If we have learned anything in the age of "social distancing" it is how deeply we crave and need the society of others and how that ubiquitous term defines the challenge we have all been facing. Over these past months, Montclare has placed a high...
In 2013 as an elementary school Principal, prior to becoming the Director of Montclare Children's School, I was asked to lead the faculty in taking curricular instruction from the traditional classroom model to a blended learning model. In the book, Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning Through the i2Flex Classroom...
Being a two-year-old is not easy! So many feelings and, typically, insufficient vocabulary to match. It can, indeed, be terrible being two. Helping young children identify and name their emotions is something we do beginning in our 2s program. It allows children to become more comfortable...
At Montclare, we have our own mini-UN with a community made up of families and staff from all over the world speaking over 17 languages! While we welcome parents into the classroom for celebrations of culture throughout the year (many classrooms recently celebrated the Lunar...
At Montclare we are on a mission; to reduce our use of plastic and to be more environmentally aware. After our leadership team studied the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, we honed in on initiative #12 as our focus: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/12.pdf We are looking at every aspect of school...
Preschool is an exciting time for many “firsts.” It’s the first time children leave their parents to brave the day with their first community of classmates. The first time children learn to acclimate their minds and bodies to the rhythm of the classroom’s daily schedule....
December, 2019 will be the third consecutive year that Montlare joins millions of people around the world to participate in The Hour of Code, prompting many discussions about what it means to be a 21st-century student and educator. More specifically, what does a 21st-century early...
As a preschool teacher, I often find myself bearing witness to incredible moments of discovery. It's always my goal to help foster these moments by presenting students with meaningful materials and information, encouraging them to ask questions and creating an environment of trust and respect....
At Montclare Children’s School we are always looking for ways to inspire, motivate and, most importantly, prepare our students for future learning. My colleague, Jenny Bruce, and I attended the FETC conference last year in Orlando, FL. Interested in introducing coding and addressing 21st Century...
As winter brings a cold chill and we retreat to warmer thoughts, a new chapter in movement begins: it is the perfect time for imagination yoga mat play. The children begin our class by sitting on their "magic carpet," as we fly on our mats to...