Minta joined us as a Fourth Year student so she is one who definitely experienced the whole of Elementary II, our 9 to 12 year-old classroom. I believe her graduation speech speaks to exactly what we try to provide for our students as they prepare to leave us for their next learning adventures. Notice her humor and authenticity. I love that her memories of social experiences and friendships are intermingled with her academic learning. She is at ease and comfortable. In Minta’s words…
Through kindness, laughter and so much learning, my time at Bridgeview Montessori is finally up. I can’t explain the amount of sadness that comes to me reading this speech today, but time waits for no one as Kathleen [one of Minta’s EII teachers] once said to me. And though this year seemed only to last a month, I’m glad I got to spend it here.
Minta!
When I look back, I can remember only the happiest of memories. Fourth year, Layla and I were on the playground boat talking about who knows what, when Suzanne [the Director of Admissions] asked what we have in common. We shared that we both do horseback riding, which was one of the first things we bonded over. Days later we are all going outside for a snack, and I invited Maxine to join me. We talked and talked, and now three years later, we are still close.
Fifth year rolls around, and I’m ecstatic to be one of the older kids. Layla left which meant that Maxine and I were all that was left of our friend group. Although after a week or two I was introduced to Niamh. We became good friends and still are! About a month later the new kid, Emma showed up. She had shadowed a few days before and seemed pretty nice. She didn’t know it, but the entire class was buzzing; we were all over the moon about the fact that someone new was coming. I mean, that's what happens when someone new comes to a small school; everyone knew her name and current school weeks before she even shadowed. She joined our community a week or two after shadowing and not long after, we started to become good friends. Soon enough we find ourselves standing together, graduating the 6th grade, and reading a speech trying to explain what this school meant to us!
We made it! 6th year, the big kids, the “role models.” I remember the first day, I was making connections with everyone. All the Fourth Years were so nice, and I couldn't wait to spend the year with all my new friends! It was in this grade that I realized how much I loved this school. All of a sudden I want to be at the beginning; I want to be the little kid. Start fresh, go back. I want, I want, I want, more than anything to stay. I think I will just join the kids in the closet.
But through simple math, autobiography, decimals, fractions, senior project and even algebra, I think I’m ready, ready to leave, ready to start anew. Make new friends, but never forget the old; learn new things, but never forget what I already know.
To my friends, teachers and even Lotus [the classroom tortoise], thank you all for being so nice and accepting. To my teachers, I learned so much from you all, decimals, grammar (even though I will probably still say me and my friends instead of my friends and I) and even cursive, which I probably won’t use until high school. Not to mention I even found out Kathleen's favorite word, equivalent. To all my classmates, take notes. Thank you to all my fellow graduates, I have been looking forward to this day for years, and I’m glad I am getting to spend it with you all. Although I am more than excited to join Niamh, Wesley and Lochlan at Falmouth Academy [a local independent school], I will miss this school more than anything. I will carry these memories throughout the years, and I will even use them in my speech when I become the first female president (before Emma, and to be clear, Emma will be the VICE president, not president). And I think with that, I am ready to graduate, goodbye Bridgeview, and best of luck to all my friends that I am leaving behind.
Minta was fortunate to win “Head of School for a Day” during a raffle held during our Annual Day of Giving. During her time as Head, she had an opportunity to observe a Children’s House classroom and provide her observation notes to the teachers. I have excerpted some of those notes here. I find it fascinating to read what Minta noticed, our mission and core values in action.
Dear Yellow Room Teachers,
Today I observed your classroom from 11:15 to 11:45 am, and in that time, I saw students working together and cleaning up that work…they were cleaning up without being asked (which is not what I would have done at that age). They were observing each other as well. One student was walking around with a magnifying class, and even held it out to observe someone’s teeth and noticed that she had big teeth. After they came to the rug silently, Tommy had his mystery object to present. There were so many guesses and lots of raised hands instead of blurting out. They were all respectful and remained quiet. No one got mad when another was called… Everyone asked great questions and behaved extremely well.
P.S. All the teachers earned the raise I promised.
Sincerely,
Minta
Head of School