A Letter from the Head of School

Happy New Year!

And welcome to the blog for the Montessori Children’s School in Hanover, NH. Here we are hoping to let you in on the happenings at our school, go a bit deeper into parts of the Montessori method and give you some insight on the way we approach teaching 3- to 6-year-old children at our school. We hope you may find something of interest and help you reflect on the way you interact with the small children in your life.

While we are all hoping for a new start for the entire world as 2021 begins, I was hoping to reflect a bit on the past year and what it has meant for our school, the children, and the teachers at our school. As you can imagine, this past year has been tumultuous. In the spring, we had to change the very essence of the way we teach children. Even with the uncertainties of the fall, we had to show incredible flexibility and positivity as we headed into each week with new logistics and guidelines. I can honestly say that to get through everything that was thrown at us, time and time again, I looked towards the children to help me and to help me feel safe.

The children at our school, this year and last, have shown an incredible amount of resiliency. These children, for whom routine and consistency is at the heart of what they do, showed such flexibility and willingness to follow new schedules and transitions. I have marveled at the ease with which they adapted. I think that part of this resiliency came from the simple nature of the problem, and therefore the simple solutions we had: We have to wear masks, we can’t be too close to each other and we have to wash our hands. This will stop the germ from spreading. All children understand this language. And with these simple rules, they smoothly stepped into line. Never has a child complained about wearing a mask. Never has a child complained about her hands being raw from washing them too much. Never has a child complained about being outside all day long. I look towards these children for that kind of strength.

Part of this resiliency also comes from how much the children are in the present moment. While we may worry about next week, travel guidelines and vaccine rollout plans, the children are focused on the toad in the garden, the small buds on our bushes or (perhaps the most exciting) the 18-wheeler in our parking lot! Being in the moment and focusing on what gives you joy right now is one of the best ways to help cope with the stress of this year. As adults, we do have to plan a bit more for the future and make (or cancel) those travel plans. However, I learnt to not worry about the things I cannot control and to make sure I still see the joy around me. Getting down on my hands and knees to see where that toad goes helped me find joy and connect with those small humans around me, connecting at a time when real human connections are something hard to come by (yet something we so desperately need).

Here is wishing you all a wonderful New Year! I am looking forward to seeing what I can learn from the children at the school in the next year.

Ms. Neha