Our Need for Community

By Judy Kline-Venaleck, Associate Head of School and Huntsburg Campus Director

Community ... it is a word with great reverence in the Montessori world, and it is one that has surfaced recently as the coronavirus has overtaken our global community.

As we have turned the corner into 2021, we need to continue to seek the silver linings of living through this tumultuous time. We need one another — it is just that simple. Our community shapes who we are and has the amazing ability to either lift us up or break us down.

Dr. Montessori, in her many writings and lectures, speaks eloquently about community. She consistently championed the right of each child to be treated as an individual and fought against the social norms of her time. Living through these days and months of isolation and reflection, many are seeking how to deepen their sense of community.

Paul Born, who has written extensively about deepening community, states that there are four acts of community life: sharing our stories, taking the time to enjoy one another, taking care of one another and working together for a better world. May we all continue to share, enjoy, care and work together for a future filled with peace.