This summer, we will be running a series of pieces about our Elementary II or Upper Elementary as it is often referred to in Montessori circles. If you are thinking about what middle school might look like for your younger child, consider giving that child a Montessori experience BEFORE they navigates those infamous middle school halls. ~ Suzanne Lawson

As Director of Admissions, I am privileged to tour our school with prospective families a few times each week. Walking through our Children’s House with students ages 3 to 6 then into our Elementary I with students in grades 1 to 3 and finally to our Elementary II with our 4th through 6th graders, I see firsthand the extraordinary continuum that exists in a Montessori school. If you have investigated Montessori education at all, you know that academic rigor and challenge are key features, you also may know all the famous intellects, entrepreneurs, and creatives who have attended Montessori schools, but what you may not know is what Montessori schools do for a child’s humanity.

As I write this piece, I am thinking specifically about what happens for our Elementary II students, those aged 9 to 12 and who graduate and leave us for the ill-reputed middle school years after 6th grade. Our graduates are confident, self-aware, and self-possessed, and these are qualities that are invaluable as students move from us to their next schools.

As I was talking to one of our Elementary II guides, Jolie Drury, I asked her what she thought contributed to these qualities that I notice in the classroom. Jolie explained, that within their nurturing space, she and co-guide Kathleen Finucane, let their students do for themselves. They allow them the time to sit with discomfort if a social situation or academic challenge is hard; problem solving is student generated; they have to work to figure out their path. Jolie used the words “stretch zone.” They live and more importantly feel the process of exploration. Bridgeview Montessori students, cannot really find the “easy way out.” Of course, we all pay lip service to the idea that we can grow out of places where we feel discomfort, but do we really let our children have this experience? As a mama bear and a fixer myself, I cannot honestly say that I always do. However, what better place to let this organic process happen then in our small and caring classroom communities?

Jolie went on to explain that the Elementary II students spend time actively discussing character traits that are important in being a positive and productive human. However, because of these proactive and regular conversations, students come to realize and appreciate nuance, different styles of being. Being gregarious might be a great quality in some, but it is not definitive. Perhaps your quiet resolve is your superpower. In Elementary II, our students come into owning their personality traits and begin to see them for what they are, strengths and growing edges. They revel in their own uniqueness, and they appreciate uniqueness in others. Jolie told a story of a student who was struggling with a moment of anxiety around a deadline. The student had shutdown, yet his classmates knew that this behavior was often part of his path. Because his classmates know him, they were able to offer him support. “We care about you; how can we help you? What tools do you need.” There was no judgement but rather compassion and guidance. Just imagine how these experiences prepare young people for those often-trying middle school years.

This is the stuff. This is why I look at our students as they give their graduation speeches in awe; they own who they are.

(Tune in later this summer for the speeches. You will be amazed.)