It started with the Elves and the Shoemaker in December 1996. I was one of the giggling, happy little elves who was thoroughly and genuinely appreciated by my audience. It was the next year, though, that I really caught the bug. I was cast as Santa Claus in ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Every giggle […]
I had been intrigued by the “Montessori ways” for several years. Well, since I was taking coursework in the area of early childhood education in the late 90’s to be exact. As I learned more about Maria Montessori; her progressive take on how to educate children and her observational basis for why, I knew that […]
Eric Van Winkle is a senior at Bellarmine Prep and will be attending Harvard University this fall. Below is an excerpt from his college application essay, in which he focused on his experience as a Montessori student. In regard to Harbor Montessori, Eric says: “Throughout my educational years since attending HMS, Montessori training remains my […]
Many of us in a quest for physical and mental fitness, in a desire to push ourselves through uncomfortable situations, in pursuit of saying “I did it!” have taken to signing up for Spartan Races, Marathons, Warrior Dashes, Triathlons, Ragnar Relays, 100 mile bike rides, etc. There is something about preparing to climb a twenty […]
Spelling my name I attended Harbor Montessori in Gig Harbor, WA from Kindergarten to 5th grade (September 2000 – June 2005) and I can say with confidence that the education I received there laid the foundations of my success, and that I continue to see the profound influence a Montessori education has on the world […]
It was a warm, sunny morning in late August. The HMS staff and faculty of the 2016-17 school year had come together for a day of joy and learning in the community. Later, we would be painting mugs at Java & Clay and later still we would be running through downtown Gig Harbor on a […]
Last year was the first year that the HMS staff officially took on the challenge of having a year long professional development theme. We chose the theme of Assuming Positive Intent. This came on the tail end of reading the book Mindset by Carol Dweck and fit into our Montessori philosophy quite nicely. The idea […]
Separation Anxiety As we move into the second week of school-and our first Monday-we commonly see a spike in separation anxiety. This is a normal part of transitioning for some of our children. Teachers see it in every school, every year. There is no denying that it can tug on the adults’ heartstrings. There are […]
Failure is a gift we need give to our children. They cannot grow without making mistakes and building resilience. Nonetheless, it is painful. As a parent and an educator, I can say it is never easy to watch our children get their hopes squashed. It is never easy to sit back and see when they […]
Cursive writing has seen something of a slow demise in recent years. As an educator, and someone who appreciates beautiful penmanship, this trend is alarming. Consider the fact that our nation’s most important documents, including the Declaration of Independence, are handwritten, in cursive. Furthermore, the ability to write was considered a sign of wealth and […]
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