Benefit 2016 News – Fund A Need Announcement!
April 6, 2016

 

Benefit 2016 Newsletter #1

roots If you haven’t done so already, NOW is the time to purchase your tickets to this years Annual Benefit which will take place on Saturday, April 30, 2016, at our Laurel Drive Campus . Information and materials about the Where Our Roots Are Benefit are available in the rotunda and on our website: www.mslf.org/benefit/

The theme Where Our Roots Are was chosen because 50 years ago, a group of parents came together with the vision to establish a school based on Dr. Montessori’s educational theories. They founded MSLF as a not-for profit organization and put down the roots for the first MSLF students. This year we celebrate these roots as we prepare to mark the 50th Anniversary of the school’s opening in August of 2016.

The Benefit is one of two key fundraisers held annually at MSLF. Last year our “Fund a Need” raised $31,750 to enhance technology on both campuses and install a new audio-visual system! Hosting the One Earth Film Festival, using audio/visual technology at The Whoot, and the Elementary play are just a few of the ways our community has made very good use of our new upgrades. Thank you so much!

This year our “Fund A Need” is: Strengthening Our Roots by Investing in Teacher’s Continuing Education . As you told us in our recent Parent Survey, our teachers are the roots of MSLF. Professional development and support for continuing education for our teachers is crucial to maintaining excellence in teaching. By investing in our teachers, we are investing in our children. Just as our children are eager to learn and challenge themselves, so are our teachers. Supporting their continued professional growth promotes innovative teaching ideas, that build on Dr. Montessori’s principals, fostering environments that stimulate, provoke and excite. We hope that you can help to support this goal of investing in continuing education for our beloved teachers.

If you are interested in helping in any way or have any questions about the Benefit please contact Kathleen or Kirstin .

Thank you we look forward to Celebrating Where Our Roots Are with you!

Cheers,
Kathleen and Kirstin

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