Working Together
The community of Montessori parents at Forest Bluff School is committed to learning and understanding the development of children and young adolescents on an ongoing basis.
From the beginning of their children’s lives, Forest Bluff School parents have help in understanding their children’s unique interests and personalities. They learn what to do to help them in building independence, language, coordinated movement, focus and concentration, development of the will and self-control, and how to live in a community of others.
Working Together
The following are all comments of Montessori parents at Forest Bluff School during one of our recent Coffee Discussions:
“That is what I love about this school! They work with you right from the beginning, helping you to raise your child. I remember Mrs. Tate talking to me for 45 minutes, giving me examples and ideas of how to deal with my two-year-olds’ tantrums. She gave me so much compassion. She was positive and supportive.”
“Forest Bluff allows you to raise your children the way you want to parent; it would have been impossible to do this in today’s world without the help of the school.”
“Forest Bluff prepares you as a parent to work with your children of different personalities.”
“As parents you grow and learn here. It’s an ongoing learning and a deep appreciation, a revelation about parenting. Because of the support the school gives you, you enroll your child and you enroll yourself!”
Above all, the concept of working together as Montessori parents and teachers at Forest Bluff School is centered on the children themselves, and their development into the best human beings they are capable of becoming. The extraneous agendas of adults are subordinated to the important role of parenthood. The result is a true community of support, serving the human spirit and dignity of each child at Forest Bluff School. The goal of traditional Montessori education as an “aid to life” is successfully met and the children thrive. As one parent mentioned at the end of a Coffee Discussion, “Every time I come to a Coffee or Lecture, I get just what I needed to hear. There is meaning behind everything here!”
Continuing Education
Throughout the school year we offer morning and evening presentations on the latest research in education practices, brain development, current challenges in contemporary culture, and Montessori philosophy and practices. Evening presentations are given to our whole parent community as part of our Montessori Continuing Education program. Teachers also give evening talks in their separate classrooms, showing parents Montessori materials specific to their own child’s age level and development. They explain the life of the classroom, its procedures and practices, and its benefits for the children.
Other parent learning opportunities may include morning lectures and book discussions—led by an experienced Montessori teacher—on topics specific to education, psychology, and the development of children and adolescents. Many of the topics that we cover in these sessions can also be found in the book Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home from Birth to Age Three, co-authored by Forest Bluff School co-founders Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen. See the Montessori from the Start Discussion Guide for an overview of topics.
Additionally, we hold morning and evening coffee discussions hosted by a Forest Bluff family in the fall, winter, and spring. Parents are invited to join a small group of 10 to 20 others, in a mix of families from across the school community, to hear an informal talk and share thoughts. Topics for these talks reflect on the period in which we live and how to lead fulfilling lives in a complex time of change and challenge. For example, subjects relating to everyday life at home and at school are discussed: questions of technology use by children; reading and homework; scheduling of outside interests and sports activities; sleep and nutrition needs; and contributing to family life and responsibilities.
No sooner have we figured out how to meet our children’s needs in one area than they are off and exploring a new one. By coming together as a community of parents with each of their children in a different phase in development, parents are able to support and encourage each other. Parents who have been in similar situations to ours share their experiences and help us to keep present challenges in perspective. Taking part in these discussions when our children are young gives parents a base for understanding and participating in the Forest Bluff School community for years to come: a community that understands that the home environment is a critical aspect of any child’s education.
In these informal gatherings over the years, solid friendships are formed around the parents’ mutual dedication and love for their children, and their desire for the support of other adults in establishing the character and values we all wish for our children.
Home Consultations
Upon request, Lynn Lillard Jessen, co-founder of Forest Bluff School and co-author of Montessori from the Start: the Child at Home from Birth to Age Three, offers private home consultations for parents of children enrolled in our parenting classes. A home consultation gives parents valuable information on ways they can assist their child's optimal development at home.
Home consultations also provide an opportunity to ask individual questions and to focus on any specific concerns you might have about your child. Parents often find it helpful to discuss the needs of their other children in the home as well, and relationships among siblings. For more information, please call Lynn Jessen at 847-295-8338.