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Pancake Breakfast 2024

Pancake Breakfast 2024

Join us for this favorite community event hosted by our adolescent students at Hershey Montessori School’s 7th-12th grade Huntsburg campus.

Bring your family and friends to enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast with sausage and homemade maple syrup.

Proceeds support the Microeconomy, which is Hershey’s student-run business function that generates income to purchase supplies for the campus’s farm animals, gardens, and other related needs.

See the flyer for more details.

We look forward to seeing you!

Hershey Now Accepting EdChoice Expansion Scholarships

Hershey Now Accepting EdChoice Expansion Scholarships

Hershey Montessori School is pleased to announce its participation in Ohio’s EdChoice Expansion Scholarship Program.

The EdChoice Expansion Scholarship Program provides Ohio students the opportunity to attend participating independent schools. The EdChoice Expansion Program is income-based. It provides scholarships to students in grades K–12 based on household income level. The scholarship amount can be up to $6165 for grades K–8 and $8407 for grades 9-12.

Scholarships for EdChoice Expansion are awarded based on the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of a family’s household. If a family’s household income is at or below 450 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, they will be awarded the maximum scholarship amount. If a family’s household income is at or above 451 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, the student’s scholarship award will be prorated based on the chart below.

Hershey’s participation in this program does not change our pedagogy or admissions process, but it will greatly assist in making Hershey affordable for Ohio families who wish to avail of the scholarship. Hershey’s financial aid will still be available to qualifying families who need additional support even after qualifying for Ohio’s EdChoice Expansion Scholarship.

Families outside of the state of Ohio are encouraged to apply for Hershey’s financial aid. Questions regarding EdChoice may be directed to Diana Le Sieur at dlesieur@hershey-montessori.org or by calling 440-357-0918.

More information can be found on our Scholarships page and on Ohio’s EdChoice website.

Beautification Projects Come to Life at Concord

Beautification Projects Come to Life at Concord

By Yvonne Delgado-Thomas, Hershey Montessori School Development Director

 

Sharing Heartfelt Appreciation for Our Generous Supporters

Hershey Montessori School is delighted with the wonderful transformations that have taken place at our Concord Campus through two significant beautification projects this school year. These improvements have been made possible by the generosity and support of individuals and organizations.

A special note of gratitude goes to The Hershey Foundation for their incredibly generous grant that has revitalized our Children’s House community. Thanks to this support, we have created a beautifully renovated prepared environment, aligned with Dr. Maria Montessori’s vision. This classroom now stands as a peaceful, happy space designed to cater to the developmental needs of the children. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to The Hershey Foundation for taking the first step in our ongoing campus renewal plan.

Secondly, but just as important, we would like to express our sincere thanks to K&D Management for their matching donation that inspired a wave of generosity at our Gala 2023: Shine. The collective effort of donors, prompted by K&D’s generosity, made it possible to realize the dream of a new gym floor and multi-use space. This versatile area is perfect for children to play, create, and explore, and for families to enjoy various events and activities. The K&D Management gift played a pivotal role in bringing this vision to life.

         

Our gratitude extends to all the individuals, families, businesses, and the entire Hershey Montessori Community for their unwavering support. Their contributions, be it in the form of time, talent, or donations, continue to play a crucial role in advancing our school’s mission. Together, we are creating a vibrant and nurturing educational environment for our students.

Swift Delivers, Memorable Adolescent Student Experience

Swift Delivers, Memorable Adolescent Student Experience

By Joyce Cole, Hershey Montessori Farm Manager

Is she pregnant? This was the question that all of us in the community had been asking since we separated our Kunekune gilt, Swift, from our boar, Tui, back in November.

We couldn’t have timed our questioning and investigating more perfectly. We started just last week by attempting to use a human pregnancy test, with a seventh-year student managing to catch her urine! However, we then learned that pigs do not produce a hormone like the HCG hormone of a human woman, so we ordered the livestock urine pregnancy test that instead measured a hormone called estrone sulfate and asked the student to work his magic once again.

We were excited by the positive results, but then we found out that the test would only work between days 30 and 35, or days 85 – term. Pigs only carry for 115 days. That meant we had to be in late pregnancy and our preparation window was now a tight one.

By our calculations, and with 93% test accuracy, Swift would give birth in the next two weeks. Sure enough, we had just installed the Ring camera on the afternoon of Saturday, January 20th, when I noticed some increased swelling in her abdomen and teats. I went in again on Sunday morning and was able to express milk from her teats, so I rallied the student Pastured Pig team.

At 4:06 p.m. Sunday, January 21st, Hershey middle school guide Nicole arrived to relieve my watch. She found Swift with her head buried in straw and breathing very heavily. Nicole immediately called me back in due to Swift’s obvious signs of labor. She also alerted the whole Pastured Pig team.

By 6:30 p.m., nine healthy piglets were born! All members of the Pastured Pig team were able to be there for the birth. The team jumped right in and set up to help Nicole catch the babies, clean them off, and put them safely in their heated area while they waited for mama to finish.

 

Students help care for the piglets as Swift finishes her delivery.

Swift was exhausted, but she is very loving with her new litter, responding to them when they cry and turning her big ol’ pig belly out so that the babies can reach their milk. They were quickly able to latch on successfully and get a good dose of colostrum. Their warming area is outfitted with two heat lamps and a seedling heat mat. They flop onto the heat mat and fall asleep without worrying about pulling up the covers. Their little piglet bellies are full and round with their mama’s milk.

Congratulations, Swift, and congratulations to the team members who made it in for the birth. Those students include one ninth-year and two seventh-years. The team did a fabulous job assisting Mama Swift.

The team is now challenged with keeping the babies warm and fed and assisting Swift in the raising up of these sweet little piglets.

The newborn piglets are nourished by their mama.

Editor’s note: This was an experience most adolescents would never have the opportunity to witness or enjoy. For Hershey students, it is yet another unique, memorable moment to learn and grow from – a memory that will last a lifetime. Many things can be learned through books and classrooms, but learning is most impactful when experienced. This experiential learning is both the power and the beauty of authentic Montessori education.

Introduction to Positive Discipline in the Home

Introduction to Positive Discipline in the Home

Join us for this informative event with Campus Director Zaynab Olin Twaddell and Montessori & Positive Discipline-certified parent educator Aaron Twaddell.

Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills in a manner that is deeply respectful and encouraging for both children and adults and aligns well with Montessori philosophy. Recent research tells us that children are hardwired from birth to connect with others and that children who feel a sense of connection to their community, family, and school are less likely to misbehave. Join us as we share some of the helpful ways that we have used Positive Discipline in our home and some great books and resources that you can use on your parenting journey. While we will gear our discussion for parents of children under age 6, parents of children of all ages are welcome.

Concord Campus Music Room
Thursday, February 22nd
8:45-10:00 am

RSVP to RSVP@hershey-montessori.org or call 440-357-0918.

Why Upper Elementary? Continuing Your Child’s Elementary Journey

Why Upper Elementary? Continuing Your Child’s Elementary Journey

Please note the DATE CHANGE and join us to learn how we support your child’s development in Upper Elementary.

Concord Campus
Thursday, February 8th
5-6 pm

If you are parents of a 3rd year or even a 2nd year, this event is absolutely for you! Join Upper Elementary guides, Sarah Tetzloff and Venus Kohler, to learn more about the Upper Elementary curriculum, how they continue to support typical development in older elementary children, and to ask all your burning questions!

Childcare will be available for current Hershey Families with 24-hour advance notice. Please RSVP to RSVP@hershey-montessori.org.

Families are strongly encouraged to attend this event!