Find Your Path - MHS Brochure 2017

Toward Independence and Adulthood Our mission is to provide an optimal environment for adolescents to become confident, empathetic, and principled adults who think critically and take informed risks to shape a sustainable and peaceful world.

A Time of Transformation High school is a period of preparation. Students are deepening their academic study while discovering passions and navigating new independence. Transition and growth are the standard.

These four years are the time for students to develop confidence and to become comfortable with their strengths and weaknesses. This is when students begin to consider what their place in the world might be, who they want to be in the world, and how they can begin to shape that world themselves.

MHS was founded to help students take full advantage of the energy and enthusiasm of these years. At MHS, opportunities for students to better understand themselves and their talents go hand-in-hand with a challenging and engaging curriculum. We meet students’ needs by supporting their growth academically as well as socially and emotionally.

Here students prepare for life, not just the next classroom.

Our goal is what sets us apart.

At MHS, education isn’t something static a student passively receives; it is the result of faculty and students working together to find the assignment that will engage and challenge or the course of study that will take understanding to new depths.

Within our curriculum there are countless opportunities for students to follow their interests and uncover new passions. Students learn to balance this freedom of choice and the responsibility that accompanies it with the guidance of faculty, who take the time to work with students one-on-one. Our focus is on helping students discover their voice and find their path.

Education is not a one-size-fits-all proposition, and we are committed to giving students the education they deserve. We do this by giving them agency in their education—an active role in shaping and crafting their own high school experience.

The MHS Experience

Helping students discover their voice and find their passion

To do that, we maintain an environment based on mutual respect and on the shared curiosity of a learning community. This intentional community, founded on common values and goals, is the foundation of our school identity.

We build on that foundation through our educational philosophy, our curriculum, and our unique location.

As a Montessori school, we keep students and their needs at the center of our mission and prepare them to be citizens of the world.

As an International Baccalaureate World School, we offer our students rigorous, globally-minded academics.

As an institutional member of University Circle Inc., we give students direct access to some of the top cultural institutions in the country and to the experts who study, practice, and perform there.

We pair a committed faculty with an environment designed for growth and exploration.

We respect our students. They respect the process.

Montessori education is defined by a deep respect for the student. Long before progressive educators saw the academic benefits of allowing students to explore their interests or engage in hands-on work, Maria Montessori based her educational philosophy on these practices. Her motivation, and ours, goes beyond increasing test scores. Her goal was to awaken the natural curiosity of students and to respect them and their abilities at each stage of their development.

As they enter high school, students are eager to test their abilities in the arts and in academics, and to develop their leadership and community-building skills. They need to learn to balance increased independence and freedom with responsibility and accountability. MHS gives students that opportunity.

Our purposefully small community allows faculty and staff to build authentic and meaningful relationships with students.

Adults act as mentors and advocates to encourage the

evolution of the community and the individuals within it. The Montessori approach recognizes and responds to the fact that education is holistic and that the experiences students have in the hallway, at lunch, or in clubs are just as important as experiences in the classroom. Students are learning who they are and who they want to be. Academics support that process as do the relationships students build with peers and mentors and the opportunities they have to work independently to organize a class outing or plan a two-week student-led intensive term.

The Montessori approach helps develop a sense of confidence and belonging within each student and an understanding and appreciation of self-direction. Our commitment to self-expression through the arts and our focus on providing hands-on experiential learning through collaborative classes and internship placements provides the opportunity for students to see what they can accomplish on their own and in partnership with others.

In class and in community life, students are challenged to cultivate new skills and hone existing ones.

To Be Montessori

“Education should no longer be mostly imparting knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentials.”

—Dr. Maria Montessori

Engaging Curriculum

A multi-disciplinary approach guided by student interest

Liberal arts offer breadth and depth.

The MHS course of study has been designed to give students a broad view of the world and an understanding of how ideas and concepts, themes and movements fit together across disciplines, throughout history, and around the globe. Classes in the humanities, the arts, and the sciences are taught in two-year cycles allowing students to work in-depth with faculty to explore themes across subject matter.

Students in history may explore the concepts of nation and state through nationalist movements one year and independence movements the following, while English students are examining how societal structure is portrayed in literature, with a focus on themes related to utopia and revolution. A student exploring the environmental sciences will examine not just ecosystems and their structure and function, but the ways in which societies impact the natural world. Students in math work in small cohorts that allow for differentiation and small group instruction. As they learn new skills, they also learn how they are applied in the world.

Across disciplines, concepts are taught contextually and students develop the ability to think critically—to analyze and interpret, to examine and evaluate—as they explore a time, a place, a people, a theory, or a school of thought. The two-year cycles allow faculty to support students as they hone these skills to move beyond being a student of a discipline to become a participant.

Students are historians, scientists, artists, mathematicians, readers, and writers.

As students move into their junior year, they begin coursework in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The Diploma Programme provides a comprehensive framework for our junior and senior curriculum, making all MHS juniors and seniors IB students.

Globally recognized. Individually tailored.

The International Baccalaureate was founded in 1968 to design educational programs for children ages 3 to 19 years old. The Diploma Programme is designed for students in their final two years of high school. The Diploma is recognized in 75 countries and by more than 2,000 universities and colleges.

The IB Diploma Programme is an academically rigorous curriculum of six two-year courses, a 4,000-word Extended Essay, a Theory of Knowledge course, and independent projects designed to give students hands-on experience outside of the classroom. Student projects, essays, and exams are graded by external IB evaluators as well as by MHS faculty.

Montessori and the International Baccalaureate hold compatible educational philosophies. Both are driven by student inquiry, emphasize conceptual understanding, value collaboration, and are differentiated to meet student needs.

Both Montessori and IB seek student outcomes beyond basic academics, including skills in independent research, self-

management, critical thinking, and communication. Because of these shared values and the opportunity for student choice, Montessori and the IB Diploma Programme are a strong pair. Students have the freedom to study selfchosen topics, report in unique ways, and learn through their strengths. In short, students have ownership and agency over their education.

Students sitting for the IB Diploma will complete culminating exams or projects in each of their six core courses: English, twentieth-century world history, science, mathematics, a world language, and either music, theatre, dance, or visual arts. Both the Diploma and individual certificates are recognized internationally, and can lead to scholarship dollars or college credit. Whether students sit for exams or not, the Diploma Programme offers an outstanding preparation for the college experience.

The International Baccalaureate Students have the freedom to study self-chosen topics, report in unique ways, and learn through their strengths. In short, students have ownership and agency over their education.

In the Heart of University Circle There is no substitute for experience. Working with experts and having daily access to the resources of botanical gardens and natural and cultural history museums allows students to explore a discipline with an unparalleled level of authenticity.

MHS is strategically located in University Circle, a unique neighborhood defined by the more than forty cultural and educational institutions that are located there. From Case Western Reserve University to the Cleveland Museum of Art, University Circle offers countless opportunities for students to connect with a diverse group of professionals in a wide array of occupations and areas of study.

We have formal agreements with partners within the Circle and throughout Greater Cleveland to give our students the opportunity to work side-by-side with individuals who are experts in their field and passionate about their work. Far beyond field trips, our students engage with these institutions in a way that makes their coursework come alive. Many students complete two-year internships in these institutions, and many more develop a deep personal appreciation for the educational and cultural missions of these world-renowned organizations.

Our Campus and Our Partners

“There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all of the life to be found around them, in a real forest.� —Dr. Maria Montessori

Our students are immersed in the life of this vibrant cultural and educational community, from attending events at Case Western Reserve University to volunteering at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, from staging a student-written historical reenactment at the Cleveland History Center of the Western Reserve Historical Society to testing water at Doan Brook.

Join a community where individuals thrive.

Our community is an intentional one, which means students, faculty, and staff work together to create an atmosphere that upholds our shared values and supports the development of a welcoming social environment. Respect and civility are the cornerstone of a Montessori community and cultivating them is as important as honing academic skills. Students have many opportunities to be active participants in creating and shaping our community.

Community Meeting Students, faculty, and staff gather regularly for community meetings.

These meetings are our opportunity to share announcements, address any community issues, and share “moments of greatness.”

Meetings are led by students, and everyone is welcome to participate and engage. The meetings are moments to listen to one another and to strengthen our community connections. Meetings end with an MHS tradition of acknowledging moments of greatness in one another—whether it was a friend who jumped in to help finish cleaning duties, a teacher who spent extra time going over a reading, or a moment of kindness and generosity witnessed in the hallway. With a single clap after each shared moment, we recognize and celebrate the ways we support one another.

Our Community

“We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are a part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” —Dr. Maria Montessori

Cooking, Eating, and Cleaning Students and staff rotate through kitchen duty. One day per semester each member of the MHS community works side-by-side with our chef to prepare the community meal. In the middle of the day everyone stops their work, gathers in one building, and eats—together. We pause in the midst of a busy day to sit and talk to one another and to enjoy the food that has been prepared by our peers. Afterwards, we all clean up. Students and staff also spend the last moments of the day caring for our environment. This is just another way that we show that this space—this community—is ours.

Clubs and Committees Students at MHS have the opportunity to serve on committees and participate in clubs, which run the gamut from lunch committee to the entrepreneurship club. Students are encouraged to start clubs that reflect their interests or that meet a need of the community.

A student service manager coordinates all-school service days throughout the year. Students suggest organizations they would like to support and activities they think the school community might enjoy.

Each year the MHS community celebrates Earth Day and our own Multicultural Day with service, food, and cultural and educational programs.

A Home Away from Home At the heart of our school is our boarding house, which gives students the opportunity to engage in an immersive experience of independence.

Our boarding community represents about one quarter of our student body and draws from a regional, national, and international base. A number of regional students choose to board for five days a week, returning to their families on the weekend. During the week these students and our full-time boarders live family-style, sharing community meals and caring for their home environment together.

Living away from home gives students a new lens through which they can see themselves. Our boarding environment is designed to foster and support community. Boarding students have the opportunity to see their own worth in a new way and to see what they are able to contribute as members of a society. In the boarding community,

they can begin to see themselves outside of the family structure they grew up in and imagine themselves in a broader and more diverse society.

“After living in the boarding house for a year, I feel like I’m more centered in who I am. It gave me the chance to see how people reacted to my behavior and how I affected other people with my actions. I don’t think I would have understood that nearly as well if I wasn’t living in the boarding house.”

—MHS Alumnus Ultimately, the boarding house is a “home away from home” with residential staff living within the home and

Residential Life

“There is… a transition from the child who has to live in a family, to the man who has to live in society.” ­—Dr. Maria Montessori

Beyond MHS Prepared for Life By the time our students graduate they have learned to balance the freedom of choice with responsibility and accountability. They have led intensive terms and have worked side-by-side with adults who are experts in their fields. They have learned about themselves and made decisions about who they want to be. Ninety-two percent of students attend their first choice school.

MHS students find the path that is right for them. The 25 students of the graduating class of 2017 enrolled in 23 different colleges and universities with the intention of studying 23 different disciplines.

They found their path.

What will yours be?

Below is the list of colleges and universities to which MHS graduates have been admitted. Schools listed in bold have had at least one MHS alumnus or alumna attend.

Adelphi University Allegheny College American University Amherst College Andean University of Cusco (Peru) Baldwin Wallace University Bard College Bard College at Simon’s Rock Baylor University Beloit College Bentley University Berklee College of Music Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Boston University Bowling Green State University Brandeis University British Columbia Institute of Technology (Canada) Brown University Bryant University Butler University California State University, Long Beach Canisius College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Chapman University Clark University Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland Institute of Music Cleveland State University Coastal Carolina University Colby College Colgate University College of Charleston Colorado College Columbia College Chicago Columbia College Hollywood Columbia University Cornell College Cuyahoga Community College Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia) Denison University DePaul University Dickinson College Drew University Duquesne University Earlham College Eckerd College

Elizabethtown College Elmhurst College Elon University Emerson College Emory University Eugene Lange College The New School for Liberal Arts Florida Atlantic University Florida Institute of Technology Fordham University Gannon University George Mason University Georgetown University Gettysburg College Sunderman Conservatory of Music Green Mountain College Grinnell College Guilford College Hampshire College Hiram College Hofstra University Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University Illinois Institute of Technology Indiana University Ithaca College John Carroll University Juniata College Kalamazoo College Kent State University Kenyon College Lake Forest College Lakeland Community College Lewis & Clark College Long Island University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland Loyola University New Orleans Macalester College Marquette University McDaniel College (Budapest) McGill University McNally Smith College of Music Mercyhurst University Miami University Michigan State University Michigan Technological University

Missouri University of Science and Technology Montana State University Mount Ida College Naropa University New College Florida New England Conservatory New York Institute of Technology New York University New York University Tisch School of the Arts Newcastle University (United Kingdom) Northeastern University Northwestern University Oberlin College & Conservatory Occidental College Ohio Northern University Ohio University Ohio Wesleyan University Pace University Paul Mitchell The School Cleveland Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University Pontifical Catholic University (Peru) Pratt Institute Purdue University Reed College Richmond University (United Kingdom) Rochester Institute of Technology Roger Williams College Rollins College Roosevelt University Ryerson University (Canada) Saint Mary’s College Saint Vincent College San Francisco Conservatory of Music Santa Clara University Sarah Lawrence College Sheridan College (Canada) Skidmore College St. Catharine College Stony Brook University, State University of New York Swarthmore College Sweet Briar College Temple University The American Academy of Dramatic Arts The College of Wooster The Evergreen State College The George Washington University The Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute The Ohio State University The Pennsylvania State University

The Savannah College of Art and Design The University at Buffalo, State University of New York The University of Akron The University of Arizona The University of Chicago The University of Iowa The University of Queensland (Australia) The University of Southern California The University of Tampa The University of Toledo The University of Vermont Towson University Trinity University Tufts University Tulane University Tuskegee University University of Arkansas University of California, Davis University of California, Santa Cruz University of Cincinnati University of Colorado Boulder University of Connecticut University of Dayton University of Delaware University of Findlay University of Maryland University of Massachusetts University of Miami University of Michigan University of Mount Union University of North Carolina University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of Puget Sound University of Redlands University of Rhode Island University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Diego University of South Florida University of Toronto (Canada) University of Virginia University of Washington Walsh University Warren Wilson College Washington & Jefferson College Washington College Wellesley College West Virginia University Wittenberg University Xavier University Youngstown State University

216.421.3033 admissions@montessorihighschool.org 11025 Magnolia Drive Cleveland, Ohio 44106 www.montessorihighschool.org