Latest News & Posts
Nurturing Nature in a Digital Age
“There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature,” Maria Montessori wrote in The Secret of Childhood. “Speeding up the march of progress and at the same time being in touch with Nature create a difficult social problem.” Eighty years later, we face this problem every time we choose between sunshine and screen time. Even outdoors, it can take some... Read More
Traditions: The Thanksgiving Feast
Traditions When my family first joined the Heartwood community, I fell in love with its traditions. It was hard not to. They were fun! Who doesn’t love dressing up and parading around the school or getting together with your closest friends to play carnival games on the playground? However, as I have become more familiar with this wonderful school, I have come to realize something important. The magic I feel during our yearly traditions exists because of... Read More
Traditions: The Costume Parade
Traditions When my family first joined the Heartwood community, I fell in love with its traditions. It was hard not to. They were fun! Who doesn’t love dressing up and parading around the school or getting together with your closest friends to play carnival games on the playground? However, as I have become more familiar with this wonderful school, I have come to realize something important. The magic I feel during our yearly traditions exists because of... Read More
What is Go?
“Go is the one game in which . . . everyone begins with an empty board and with no limitations, and what happens thereafter is . . . only the quality of your own mind.” — Go and the Three Games, by William Pinckard Heartwood Montessori is excited to be hosting a new club this fall… the game of Go! Go is an ancient strategic game; now one of the most popular games in... Read More
Spring Fling Success
On the first Saturday of May, Heartwood families gathered to celebrate our school community with our annual Spring Fling. Teachers, staff members and parent volunteers worked together to man a variety of different activities. Plinko, sack races, and a bean bag toss were some of the games that were available this year. Our Lower Elementary students organized a Creation Station where customers could use their imaginations to create works of art using a variety of recyclables.... Read More
What to Expect at the Spring Fling
The Spring Fling is a wonderful annual tradition at Heartwood that both the students and staff look forward to all year. It’s usually held at the end of April or beginning of May; check the calendar for current dates. This is basically how it works: Before the Event Classrooms choose a “booth” to organize. It may be a game, activity or even some type of food for sale. They set the price for their “booth”... Read More
It’s Time To Order a Yearbook!
New to Heartwood? Trust me, you want a yearbook. Every year the talented Ginny McCollum and a slew of parent volunteers wow us with their dedication to producing a high quality yearbook that captures the heart of Heartwood. The pages are filled with what you would commonly find in a yearbook: class photos, individual pictures of students and coverage of special events. These pages are carefully created keepsakes that I find my family enjoys looking at and reminiscing... Read More
Icelandic Folk Tale Through Movement
On March 3rd I had the opportunity to experience a wonderful performance in one of our Lower Elementary classrooms. The children, aged 6-9, spent time every week for the entire month of February to prepare for this performance. Their teachers, Jeny Brill and Karen Meier, provided them opportunities to practice their various roles in class while they took weekly field trips to Open Arts to design the choreography cooperatively with their dance instructor there, Mia Wirth. Because the... Read More
Transitions: Changing Private Schools
Transitioning into or out of a school can sometimes feel scary for parents and children alike, especially when they aren’t sure what to expect. We reached out to our community of families to get a feel for what that process was like for them, whether they were coming to Heartwood for the first time or transitioning into a traditional school environment after being immersed in the Montessori world. Our hope is that by sharing these experiences... Read More
Transitions: Moving to a Public Montessori School
Transitioning into or out of a school can sometimes feel scary for parents and children alike, especially when they aren’t sure what to expect. We reached out to our community of families to get a feel for what that process was like for them, whether they were coming to Heartwood for the first time or transitioning into a traditional school environment after being immersed in the Montessori world. Our hope is that by sharing these experiences... Read More