"Is it okay if we get glue on our hands? Yes!"

            Hello and happy Monday! This past week I felt overwhelmed in the best possible way by the amount of creativity and imagination at Westmont. If you’ve ever been around children then you know that they simply radiate imagination. At Westmont this week several children invited me over to the train on the playground, explaining adamantly that they were heading to the zoo. When I asked which animals they were going to see, each child piped up one after the other without hesitation, “Penguins! Bobcats! Lions!” From there I headed to the sandbox where the children filled buckets with sand and told me simply that they were making huge cupcakes. Seeing the children’s unwavering confidence in their imagination both inspired me and made me pause. I consider myself a creative person, but I can’t remember the last time I just let my imagination run wild without considering what others might think or if I should edit my thoughts somehow. I imagine other adults have a similar thought process when it comes to creating something. Children, however, have a liberating certainty that comes with creating. This mentality, however, is particularly evident and encouraged at Westmont because of Montessori’s emphasis on the role of creativity in education.

            This week the theme of Exploration Camp was “A Visit to the Met,” meaning that the campers spent the week learning about a different famous artist each day and made their own individual versions of one of their pieces. On Friday the children learned about abstract art, studying artist Wassily Kandinksy. As the teacher showed the children the first painting, she asked them how they felt when they saw it. Without hesitating, they responded, “Funny! Sad! Happy! Happy, I feel happy!” Regardless of the answer, the teacher encouraged them to speak up, giving them the opportunity to consider and share their feelings. As the teacher went on to explain the craft, which included each child recreating parts (that would come together to become a whole) of Kandinsky’s “Squares with Concentric Circles,” one child asked, “Is it okay if we get glue on our hands?” The teacher paused and shifted the conversation back to the children, asking, “Well, what do you all think? Do you think Van Gogh got paint on his hands when he painted? Or Monet, Cassat, or Seurat?” The children’s capabilities were placed alongside those famous painters without question, something unique to Montessori’s approach. I saw recognition pass over the child’s face—she was just as capable and creative as the artists she’d learned about. All the children said, “Yes!” Westmont’s emphasis on empowering children and the role of creativity seemed stunningly clear to me. Westmont recognizes children’s natural abundance of creativity and uses it to empower children to both respect their own abilities and their own creativity. Creativity is often viewed as an aimless colorful quality in the adult world—one that needs to be stifled. After spending time with the children this week, I’m reminded that creativity is actually a liberating force and a gateway to independence.

"Look what I made all by myself! This time I made it all by myself."

            Hello and happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday weekend. Thinking back on the week leading up to Independence Day, I’ve typically never felt very festive until the actual holiday, as I imagine most adults can relate to. Being around the children this week, however, this was not the case. As they spent time making firework and hand-print American flag crafts, I couldn’t help but feel their contagious enthusiasm for the special occasion ahead. When I walked into Exploration Camp one morning three children greeted me covered in star-spangled sunglasses and necklaces with huge grins. I’ve noticed that when we’re older we often hesitate to be openly excited and happy. After all, there are a million other things to be stressed about, right? Being around the children this week I noticed that their uninhibited excitement goes hand in hand with their dedication to the work they do. Whether they were working on coloring an American flag or telling me about how incredibly excited they were about seeing fireworks, the focus was the same. I find that Westmont continuously manages to cultivate an environment that encourages dedication. At Westmont, children give one hundred percent of themselves in whatever they do. Whether that’s completing a puzzle, completing a craft, or explaining how you feel in a moment of happiness or anger, the children always follow through. Westmont encourages the growth of the whole child. Looking back on this concept and approach as an alum, I can’t help but think that growing up and learning in an environment like Westmont’s encourages you to be wholeheartedly yourself.

            The concept of  ‘being yourself’ brings me to the other concept that I’ve been thinking about this week: independence. Not only is it especially relevant this week, but I’ve also found that being oneself and independence go hand in hand at Westmont. As I discussed earlier, children at Westmont are taught to work and feel wholeheartedly, which ends up making them wholeheartedly themselves. I was sitting with a child this week who was working on his Play-Doh, trying to roll it out enough so that he could cut out the shape he wanted. He’d been working at it for a while and then suddenly grinned, proclaiming, “Look what I made all by myself! I couldn’t make it by myself last time, but this time I made it all by myself.” Again, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw his enthusiasm. It all seems to fit together—the dedication, independence, enthusiasm, and the unique growth into being oneself that comes as a result of a Montessori education
            The picture shown above is a little me on the Westmont playground years ago. I lost my dad a year ago today, so he is on my mind more than usual, but this week’s post especially brought him to mind. My dad was always the one encouraging me to make my way across the monkey bars, waiting to catch me if I fell while believing that I could do it myself. I’m feeling especially grateful for Westmont and my dad today. Have a wonderful week everyone.

"I'm making him laugh. It's nice to make people laugh."

            Hello and happy summer! My name is Samantha Bittman and I’m going to be taking over the Westmont Montessori School blog and social media as a Social Media Intern for the school (while also remaining a staff member at Extended Day Camp). When summer ends I’ll return to Fordham University for my junior year as an English major, but my educational journey began right here at Westmont. Westmont has been the longest-standing and strongest community in my life. Although it’s been fifteen years since I was a student at Westmont, I honestly feel like I never left. Westmont’s role in my life over time has changed yet never faded. After spending several summers as a Junior Camp Counselor I joined the staff working at Westmont last summer. As I watched the children proudly line up their math bead chains on their rolled-out carpets, proclaiming confidently “I will do it myself,” I was overcome with awe and inspiration. I found myself taking mental notes about the simple yet profound ways that Montessori allows its students to grow creatively. Over the course of the summer I’ll be bringing you along on my journey as I explore what makes Westmont such a unique and inspirational place.

            Looking back on the first week of camp, the phrase ‘respect for others’ immediately comes to mind. As we hear this phrase repeated in workplaces and schools, I’ve found that it often washes over me as an adult. It seems too big of a phrase to unpack even as adults. The meaning of ‘respect for others’ is clear at Westmont; respect fills the intention of every child, teacher, staff member, and Junior Counselor’s actions. I found that little interactions I observed this week both simplified and reminded me what ‘respecting others’ truly means. For example, I heard two children laughing in Extended Day Camp. I could tell right away it was one of those laughs that has you doubled over with joy—the best kind of laugh. When I asked what they were up to, one of the children looked up at me and explained, “I’m making him laugh. It’s nice to make people laugh.” The simplicity of her words and empathy instantly inspired me. The empathy came from a simple place—the desire to create joy for another person. Similarly, when a child asked for help opening his Play-Doh, an older child sitting beside him instantly offered, “I’ll help you!” before I could even get a syllable out. I think that’s one of the unique components of Westmont and the mindset it cultivates. When it comes to solving a complicated problem, children are taught to think long and hard about it and to take their time considering which path to take. When it comes to respecting others, however, Westmont emphasizes simplicity, making kindness and respect long-lasting habits. I’m grateful this week to be reminded of that. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store.