ONE GREAT SCHOOL, TWO AMAZING CAMPUSES
REFLECTIONS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL OUR STUDENTS’ LIVED EXPERIENCE OF INTERDEPENDENCE
The 2020–2021 school year was the second of two extraordinary years and offered a collection of reflections, discoveries, and renewed commitments to our personal, school community and global priorities. It revealed to the staff, and me, the enormous value of essential Montessori principles. We weighed decisionmaking between the marvelous psychology of learning and adaptations of design so that our students could safely learn together, in person, on campus for the full year. Those of us in Geauga and Lake counties shared many of the same inward reflections with people in every corner of the world, while experiencing the pandemic. Similarly, our students experienced, first-hand, our grand interdependence with all of humanity. Our students showed us a glimpse of the “new children” that Dr. Montessori described, in their adaptability, in their ability to ask the important questions, and being at their best when learning in response to their intense interests and when working toward a greater good. CLOSER RELATIONSHIPS DEVELOP WHEN DESIGNING SOLUTIONS TOGETHER
Many of our staff worked throughout the summer to redesign how we might modify group sizes, distancing within environments, air quality and protocol so that we could safely have our children and adolescents back on campus to learn in-person. Ultimately, the selfgovernance skills of so many of our staff allowed the complexity of Concord campus to be 100% designed by the program staff, with support by the administration. The Concord staff had the most complexity in redesign due to the interdependent nature of serving 190 children from infancy through sixth grade. In their evaluative check-outs, they regularly reflected on their sense of connection, saying, “I feel closer than ever to my colleagues…” While we were greatly disappointed not to have our boarding students return to the Huntsburg campus, due to the U.S. and international border closures, we were grateful that technology brought our boarders into our campus classrooms virtually. Although local students returned to a very different environment, they were hungry to return to on-campus work and to be able to learn in full interaction with their friends and teachers after three months of remote learning the previous spring. The successful adaptation by our staff and students enabled us to be successfully together for the full academic year, bar a 3-week cautionary remote period around the winter holidays. Gratitude again to parents and families for their care throughout the holiday season and the resulting protection of the whole school community that resulted in zero-spread of the virus on campus.
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HERSHEY MONTESSORI SCHOOL
BOARD, ALUMNI, FRIENDS, AND FAMILIES RALLIED TO THE CHALLENGE
To accomplish on campus learning, Hershey committed to extra investment to ensure the healthiest possible environment for our children. We invested in PPE, outdoor learning environments, tents, and clearings in the woods. Extra staff were hired to maintain selfcontained small cohorts and extra sanitizing. We also invested in new technology, such as classroom video conference cameras so that boarders and remote learners could see their whole class while the main screen picked up on whoever was speaking. The generosity and commitment of our board, Hershey supporters, including alumni and our current families, helped to cover the cost of this enormous investment. Similar dedication was reflected in the degree of participation in our annual fund drive. Notably, our alumni contributions grew from 1% to 5% of our net fundraising. “CONSIDER HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS”—DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING
The human challenges of our times and specific social justice needs called our attention further within the conditions of the pandemic. Some Upper School students felt called to respond to the challenges of racism and formed a campus committee, two of whom became fully equivalent committee members for our whole school Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) committee. Our aims included dedication to learning more about ourselves, our history and the effects of inequity.
In her San Remo lectures of 1949, Dr. Montessori reflected on the course of human conditions and the role of education: “…to be precise, the science of the cultivation of man, (is) of those energies inherent within him from birth. However, before embarking on the study of man not only as an individual, but also as a member of the community within the context of his relationships and social function. If we are to realize the magnitude of the aims achieved by humanity, and envisage those of the future, we should meditate on the various stages of human evolution, study the science from which it takes its name and scrutinize its history.” “Our task as educators is to ensure that an intense consciousness of universal solidarity will flourish within our children.” “…we should consider human relationships if we are to create a better humanity, worthy of comprehending the noblest truths, in the light of universal love….” (Montessori. Citizens of the World pp 88,89 Montessori-Pierson, 2019 – San Remo Lectures 1949)
we meet core best-practice standards as a high quality Montessori school. Provisional membership gave us immediate access to affinity group meetings and resources for leadership, extended professional development, and guidance on how to prepare a self-study that will reflect the voices of students, parents, staff, board, alumni and extended community stakeholders. Accountability includes a site visit, reporting to recommendations, and further assessment so that our school is continually growing in 7-year accreditation cycles. Hershey also received renewal of our AMI recognition status at the Young Child Community level which included observation, consultation with staff and documentation of fulfillment of certain standards such as the training of the teacher, the mixed age ranges of children, the fully equipped classroom environments, and consistent blocks of time for children to have uninterrupted independent work. GRATITUDE FOR THE RESILIENCE OF OUR INTERDEPENDENT COMMUNITY
We closed the 2020-2021 year transformed in many ways and with ever deepening gratitude for our parents, board, staff, and donors and for the resilience of our rich and complex community. The majority of our school’s success is based upon the relational aspect of who we are as a community and how unwavering we are to keep the child, adolescent, and Montessori at our center. The next most essential element of our success is based upon our communication skills, emotional intelligence, logical scientific approaches to problem solving and self-governance. We reflect with admiration for our families, parenting in the most challenging times, and for how they forgo so many personal needs to live mindfully outside of school in order to protect their child and the entire on-campus community! We ended the year with happy redesign tasks to begin to open up our Montessori implementation closer to pre-pandemic times, involving larger social groupings, mixing of students and staff, returning boarders, more choice, and more independence. The Hershey story, in this extraordinary year, illustrates the resilience of a very interdependent community with a shared vision of education for human development, in a very interdependent world. In service to the child and adolescent,
ACCOUNTABILITY TO MONTESSORI AND BEST PRACTICE STANDARDS FOR SCHOOLS
We celebrated our provisional membership with the Independent Schools Association of Central States (ISACS). This launches our school on a deep self-study, reflecting on how
Hershey Montessori School offers a unique and highly successful education program that is world renowned. Founded in 1978, Hershey prepares students to navigate and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Our education model is scientifically designed to meet the developmental needs and psychology of learning for children and adolescents from two months of age through completion of the twelfth grade. Our school promotes hands-on, self-paced, collaborative learning that engages the student in authentic problem solving in context of their environment and community. Students follow their innate interests, engage in deep intellectual inquiry, and reach academic mastery. They develop a strong sense of self, personal expression, and connection to community. Through experiential learning, studying the evolution of man and societies, and exploring roles of adults in many different social and professional contexts, they begin to explore their identity and role as contributors to humanity and agents of peace.
Paula Leigh-Doyle Head of School
CONCORD CAMPUS
HUNTSBURG CAMPUS
BIRTH-12 YEARS
12-18 YEARS
• Home to our Parent-Infant, Young Child Community, Children’s House, and Elementary programs. • Scientifically designed Montessori materials are provided and intentionally placed throughout environments to inspire optimal learning at each stage of development. • Our 13-acre campus provides outdoor environments throughout which all students interact daily. • Each classroom has direct access to vegetable gardens and the natural world to provide many lessons and opportunity for real work. • Students go outside every day for class work or exploration in our woods and nature trails for creative play and scientific investigation. • Developmentally appropriate play areas are designed engage and challenge physiological and intellectual growth.
• Our 97-acre campus integrates Montessori theory and practice, learning, and community. • Environments are specially prepared for sciences, mathematics, humanities, and world language for optimal academic, personal, and physiological benefits. • The farm is specifically designed to offer students adult-like responsibilities while providing connections to nature and incorporating experiential academic lessons. • Our uniquely created “Microeconomy” inspires students to develop entrepreneurial skills including product ideation, creation, sales, marketing, customer service, accounting principles, and more. • Two animal barns and a greenhouse provide hands-on sustainability practices, year-round science projects, and health lessons, as well as fresh food for the community.
2020-2021 YEAR-IN-REVIEW
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