From the Organizations

American Montessori Society

AMS 2007 Annual Conference Recap

AMS Fall Conference in Irvine, CA, Oct. 12-14

AMS Archives at The Thomas J. Dodd Research Center

Centennial Issue of Montessori Life

Public Policy Resources

New Peace DVD

AMS Membership

AMI/USA

AMI/USA Centenary Celebration

AMI Refresher Set

American Montessori Society

AMS 2007 Annual Conference Recap

Our 2007 Annual Conference was a joyous celebration of Montessori education—as well as the largest gathering of Montessorians ever! More than 5,000 participants from as far away as Hong Kong, New Zealand, Uruguay and West Africa, as well as the entire United States, came together in New York City for the event.

This year’s Nancy McCormick Rambush Lecture was delivered by Dr. Maya Angelou, acclaimed poet, author, actress, and activist, who shared warm, humorous and inspirational personal stories on the topic “Courage, The Most Important Virtue.” Dr. Angelou – herself a Montessori mom – referred to Montessori teachers as “rainbows in the clouds” and told them her heart was filled with gratitude for them. Dr. Angelou’s address was followed by a lively performance by Sweet Honey in the Rock®, the Grammy Award-winning African American female a cappella ensemble. Dr. Angelou offered her poem “A Brave and Startling Truth” to all Montessori educators and Sweet Honey in the Rock® dedicated their new song, “Education is the Key”—access to both are available on the AMS website (see link information below).

In his keynote address, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, honorary conference chair, senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and founder of the Senate Children’s Caucus, talked about the educators in his family and his ideas for strengthening educational opportunities for all students. Opening ceremony keynote speaker Marlene Barron, Ph.D., (New York University professor, international speaker and head of West Side Montessori School in New York City) surprised and amused the audience with an unconventional entrance into the theater surrounded by dancing musicians from the Puerto Rican band Los Pleneros de la 21. Closing day brought Jonathan Kozol, educator and author of books on race, poverty, and education, including Death at an Early Age and Shame of the Nation, to the stage where he challenged Montessori practitioners and children’s advocates to help find ways to fulfill our nation’s promise—made 50 years ago in Brown v. Board of Education—to develop the potential of all our youngest citizens.

The conference also featured a Global Forum, which was held at the United Nations, and numerous topical presentations, workshops and networking events, as well as tours of several Montessori schools and cultural events in the greater New York metropolitan area. It was also the New York stop of A Montessori Journey 1907-2007, the traveling exhibit of the history of Montessori education created by the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA) (highlighted in the last issue of Public School Montessorian). Outstanding musical entertainment was provided by the Clark Montessori Steel Band (Clark Montessori High School, Cincinnati, OH) and the Zanetti Chorus (Alfred G. Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA) prior to Dr. Angelou’s performance at the famed Theater at Madison Square Garden. Both public schools, Zanetti adopted Montessori methods in 1999 and Clark is the first public Montessori high school in the United States. Before the closing session, students from Brooklyn Heights Montessori School (Brooklyn, NY) enthralled the audience with their moving performance.

The Conference Committee chair was Kathy Roemer, head of Twin Parks Montessori Schools in New York City. Major conference sponsors were The Whitby School, Greenwich , CT; Nienhuis Montessori USA; Twin Parks Montessori School; West Side Montessori School, New York City; The Boyd School, Herdon, VA; and Kaybee Montessori, LLC.

For access to materials and resources from the conference, please visit the conference recap web page:www.amshq.org/conferenceAnnual2007.htm

AMS 2007 Fall Conference Oct. 12-14, Irvine, CA

Shared Visions: Celebrating 100 Years of Innovation and Inspiration will both celebrate the centennial of Montessori education and bring together the shared visions of AMS and the National Center for Montessori Education (NCME). This three-day conference in Southern California will provide a wealth of learning and professional development opportunities, including a keynote presentation by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Mr. Louv will illuminate how interaction with nature is essential to healthy child development. For information about the conference, please visit www.amshq.org/conferenceFall2007.htm.

AMS Archives at The Thomas J. Dodd Research Center

The AMS Archives Collection, located at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, is an invaluable resource for information about the history of AMS and the Montessori movement since the 1960s. Anyone who would like to make a donation to the archives may contact AMS Director of Communication and Marketing, Marcy Krever, at 212-258-1250, ext. 323 or marcy@amshq.org.

The Dodd Center offers travel grants to researchers wishing to utilize the archives. Please visit www.amshq.org/archives.htm for detailed information and direct links to this dynamic, ever-growing collection. Special thanks to the AMS Archives Committee (Marie M. Dugan, Chair; M. Carolyn Dodd; Douglas M. Gravel; Phyllis Povell; Marcy B. Raphael; Richard A. Ungerer; Bretta Weiss Wolff) for their dedication to and continued work on the collection.

Centennial Issue of Montessori Life

This remarkable issue celebrating 100 years of Montessori education is not only a treasured keepsake, but can become a great resource for you and your school or teacher education program. Consider distributing copies at parent association meetings, open houses and back-to-school nights. They can be given as volunteer and/or fundraising recognition gifts. Having them on hand in your school or program reception area, guidance office, parents room and staff room can be a wonderful tool. They are also a wonderful addition to libraries and classrooms.

Articles in this issue include:

• “Montessori as an American Public School Alternative,” a reprint of a 1976 article by Nancy McCormick Rambusch
• “The Forgotten Citizen,” excerpt from a 1947 letter from Maria Montessori to all governments
• “Maria Montessori: Portrait of a Young Woman,” an excerpt from Dr. Phyllis Povell’s book in progress
• “A Long Letter to Montessorians in America,” excerpts from a 1963 letter from Mario Montessori
• “Conversations with Today’s Montessorians”
• “Montessori Education and Practice: A Review of the Literature, 1996-2006,” by Janet Hall Bagby

Copies are $15 each, plus shipping and handling. Special bulk rates are available for orders of 25 or more (while supplies last). To order, please contact AMS Information Officer Jim Williams at jim@amshq.org or 212-358-1250, ext 320.

Public Policy Resources

AMS is a growing public policy advocate for the Montessori education community. For a list of related resources, please visit www.amshq.org/publicPolicy.htm.

New Peace DVD

Educational Video Publishing, in partnership with the AMS Peace Committee, has produced a new DVD called “Educating for Peace: The Essence of Montessori,” which debuted at the AMS Conference in NYC (and was reviewed in the last issue of Public School Montessorian). The film offers a clear presentation of how Montessori education helps build students of strong character and sensitivity. Copies are now available for sale. Order directly from Educational Video Publishing at www.edvid.com.

AMS Membership

The American Montessori Society is dedicated to encouraging and supporting the use of the Montessori teaching approach in schools both public and private. Members benefit directly from our position as the largest Montessori organization in the world, and from our commitment to advancing principles and practices that encourage better outcomes for all children.

Other member benefits include:

• Montessori Life magazine four times a year (optional for international members)
• A monthly electronic newsletter full of resources, ideas and timely topics concerning all things Montessori
• Discounts on registration fees for AMS professional development opportunities including conferences, symposia and retreats
• Discounts on purchases from Nienhuis Montessori USA, the world’s leading supplier of Montessori materials and furniture
• Salary surveys (for heads of schools, teachers, and directors of teacher education programs) and, for heads of school, tuition surveys
• Complementary Employment Opportunities listings on our website and at our annual conferences for heads of schools and directors of teacher education programs
For more information, please visit the membership section of our website at www.amshq.org or call us at 212-358-1250.

AMI/USA

AMI/USA Centenary Celebration

100 Years of Montessori San Francisco, California February 2007

By Virginia McHugh Goodwin

At a board meeting in 2006 I was handed a document which read, Evaluating the Centenary—Did It Have Any Impact? At first glance, I wondered how it might affect me, or for that matter, have any relevance for me. I filed it.

One year later, and having recently arrived home from San Francisco, I have to say I was dead wrong to have so easily dismissed it! The Centenary has impacted me greatly. It has been a remarkable experience. It has stretched me in incredible ways—ways I could have never imagined.

From the very beginning it was our goal to establish a clear direction for the program. The universal child that inspired Dr. Montessori’s vision of uniting humanity is being documented with the same awe and deep respect by many of today’s scientists. As cutting edge neuroscientists share their findings, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that they bear out Montessori’s initial discoveries. Together, in looking at this well-documented path of development, participants could be inspired to focus on the needs of all children, especially children marginalized by the circumstances of their existence.

Thus Dr. Bruce Perry, who reminded us that countless children are being deprived of the chance for optimal brain development due to socio-economic neglect, Angeline Lillard, Ph.D., whose work has led the way for more researchers to formally document the work of a century, and Andrew Meltzoff, Ph.D., whose video examples of infants’ drive to imitate, brought Dr. Montessori’s work to life. These speakers left us with an excitement akin to the fire that must have burned in those earliest witnesses to the San Lorenzo miracle.

We also decided that children would open and close our program, reminding us of why 1,500 people had gathered to honor the 100th birthday of Montessori’s work. And participants would return home with specific ideas of how they can contribute. One person wrote, “I left my old self in San Francisco.” We had achieved our goal.

Finally, we wanted to bring together the elements that would make this event a real celebration. Music, fanfare, local culture, joyfulness—and surprises! Chinese dancers performed traditional dances, Montessori students sang and presented a dramatic version of Maria Montessori’s life, and Monte Kenison shared a historical perspective with some never before seen photos. But there were still surprises yet to come.

Just two weeks before the actual event, we received confirmation that Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google and former Montessori student, would join us on opening night. He shared humorous anecdotes of his years in Montessori and also described how freedom and responsibility had played an important role in carrying him to this point in his life.

Then, on Saturday, Marcella Oberti became an “overnight celebrity” in her own right. 97-year-old Marcella, the only remaining student from the original Glass Walled Classroom, recalled the respect and dignity that she experienced as a Montessori child. She delighted the audience and was an inspiration to education historian Noah Sobe, Ph.D. who had come to share his historical knowledge of the Pan Pacific Exposition and Dr. Montessori’s demonstration class.

It was indeed a time to remember—Dr. Montessori would have been gratified by what our community has created. As scientific discoveries continue, we will be brought to a new level of insight into humankind. As we collectively reach more children, they will have access to and benefit from a rigorous, relevant, culturally responsive, rich program.

The Centenary signals to us where we need to head for the future. It is time to reinvigorate what we know, to learn more, and to share more with the world as we chart our course for the next 100 years!

Virginia McHugh Goodwin is Executive Director of AMI/USA. This article was adapted from a note in the AMI newsletter.

AMI/USA Refresher Set

Mark you calendar! The annual AMI/USA Refresher Course will be held in Atlanta, GA from Friday, 2/15/08 to Monday, 2/18/08. The conference will also feature workshops for Administrators and Assistants.
The conference will take place downtown at the Hilton Atlanta.