"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.

The Screen Dilemma: Children and Technology

Considering the current climate of the ever-increasing lure of gadgets and screens, and our own attraction to screens via smart phones, pads, computers, laptops, games, as well as the social media phenomena that surrounds us, I believe it timely and important to discuss. 

We all know that technology is here to stay, and according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).  “more than 30% of American children are introduced to mobile devices while they are still wearing diapers, and almost 75% of teenagers have smartphones.”   These are high statistics and are guaranteed to grow as time passes.

Just recently the World Health Organization (WHO) weighed in on the screen dilemma and issued a new set of guidelines for children and screen time. (NYTIMES April 24, 2019) Their recommendation is that infants under one year should not be exposed to electronic screens, and that children between the ages of 2 and 4 should not have more than one hour of “sedentary screen time” each day.  The bottom line here is that eliminating and limiting screen time under the age of 5 will result in healthier adults.  We know that exercise and sleep play an important role too in this healthy outcome, and for now I am addressing the screen dilemma.

If we examine our own screen time habits it should come as no surprise that new guidelines are recommended. Our phones and pads are constantly at hand and live with us almost 24 hours a day.  They interrupt our own conversation, our work, our driving, our sleep, and our family time.  Let’s think about that in terms of young children’s screen time exposure.  Studies already show that screen time has negative effects on brain development and language acquisition. The first three years of life are most important to a child’s brain development and the impact of overstimulating screens, movement, colors, and noise can impact the normal development of the brain; the more exposure to rapid stimulation such as this, the greater the desire to have it.

At our school we do not have screens in our classrooms for our younger population.  They already have a plethora of hands-on activities, social interactions, and engage in real life play daily.  Our Kindergarten students are exposed to interactive work with a smart board as part of their curriculum, they learn how to keyboard, and they use an iPad or laptop to do research and apply learned skills.  We believe this exposure is both age and time appropriate.

However, because of the growing technology phenomena parents think their children may be left behind if they do not learn at an early age.  Therefore, it is reasonable for parents to question the use of technology in our school and in their homes.  One thing you can be sure of, young people catch onto technology as fast as it is put into play, and thus we know they will never be left behind on the technology end. What we must keep in mind is that for young children real learning comes from two-way human interactions.

As children grow and the exposure and draw become more intense, keeping them away from screens becomes more challenging.  What can parents do to navigate this ever-changing complex journey?

Here are some suggestions:

·        When you allow screen time make sure you have a plan that will work for your family

·        As with most of your expectations set limits, children seek them and work best when they have them

·        Know what your child is watching or games he is playing; do your own research on what is appropriate for your child’s age use a  media rating system to help: (www.commonsensemedia.org) 

·        Be present and engage with children during their screen time, remember two-way conversations are vital for language development

·        Keep quality versus quantity in mind

·        Do not allow screen time within one hour of bedtime, screens should not be in your child’s bedroom, screens can interfere with sleep

·        Be a role model, limit your own use, especially around your children

·        Screen time can be a lost opportunity for real time learning

·        Encourage play without screens; help your children choose healthier play options, walking, hiking, gardening

·        Engage your children in other ways, reading together,
      playing board games, doing puzzles

·        Screen time should not be used to calm or distract a child, children need to learn to self sooth

·        Turn off all devices during meal times and turn off screens when no one is watching them

Technology is unavoidable and part of everyday life, but like the old adages, “everything in moderation” and “less is more” should help.

For more information on the WHO’s recent recommendations on screen time go to    

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/health/screen-time-kids.html