A Note From Ann: Re-enrollment Coming Soon!
December 16, 2015

Dear MSLF Families,

jordahl_ann As our re-enrollment time approaches in January, I offer some advice to help guide and affirm your commitment to Montessori education.

Did you know that in a good Montessori school, most things stay the same?  We aim for consistency in faculty and staff and programs, and in the routines and lessons and work materials that envelop the children every day.  But there is one thing that changes, and that is the ever-rising number of children enrolled here at MSLF!

This fall a very interesting phenomenon has been taking place at MSLF, whereby a surprising number of children are coming to us from good-and very local- public schools, for a very simple reason:  they became bored and frustrated.  Some of these children left after Extended Day and are now returning, others are new to Montessori.  In both cases, they come from the very schools that we pay high taxes to support, and that our school districts and neighbors assure us are good.

During their first few days with us, each transferring child has begun to shed the impact of traditional education on their love of learning.  For example, during a math lesson, one child said, “You’re teaching me MULTIPLICATION!” and ran from her chair to hug her new teacher.  Another child matter-of-factly said, “I can’t do that.  I was in the lowest math class.”  And another child said, “No homework?!”  Never fear, their love of learning wasn’t extinguished, and while one child revels in learning multiplication, the other learns that she can indeed do hard things.  And all of them enjoy the respite from regimentation that allows them to control their own time and thoughts, after school.

It’s not that traditional education is “bad,” it’s just that it serves a very different purpose than does Montessori education.  Let’s not kid ourselves: the job of traditional education is to educate, as well as possible, all of the children in a district, whatever their numbers or needs, whatever the wealth of the district.  It’s a system of thought which necessarily relies on metrics to get the job done and to assess itself.  The job of Montessori education is to educate the whole person , child by child, according to the indisputable needs of the developing body and brain.

Education seeks to secure the future of society, and it is a crucial responsibility.  Both forms of education are expensive, the one perhaps more than the other.  And until we have established excellent Montessori education in the public schools, it will continue to cost a lot.  But Montessori education is well worth paying for now.  While there are no scholarships and only very limited financial aid for pre-college education, college scholarships are increasingly hard to come by, as increasing numbers of traditionally-educated applicants present virtually identical credentials.

But anecdotal evidence from various Montessori alumni communities demonstrates that surprising numbers of Montessori alumni are being accepted at, and receiving scholarships from, a wide range of prestigious colleges and universities.  High schools report that students with Montessori backgrounds consistently thrive in high school and excel in their college application acceptance rate.  And colleges are showing consistent, clear interest in Montessori-educated applicants.  This is happening for the simple reason that Montessori- educated applicants don’t look or sound like everyone else.  They sound like themselves-like young people who know who they are, what they want, and how to achieve their goals.

It’s well worth it to pay the money now for a solid Montessori education:  Not only will you see your child educated to become a highly resourceful person, but you will also very likely see them able to win awards and scholarships that seem increasingly elusive for many youth, but not for Montessori alumni, AND in the end, you will benefit from them becoming well-rounded, respectable citizens of our world.

We appreciate your family making the commitment to a Montessori education and look forward to the opportunity to continue educating your child.

 
 
 
Ann Jordahl
Executive Director

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