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Head of Hershey Shares Insights on Developing Leaders and Global Education in a Pandemic

Head of Hershey Shares Insights on Developing Leaders and Global Education in a Pandemic

Hershey Head of School, Paula Leigh-Doyle, was recently interviewed by Crain’s Cleveland Business. Leigh-Doyle shared perspectives that were incorporated in two news stories now published by Crain’s in its Crain’s 2021 Private School Planner. These articles include insights on developing future leaders and maintaining focus on global education during the pandemic.

In the article about developing tomorrow’s leaders, Leigh-Doyle was given a chance to share how a Montessori education helps students learn how to find leadership within themselves. “We’re student-led learning with adult guides,” says the Head of School. “Students are trained to be independent thinkers and interdependent collaborators.” You can read the rest of Crain’s article, Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders, here.

In another article, Thinking Outside the Screen: Schools maintain focus on global education, experiential learning during a pandemic, Leigh-Doyle had the opportunity to speak about the importance of Hershey Montessori School’s international alumni during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. School enrollment dropped from 280 to about 250 students as boarders were unable to come to the school due to the COVID pandemic travel restrictions and health recommendations. “We’ve always had a framework for looking at education globally,” Leigh-Doyle says in the article. “And our international borders and alumni were really effective for us to connect globally when we couldn’t fly to those places.” Read the full article, Thinking Outside the Screen: Schools maintain focus on global education, experiential learning during a pandemic here.

Additionally, Hershey’s beautiful 13-acre Concord campus and 97-acre Huntsburg campus were featured in Crain’s Private School Planner. Importantly mentioned is the unique “microeconomy” at the Huntsburg campus, where academic concepts are integrated with economics and entrepreneurism, as students enhance their personal growth, along with their business, communication, and managerial skills. You can see this feature of Hershey Montessori School in Crain’s 2021 Private School Planner here.

Crain’s Cleveland Business journal is owned and operated by Crain Communications Inc. Crain is one of the most well recognized communications companies in the world, reaching over 78 million readers globally. Crain’s has 10 global locations with over 600 employees who manage Crain’s 20 industry-leading communication brands. It is an honor and pleasure to be able to share the lens of our Head of School and to share the examples of our Montessori institution with Crain’s Cleveland Business.

To schedule an interview or collaborative meeting with Paula Leigh-Doyle, contact Hershey Communications Director, Deanna Shrum, at dshrum@hershey-montessori.org.

Hershey Montessori School Provides Student Busing

Hershey Montessori School Provides Student Busing

It’s True. We Provide School Bus Transportation!

It may have been our best kept secret, though it was never intended to be. Hershey Montessori School offers school busing services for our Middle and Upper School students attending our Huntsburg Campus.

Options include one-way or round trips for our Day and Interim Boarding Students.

Pricing ranges from $780 to $3,900 per year, depending on the service option selected.

We are listening to the needs of our parent community and continually evaluating the need for additional stops to accommodate the busing needs of our students.

We also provide inter-campus shuttle service from Hershey’s Concord Campus to Hershey’s Huntsburg Campus five days a week free of charge.

Learn more here or contact us at 440-357-0918 with your questions.


 

Hershey Students Experience U.S. Immigration

Hershey Students Experience U.S. Immigration

A Close Look at Immigration

Immigration has been a central focus of media outlets everywhere. Reporters, commentators, and the general public are expressing views and interpretation of law. Hershey Montessori Guide, John Buzzard, saw the opportunity in seeking greater understanding for his students as they are preparing to enter and contribute to society as young adults.

 

When law meets humanity

John began by extending an invitation to George Koussa to visit Hershey students at the Adolescent Campus in Huntsburg, Ohio. Mr. Koussa, who is a Syrian immigrant, accepted and openly shared his experience as an immigrant, along with his thoughts around current immigration policies in the United States.

John additionally spoke with Hershey Montessori students about their perspectives and thoughts on having Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) come to speak to them as a group. The students were supportive of the idea, knowing that hearing from different perspectives is beneficial, and that this particular perspective is extremely important given it is representative of the U.S. Government.

John and his students extended an invitation, which then led to an informative visit from Valentina Seeley and Kris Crowley from ICE. In spite of the many controversies currently surrounding ICE, Mr. Seeley and Mr. Crowley were gracious and kind as they presented a wealth of information and documents to help inform and illustrate the challenges and protocols of immigration. The students respectfully asked challenging questions of Mr. Seeley and Mr. Crowley. Hershey Montessori School has nearly two dozen boarding students from countries outside the United States. Students saw value in the opportunity to meet with ICE, and several committed to continue their own research on some of the more controversial topics.

Both guests expressed how impressive Hershey students were and how much they appreciated having a reasoned conversation around their work, which is not always the case in their professional work.

A short time later, Hershey students embarked on a trip to Downtown Cleveland to observe a Naturalization Ceremony. It was an invaluable experience that put faces to names and envisioned real lives over simple stories. It allowed students to experience the immigration process as both a logistical matter and a personal one.

Hearing about life-changing issues is important, but immersing ourselves in the process allows for greater comprehension. As adolescents take their place in the next generation of influencers and decision makers, they must be properly prepared and ready to tackle global concerns like these.

 


 

Breaking New Ground

Breaking New Ground

On May 12th, 2016, Hershey Montessori School celebrated the groundbreaking of a new building at the Huntsburg Campus that will house the completion of the Upper School.

“Every time Hershey Montessori School has expanded their programming, it’s because the students themselves want it. They ask for it. They express an interest to continue their Montessori education. The students at Hershey Montessori School, especially at the middle school level, are already very engaged in running small businesses, in growing some of their own food, and solving problems on the land. What will be possible for older students is to continue that work at a much higher, more sophisticated level. This is a microcosm of society on this farm.” – Laurie Ewert-Krocker, Upper School Program Director

The groundbreaking was a historic event because once the building is finished, Hershey Montessori School will be one of the first Montessori schools in the world to serve a complete continuum for infants through 18 years of age. “Education should not limit itself to seeking new methods for a mostly arid transmission of knowledge: its aim must be to give the necessary aid to human development. This world, marvelous in its power, needs a ‘new man.’ It is therefore the life of man and his values that must be considered. If ‘the formation of man’ becomes the basis of education, then the coordination of all schools from infancy to maturity, from nursery to university, arises as a first necessity.” -Dr. Maria Montessori

Already, Hershey Montessori School has impacted 500 schools around the world through people visiting, learning about their practices, methods, and philosophies, and by Hershey Montessori School hosting the AMI Orientation to Adolescence during the summer months at the Huntsburg Campus. With the expansion of the Upper School, Hershey Montessori School will, once again, be on the cutting edge of Montessori education, and will provide a basis for similar programs to model.

As alumni, we can be grateful and excited about the role that we played in the development of Hershey Montessori School – the educators learned from the time that we spent there and the feedback from our parents was important in the growth process as well! Hershey Montessori School’s impact expands far beyond current students and their families. We are part of the growing Hershey Montessori School community and will always be able to return to its campuses and be met with open arms.

Thank you for your continued support of Hershey Montessori School!

Sincerely,

Makella Webster

Hershey Montessori School Alumni Coordinator

Meet Your Alumni Coordinator

Meet Your Alumni Coordinator

Makella (Slavick) Webster, Class of 2003, has served as Hershey’s Alumni Coordinator since winter 2015. After attending Hershey from age three to age 15, Makella went on to graduate from Lake Catholic High School and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Audio Production and her Master’s Degree in Media Management from Ohio University. She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her new husband and also works as a Marketing Coordinator at Provident Label Group, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Makella looks forward to connecting with Hershey alumni, is eager to see how their time at Hershey continues to impact their lives today (as it does her own), to see re-connections and new connections being made between alumni, and to continue to involve them in the wonderful Hershey Montessori School community. Alumni can connect through the Hershey Montessori School Alumni Website, through the Hershey Montessori School Alumni Facebook Group, or the LinkedIn Alumni Group.