MSLF Hosts One Earth Film Festival – “A Farmer’s Road”
February 25, 2016

In partnership with the host   A Farmer’s Road at the Laurel Drive Campus on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 4:00pm .

This event is FREE and open to the public, and a $5 donation per film is appreciated.

After the film, you will have the opportunity to meet with local organic farmers and Lake County organizations to discuss how educators and environmental groups can collaborate.

OEFF2016-Logo3-HiResThe Fifth Annual One Earth Film Festival features four inspiring films in Lake County. The festival continues to illuminate the environmental topics of the day while creating wide-ranging opportunities for dialogue and action.

Lake County Schedule (online here )

This year’s festival will present three films at three venues in Lake County on March 5th and 6th. The film showings in Lake County are free and open to the public.  A $5 donation per film is appreciated.
More information, trailers and tickets are available here .

Saturday, March 5:

3:00pm:  Saving My Tomorrow   (Family Film!)
Prairie Crossing Charter School, 1531 Jones Point Rd, Grayslake

7:00pm:  This Changes Everything
College of Lake County Building C, 19351 W. Washington St, Grayslake

Sunday, March 6:

1:00pm:  Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective
College of Lake County, Bldg C, 19351 W. Washington St, Grayslake

4:00pm:  A Farmer’s Road
Montessori School of Lake Forest, 13700 West Laurel Drive, Lake Forest

Information on the full festival is available at oneearthfilmfest.org .

By Teresa Pavelich June 2, 2025
At MSLF, overnight trips become an important part of Montessori learning beginning in Lower Elementary. Each trip is carefully planned to meet the developmental needs of students in the second and third plane of development , with each overnight trip getting progressively longer to ease children into these independent journeys away from their families. These aren't just trips - they're carefully crafted opportunities for students to discover who they are, what they're capable of, and how they can contribute to their community and the wider world. Beginning in their first year of Lower Elementary, students take their first MSLF overnight trip to Nature’s Classroom in Wisconsin. For many Lower Elementary students, this trip represents their first nights away from home. During their trip they explore the outdoors, work together in groups, use their practical life skills during community meals, and grow! It’s this first overnight trip for MSLF students where parents and staff remark how students come back almost transformed after being able to develop their independence in a supportive environment. Our Upper Elementary classroom has embarked on overnight trips to both Camp Timber-lee in Wisconsin and The Country Experience at Amstutz Family Farm in Elizabeth, IL. Both locations provide students with increasing opportunities to apply their practical life skills, like checking the weather to ensure they have weather-appropriate gear for their trip. Every task empowers them to develop self-reliance and problem-solving skills. These trips are also opportunities for the students to get to know one another and build strong relationships with their peers and with the adults in their classroom. Adolescent Program students at MSLF have opportunities to visit both Springfield, IL and Washington, DC . These overnight trips tie directly into their studies – connecting curriculum learned in the classroom to experiences in the wider community. They often take their learning on the road, for example by watching a legislative session in action in Springfield to see which bills are passed during their trip or presenting their research papers at monuments in Washington, DC. And for these students, the skills they built on their trips in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary are put to work, as they pack their own bags, learn more about public transportation, and plan their daily itineraries to make the most out of their visit. Experiences like these at MSLF support the child’s independence, laying the groundwork for transitions in later life: the start of high school, going away to college, a first job, and beyond. As they conquer challenges outside their comfort zone, their confidence soars, laying the foundation for the autonomy and independence they will continue to utilize throughout their Montessori experience and beyond. It’s good for parents, too, to see how truly capable our children are!
By Teresa Pavelich March 7, 2025
Forbes Article highlights mental health benefits of Montessori education