December 2020 Update from Mr. DiCarlo
Dear parents & guardians –
Congratulations! The first part of the 2020 virtual school year has definitely been interesting, but also very productive and enlightening for us all! Here are a few ‘take-aways’: Our school community is awesome!!! Our staff has learned a completely new way of Montessori teaching, and has done incredible things to support students and families. Our students have adjusted very well to the new virtual world of schooling and continue to show positive growth. Many family members have become ‘support staff’ at home, helping their children stay connected and learning. These first four months of the school year have proven that we can do virtually anything as we continue to show incredible resilience in our Maryland Avenue Montessori School Community!
It is extremely important to acknowledge and celebrate our successes, individual and as a school community, during these challenging times of being and feeling apart from each other. Human contact is at the core of education and life, and finding new ways to connect has been essential for everyone’s continued growth and health. In recognizing our achievements, it reminds us that we will continue to grow and progress, working together, even if it is in a different manner than we are used to connecting. My daily walkthroughs of the classroom have turned into daily screen visits to classrooms lessons, but I still see amazing teaching and learning! The Montessori approach has been translated as much as possible to the virtual realm, and the students have picked up on the adjustments and continue to thrive. While for some it has been a bit easier and for others a bit more challenging, the collaboration, positive interactions and amazing initiative in learning continues to be evident in each class. For example, I experienced elementary students doing a “Who am I?” animal research treasure hunt activity by solving riddles with animal classification clues, then using the newly discovered animal names as the new “google meet code” to get to the next site and riddle. It was wonderful to watch the excitement and interest of the students while they discussed and determined the answers, learned animal classifications, practiced new technology tools and engaged in collaborative interactions. It was also enlightening to realize the skill and creativity of the teacher to develop such an activity that incorporated all of these items to make Montessori learning fun and engaging within the virtual realm.
The Montessori approach of natural human development emphasizes learning for life. To support the continued development of members of our school community, and the community as a whole, we will be engaging in activities that relate to the MPS Black Lives Matter and anti-racist initiative and curriculum. The Maryland Avenue Montessori Equity Committee, along with input from the school Learning Team, is developing family activities that will be offered to make connections to how implicit bias influences our thoughts and perspectives, and how we can broaden our perspectives to develop a more anti-racist view of humanity. These family activities will culminate in a collaborative virtual approach for our annual Black History Celebration. Watch for further details in January and February.
Keep up to date with all school happenings through our website at www.mpsmke.com/Maryland (also linked with our Weekly E). Also, be sure to keep connected to your child’s learning via their google classroom or Seesaw account. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions about their assignments or overall development.
I wish everyone a peaceful and healthy holiday season. While I’m sure that everyone is used to being at home more than usual these days, be sure to find aspects of family traditions that can be continued this holiday season while creating new traditions that help everyone you love, and those you don’t even know, stay safe and healthy!
Peace, Joe DiCarlo
