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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!

Forbes Article highlights mental health benefits of Montessori education

Dear MSLF Community, After over 20 years of teaching Lower Elementary students at MSLF, Kathryn Jasinski has shared her plans to retire from teaching at the end of the current school year. There is no doubt about the impact Miss Jasinski has had on our school community during her long tenure here. Kathryn has been well known for her dedication to her students, to developing the whole child, and for her passion for Montessori education, always staying true to the core tenets of Montessori philosophy. Her legacy at MSLF will certainly live on in each of the students who have been lucky enough to have been in her class and in the many words of wisdom she has shared with her fellow colleagues, past and present. No doubt each one of her current or former students who receives a note from her in the mail instantly recognizes her perfect cursive writing and the thoughtful note inside. Kathryn’s care of her students extends well beyond their time in her classroom as she has kept in touch with dozens of her former students and has even welcomed some back to work alongside her as assistants. She has been a mentor to many, imparting her years of expertise on all those who have had the privilege of working with her. While we are sad to see her go, we know that she will enjoy her well-earned retirement, and we look forward to celebrating Kathryn’s legacy more this year. MSLF is pleased to announce that Laura Earls will be the new Lower Elementary lead teacher for the 2025-26 school year. Laura has been co-teaching in our Upper Elementary classroom since the beginning of the current school year. Laura Earls joined the MSLF team from Higher Ground Education where she was Regional Program Lead, working to elevate program quality in all Guidepost Montessori schools across the Chicago area. It was during this work that she realized how much she missed working directly with children in the Montessori classroom and decided to return to teaching. Laura received her BA in art history from the University of Dallas and completed graduate work at the University of Notre Dame. Soon after, Laura shifted her career to education and earned her AMI Elementary Montessori Certification (6-12 years old) at the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. She then taught in an Elementary classroom at Forest Bluff School, and her classroom was profiled in Paula Polk Lillard’s book, Montessori Today. After moving to Wisconsin to raise her three children, Laura received her AMI Primary Montessori Certification (3-6 years old) at the Midwest Montessori Institute. After that, she worked as a Primary Directress and Director of Admissions at a Montessori school in Wisconsin, as Head of School of Forest Bluff School, and as Senior Head of School at Guidepost Montessori. Laura has three grown children who all experienced Montessori education themselves and are thriving in college and beyond. Laura has lived and studied in both Paris and Rome and is an accomplished pianist. Laura is excited to make the transition to the Lower Elementary classroom and looks forward to working closely with current and new Lower Elementary families next year. She also looks forward to meeting families in the Lower Elementary classroom during the Open House on February 5. With Laura transitioning to the Lower Elementary classroom following the current school year, MSLF will be conducting a search for a new co-teacher to work alongside Debbie Lincoln in the Upper Elementary classroom for the 2025-26 school year. We are thankful to Laura for all the support she has offered the Upper Elementary community this year. Please join me in wishing Kathryn a peaceful and fulfilling retirement and in welcoming Laura to the Lower Elementary community. Sincerely, Hope Allegretti Head of School - Executive Director Montessori School of Lake Forest

An overview of how Montessori schools assess student progress and development

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. '' - Albert Camus

The Meaningful Use of Technology at MSLF

An in-depth look at the Montessori curriculum at MSLF

Hello everyone! Thank you for being here today to celebrate this year’s stepping up and graduating students. This day is always a bittersweet one as we celebrate all their accomplishments and all their hard work while also preparing to say good-bye as they join new classrooms and start a new chapter. They’ve earned their key of knowledge, completed their Elementary cycle, and are graduating from the Adolescent Program. Today’s celebration signifies a big change for these students. Change can be exciting or change can be intimidating. Change can be exciting AND intimidating. But, these students are Montessori students. They are well equipped to handle change. They are self-guided, decision-making, problem solvers capable of adapting to new environments, new routines, and new people. We should look to them as our role models for accepting and adapting to change because they do it with such grace. They embrace change with thoughtfulness and openness. This adaptability is such an important life skill they hone while at MSLF, because as the saying goes…the only constant in life is change. They will experience change in abundance throughout their lives. Not as obstacles but rather as opportunities. John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life. Those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” Through change we grow. Much like our celebrants today, our school is changing too. We’re growing and we’re adapting. I am excited to announce the addition of a fourth Primary classroom in the Fall of 2024 to serve our growing community. Thanks to the success of this year’s Annual Spring Benefit we will also be debuting our new Music Enrichment Program in the Fall of 2024, which will benefit students of all ages. And, there’s more… we are also very much looking forward to the construction of a new Outdoor Education building to support our incredible Outdoor Education Program which will provide Ms. Whitney a dedicated space for lessons when the weather does not allow them to work outdoors. We are so grateful to the entire MSLF community for your support which makes these exciting changes possible. And as we adapt to new spaces, welcome new staff members and new students, and adjust to new schedules or routines – we’ll look to our role models here today. I can confidently say I speak for everyone here when I say how proud we are of these incredible leaders. The community you enter next is extremely lucky to be gaining you as a member as you will be gifting them your curiosity, your compassion, your creativity and simply your company. May you always hold a place in your heart for MSLF. Please join me in congratulating all our stepping up and graduating students today. In closing, I would like to thank all of you for being a part of the MSLF community. Thank you to all the parents for finding and choosing MSLF for your children and for supporting them and the school during their time here. Thank you to all the grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, and special friends who have offered their support as well. Thank you to the faculty and staff for their dedication and hard work to provide the best possible Montessori education to our students. And finally, thank you to our incredible students for your grace, your independence, your leadership, your ambition, and your kindness. You are why we are all here. You are why we do what we do. You give us joy and you give us hope. And with that, please join me in one final congratulations to all our stepping up and graduating students.  Congratulations graduates!

A wonderful and successful student fundraiser!