News

Natalie Fisher is a Lower Elementary teacher in the Goldfinch classroom and has been teaching at West Side for 27 years.

When normalization happens, the children are now working as if the teacher doesn't exist. Maria Montessori calls normalization the greatest sign of success for a teacher.

Talk about one Compassionate Leader! West Side alum Jack Gensler ('18) is making a very important contribution to this year's electoral process—recruiting young, healthy poll workers!

Katie Bellman is a Children's House teacher in the Sycamore classroom.

The grandmother, Jennifer, and aunt, Mhairi, of a third level Bluebird student, Isla Cushing, are walking their K'Dub half-marathon miles in the picturesque village of Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders, about 30 miles from Edinburgh.

Goldfinch Room second-grader Estie Berns is the 2020 recipient of the Karen Weeks (K'Dub) Memorial Scholarship!

West Side’s new technology teacher for levels 1-8, Tom Burnworth, lives in Sylvania with his wife, Crystal, and two sons, Adam (18) and Jack (15). His background is in Construction Engineering and STEM Education. Tom is also the Executive Director and co-founder of Sylvania STEM Center, where you’ll find him most days of the week before and after school.

As International Day of Peace approaches, I think of my classroom, my students as individuals, and even myself and wonder, “Is there enough focus on Peace Education as much as I teach math and language?” To be honest, I, as a teacher, sometimes find it hard to find a good balance. Schools, administration, parents, and even teachers themselves can get hung up on the academics part and forget the true purpose of this education and what makes it special and important.

For Montessori, peace was on the forefront of her mind when she created this model of education. Montessori said, “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education.” (Education and Peace, p viii, Foreword)

Child development is not a competition. It is a gradual unfolding of the human potential. Just as each child’s timetable for physical growth is unique, so is the timetable for emotional, social, and academic growth.

We are saddened to learn of the recent passing of Scott Trumbull, alumni parent and longtime friend of West Side Montessori.

I was sitting next to Natalie (age 4) at a rug. We had just finished a lesson on the Montessori Continent Map. She was deciding whether or not she wanted to make a book of the continents, a pin-pushed map, or a painting. After much contemplation, Natalie decided on a book. She gathered the supplies she would need: a floor table, an art mat, paper, and her pencil box.

As new guidelines and recommendations from the CDC and other agencies are released, the WSM Reopening Plan will be adapted to meet those standards.

As your child develops, her brain is rapidly forming. Children require lots of sleep to process the immense amount of information the brain has absorbed. The midline is an invisible line that begins between the two hemispheres of the brain. When educators and physicians discuss “Crossing the Midline,” they are referring to any tasks that require bilateral movement- from reading across a page to swimming, alternating arms, and legs while moving through the water. 

Former West Side student Adrienne (Sack) Gallagher was thrilled and honored to receive a Sports Emmy in the Outstanding Short Feature Category. Her winning piece was a 12-minute video, detailing the life of former Southern Methodist University men’s golf coach Jason Enloe as he dealt with losing his wife to cancer and his team’s subsequent run toward an NCAA Division I National Championship.

As I was back to school shopping this year for face masks, I reflected on just how different this school year will be. As a school counselor, how can I best support students? In what ways can I support school staff? What can I do to help parents? So many questions and I do not have all the answers. So I started researching. What I discovered was that a lot of other mental health professionals are also trying to figure out the answers to these and so many other questions. And while there are many unknowns that we must cope with daily, here is what we do know...

We are so excited to welcome children back to campus on Wednesday, August 12. Our spacious indoor and outdoor classrooms provide the opportunity for all children to return to school with enhanced safety procedures. These procedures have been carefully planned to provide the safest environment possible while preserving the beauty of the Montessori classrooms and nurturing the social, emotional, physical, and educational needs of your child.

As we continue to plan for the 2020-2021 school year, I want to share our reopening plan for fall.

Dear West Side Community,

This past spring, WSM alum Shohan Shetty (‘12) graduated with College Honors from Washington University with a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Anthropology.

Two West Side Montessori Model UN team members, Miriam Hill ('21) and Allison Sachs ('20), had the opportunity to collaborate with another MMUN student in Peru, and Emmy-nominated songwriter & recording artist Alexander Star.

As I have reflected on the recent police killings and subsequent unrest in our community and across the globe, it is with utter heartache that I write this message. The tragedies reflect patterns of structural and institutional racism in our country. The West Side community stands on the side of social justice and condemns racism and violence.

West Side will continue at-home learning through May 1 per Governor DeWine's declaration on Monday, March 30. All facilities will remain closed and school events have been canceled.

Jenn discusses developing safety policies, summer programming, and 2020 graduation.

Jenn discusses what to expect in the coming weeks, a reminder to pick up belongings on Friday, May 8, and a thank you to West Side Montessori teachers.

“The land is where our roots are. The children must be taught to feel and live in harmony with the Earth.” - Maria Montessori 

The self-motivation, confidence, and compassion of West Side Montessori students are evident beyond the four walls of the classroom.

"It may not seem like it right now, but this time together is a gift. Use it well."

At West Side Montessori, we teach our students to collaborate rather than to compete against one another.

Recognized in both the vocal jazz performance and scholarship worlds, Ellie Martin is a highly respected vocalist, educator, and Jazz studies scholar. She is currently the vocal jazz instructor and vocal jazz ensemble director at the University of Toledo, and Toledo School for the Arts. In addition to her teaching, Ellie continues to perform nationally as well as internationally.

Maria Montessori divided an individual’s development into four planes of development, each with different characteristics and needs.

Our world is often a tumultuous and scary place.  How can we help our children feel safe and cared for, while preparing them to lead the way as adults?  How can we cultivate empathy, kindness, gratitude, and the sense of community that helps people work together?

Waiting patiently is an important life skill! Montessori classrooms purposely have just one of most materials so that children learn to wait.