Hershey News
Get an in-depth look at the rich learning experience of Hershey Montessori.
Hershey Staff Participate in NVC Workshop on Communication
“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking: it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.” — Dr. Maria Montessori, Education and Peace
Communication in today’s world has many avenues. Just imagine that it was only 30 years ago that both cell phones and the Internet took hold. Information that was once exchanged verbally is now delivered via texts, emails, tweets, posts, and pictures. It is now more relevant than ever to continue to cultivate and enhance face-to-face, interpersonal relationship skills — and this is something that Montessori education certainly strives for. Instilling the relevance of these crucial interpersonal communication skills in each and every student is one of the hallmarks of our program.
This past week, the entire Hershey staff had the opportunity to attend an all-day workshop on Needs-Based Communication, also known as Nonviolent Communication (NVC). NVC is a method of communication that transforms old patterns of reactiveness and defensiveness into compassion and empathy with the hope of improving both communication as well as relationships.
The workshop was led by Gregg Kendrick, founder of Basileia, LLC. NVC greatly aligns with Montessori pedagogy as it creates a space for attention and respect in every moment. This is something that we certainly can use more of in today’s world. NVC lays a solid foundation by incorporating observation, feelings, and needs with both empathy and honesty. If practiced regularly, this model can enrich and strengthen communication.
In the coming months, the staff will connect what was learned and incorporate more of these skills with students, parents, and each other, to promote a more harmonious and enriching community. To find out more about the Hershey Montessori education you can view more on our information page.
To learn more about NVC, visit Basileia.org.
Hershey Alumni Return, Provide Support to Students
Members of the graduating classes of 2018 and 2019 recently returned home to Hershey Montessori School for its annual Alumni Day.
The graduates hosted a panel discussion with current students where they reflected on their time at Hershey and answered questions about life after high school. The graduates went on to share valuable insights regarding their transition to college, making new friends, and various tips to help students as they continue their own journey in the years to come.
The alumni were also gracious in their time as they participated in a Q&A session with Hershey parents via video conference.
We are grateful to all who were able to join us for this informative, heart-warming, welcome home event.
Many thanks to Mathematics, Business and Microeconomy Guide, Jennifer Snead, for organizing this event, and to all of the alumni for taking the time to share their wisdom with the Hershey community.
Hershey Market Is Now ONLINE!
“A shop, or store, could be established…and here the students could easily sell and bring their produce of their fields and garden, and other things that they have made.” ~ Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence.
Hershey Montessori Middle and Upper School students are excited to offer a special selection of microeconomy products through their new online market.
Available products include hand-crafted cutting boards, wooden spoons and spatulas, beeswax candles, maple syrup products, and more. Many of these items can be purchased as part of the beautiful Holiday Market Chest being offered for a limited time only.
Students have been working diligently on the new online platform and are pleased to have taken the next step in experiencing entrepreneurship and small business through this practical and relevant application known as e-commerce.
The Microeconomy is a hallmark component of Hershey Montessori School’s Adolescent Community. Dr. Maria Montessori envisioned adolescents participating in and managing small business endeavors in order to experience economic activity in their community – the “microeconomy.”
Today’s students have additional options for exploring and demonstrating the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship as they manage all the aspects of the Hershey Market. Students are responsible for marketing, sales management, customer service, inventory, order fulfillment, accounting systems, and much more.
Shop the Hershey Market online or view the full array of high-quality products, made from natural resources harvested from the Huntsburg, OH farm campus, by visiting us in person. Contact us at 440-636-6290.
Proceeds from sales go to the Microeconomy to sustain the needs of the farm and Microeconomy activities.
Learn more about our Adolescent Program.
Hershey Students Attend YSU MathFest
Three Hershey Montessori Calculus students recently attended Youngstown State University’s MathFest, where they competed with other high school students from all around Ohio. Afterward, the group, along with Math Guide Jennifer Snead, attended various workshops aimed at exploring additional math concepts. Some of the available options included Mathematics of Origami, Archimedes, and the Mathematics of Cells in Your Heart. It was a fun math day, and an event Hershey Montessori School plans to continue participation in the years to come. Congratulations ladies. You represent us well!
(Pictured above from left to right: Math Guide Jennifer Snead, Maya Harwood, Lucy McNees and Sylvia Altman.)
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
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.
Children’s House Summer Camp in Nature
We began our first week of Children’s House summer camp with new introductions and the joy of being outdoors. “Movement in Nature” was our theme for the week and mother nature was quite kind in all that was offered. With the beautiful sunshine we enjoyed stick forts or “princess castles” and collecting sticks for our hanging stars. Climbing tress was a favorite activity this week that connected us to nature while developing our physical strength.
Learning about our wild life and exploring a variety of insects had us running from ant hills to butterflies and slugs. We also felt lucky to have the rain and enjoyed puddle jumping, running in the rain, while making and racing boats.
We wound down the week with an obstacle course and stick limbo.
Wow! This was a great week. We thank our families for sharing their children with us for summer camp and we look forward to more exciting weeks ahead. You can also read more about how nature positively affects adolescents here.
Warmly,
Stephanie, Summer Camp Coordinator
Lindsay and Amanda, Summer Camp Assistants
Ava and Alexis, Camp Volunteers
Congratulations, 2019 graduates!
Hats off and congratulations to our newest alumni, Hershey Montessori School’s class of 2019! This newest group of standout students is the second class to graduate from Hershey Montessori School after launching its 9th-12th grade curriculum in 2015. We look forward to watching all their success in the years to come.
Thank You for Going Wild for Hershey!
Saturday, April 27th, members of Hershey Montessori School’s community gathered for a very special, fun-filled evening in support of Hershey Montessori School. Thank you all who were able to join us!
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo provided an exotic backdrop to our glamorously decorated room filled with many current and former parents, alumni, Montessori colleagues and community friends. It was delightful to see so many new friends and families as well! There were some special guests including a Kookaburra, an armadillo and two very wild giraffes!
In addition to the warmth and friendship shared by our guests, the evening was truly impactful for Hershey Montessori School. Thanks to the generosity of donors through sponsorships, ticket sales, bidding on auction items, the dessert dash and the call to the heart for Financial Aid, our initial figures showed that we raised over $120,000!
The success of the evening would not have been realized without the amazing leadership, creativity and passionate work from our event committee. We are grateful to our dedicated volunteer families.
All proceeds go directly to benefit our students. Hershey purposefully keeps tuition as low as possible to increase access to a wide range of families—”more Montessori for more children” The tuition covers only 75% of our school’s operations. The funds raised at Go Wild for Hershey are critical in continuing to provide optimal environments for our children to thrive. We couldn’t continue to provide and enhance Hershey Montessori School’s unique, successful programs as a model for schools all over the world without the help and support from our devoted families and friends, and for this we are truly thankful!
With gratitude,
Anne Marie Kollander
Director of Development
Julie Loxterman
Development Coordinator
The 2018 Hershey Cosmic Run: A Success!
Event Participation
On November 3rd, 2018, more than 230 members of the Hershey Montessori School community and the general public gathered for the inaugural run of the Hershey Cosmic 5k Run and 1 mile Walk at Observatory Park in the Geauga Park District. What a wonderful morning! Yes, it was cool and a bit damp, but spirits and energy were high and the park was just beautiful.
It was exciting to have such an amazing turnout – exceeding our expectations for a first time event by almost 100 participants! A special thank you to the volunteers and committee members who rose to the challenge and organized a smooth packet pick-up, event, award ceremony, food and clean up.
If you participated, we hope you enjoyed the camaraderie, family activities and, of course, the race or walk. Observatory Park is truly a hidden jewel, and many expressed a desire to return and enjoy the ample trails and outdoor exhibits.
Fundraising
While this event brought us together to experience the outdoors, it was also an important fundraiser for Hershey. We are happy to say the inaugural Hershey Cosmic 5k Run and 1 mile Walk brought in over $8,300 to support the mission of Hershey Montessori School and the high quality educational model acclaimed by educational peers worldwide.
Thank You!
This day would not have been possible without all the amazing runners, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who were a part of the event. We are grateful for your support! We would also like to send a special thank you to Steven J. Terrell and Jon E. Lawrence, our Presenting Sponsor, and to C. Fraser Elliott and Lyne Montminy for the $4,000 challenge match in honor of their daughter Sarah Nicole, a Hershey Montessori School alumnus. We are grateful for all of our amazing sponsors and donors who made this race such a success! Congratulations to all the winners!
Finally, this event could not have been the success it was without your support. We thank you deeply for your commitment to our shared goals. Be on the lookout for date and location as the race committee gathers feedback and the excitement begins again!
Please visit our Facebook page to see more photos from the event!
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