Sweden will sing “Light a Candle for Peace”, along with our MCA students, and students from both countries have been engaged in an “exchange program”. Across our three campuses, our students created items representing the United States that have now been shared with their Swedish counterparts, and the students from Sweden created items representing their country that are being shared with MCA students during this special week. MCA is thrilled with our newly established, international collaboration and is excited to offer our students the opportunity to gain a global awareness and broaden their horizons at such a young age.

The Montessori Children’s Academy is proud to be making a positive difference within our immediate communities, within our state, and around the world. We are grateful to everyone involved in celebrating this special week with us. No doubt we will all have memories that will last forever.

Some “Most Memorable Montessori Experiences” from MCA Alumni Parents:
“Our three-year-old son suddenly took control of his Daddy’s birthday celebration. Placing his flashlight on the floor and a world globe in his Father’s hands, he then proceeded to walk his Dad around the light singing, “The Earth goes around the Sun, the Earth goes around the Sun and daddy turns one… and so on, until through our tears of joy (having never seen the Birthday Walk before), we had to suggest he might not want to go all the way to thirty-something! We plan to adopt the Birthday Walk for all our family birthdays from now on. Thank you, Montessori! Every day is truly a memorable Montessori experience for him and for our family.”

“For a recent playdate, our friends brought a giant-sized bag of baby carrots to share. While the other kids ran off to play, Erin immediately asked to do some “cutting work” with the carrots. She carefully sliced about twenty carrots, and then she only ate from the bowl of carrots she cut herself.”

“Eddie remarked recently, “Mommy, I like learning in my class, it’s so peaceful there.” I answered, “Do you know what Peaceful means?” He replied, “Yes. It’s when we use our inside voice.”

“My most memorable Montessori experience with my daughter Alexandra was when I saw her interacting with my friend’s 1 ½-year-old daughter. Alexandra (5 years old) was gently and patiently explaining to the younger child how to open and close a container, as the girl listened intently. She was able to teach this new skill to the younger girl with patience and kindness, the same way that older students at MCA have taught her to do things.”

Charitable Efforts: How MCA is Making a Difference with Our Students and in Our World

by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Development
and Tori Inkley, Executive Director

At The Montessori Children’s Academy (MCA), we believe in demonstrating to our students how all people can make a difference in our local communities and in the world. We want our children to understand that even from a young age, it is possible to make an impact on someone’s life. Whether that is done through feeding those who are hungry or providing warm coats, gloves, or blankets during the cold winter months, we value the importance of giving back.

Over MCA’s 25 year history, we have chosen various organizations that would welcome our students (beginning with the 2 ½-year-olds), families, and staff to become involved in different projects; leaving our footprints and spreading love and care to those in need. Over the years, some of MCA’s charitable efforts have included:

Bridges Outreach Program: Our students, families, and staff collected various food items, which were placed in “breakfast bags” that were also decorated by students. Class Parents and some of our Elementary students then dropped the bags off at Bridges for distribution to those in need.
Puerto Rico Montessori Assistance: During one school year, we were able to earmark the proceeds of our annual Kindergarten Bake Sale to help fund the re-building of Montessori Schools in Puerto Rico following a disastrous storm.
Paws of War: MCA has sold reusable grocery bags and donated the proceeds to Paws of War. Students were then thrilled afterward when veterans came and brought their therapy dogs to visit our schools.
St. Peter’s Orphanage: Another memorable organization that MCA worked with was St. Peter’s Orphanage. Our families, staff, and communities donated to a fund that allowed the boys residing at the orphanage to enjoy a festive winter celebration and helped to purchase items to create a Sensory room for the residents. MCA’s incredible staff also spent an In-Service Day cleaning the grounds of St. Peter’s, planting flowers, assembling bikes, and even putting together a skate ramp for the residents to enjoy. Through ties to an alumni family, a member of Zac Brown Band also provided signed drumsticks to all of the boys at St. Peter’s.
The Valerie Fund: One school year, MCA partnered with The Valerie Fund when one of our alumni students was diagnosed with leukemia. Students, families, and staff joined together to donate teddy bears and various other toys to the fund to be given to children struggling with a cancer diagnosis that required months spent in a hospital.
The Country Home: Just before COVID shut us all down, MCA worked with The Country Home, a Memory Care facility in Morristown. Our students and teaching staff created handmade Montessori materials for the residents of the facility. Each week, two of our staff members would visit the residents of The Country Home and work with them using those materials. Our motivation for this partnership stemmed from research that has shown that persons with dementia can regain some of their memory by using Montessori materials to stimulate their senses. During the holidays that year, our Elementary students also paid a visit to The Country Home where they read a holiday book and sang for the residents. It was an incredible experience for MCA to collaborate with this amazing facility!
Girls on the Run: Through a connection with the Girls on the Run organization, MCA was able to help create a Girls on the Run site for ten young girls at a Newark school. The curriculum for this program is self-esteem based and incorporates healthy living and running. Through donations from our families and staff, we were also able to help purchase new running shoes for the girls, who were extremely grateful for this new opportunity. Our Director of Montessori Development was then able to run a 5K with this group of girls and hand them their gold medals at the finish line.
Interfaith Food Pantry of Morris Plains: Most recently, in November, MCA participated in a Thanksgiving Food Drive in conjunction with the Interfaith Food Pantry of Morris Plains, as well as Calvary Presbyterian Church in Florham Park. Our students, families, and staff donated food items that went into making hundreds of Thanksgiving meals during the holiday. Some of our Class Parents helped drop off the donations at the food pantry and commented on what a special experience it was for them and their children.

No matter what organization we are supporting or to what charity we may be donating, we at MCA strongly feel that with this charitable giving of items, knowledge, or time, it is most important that our students understand why we are involved in such projects. It is not enough to just give; we also take these opportunities to educate our students on just how differently life can look to our fellow human beings. We do this by reading books, looking at pictures, having in-depth discussions, and whenever possible, inviting these organizations to visit our schools and talk with our students.

The Montessori Children’s Academy is devoted to not only educating our lifelong learners, but to helping build good, caring citizens of the world. We work to illustrate to our students that our communities and our world are better because they each are here and they are capable of making a long lasting impact, even from a young age, on the lives of others. We are all leaving footprints on this Earth and in this world. It is never too early to begin leaving the “good kind”.