Dear BCMCS Families,
Welcome to January 2026. It is my hope that the recent winter break provided your family with a meaningful period of rest and rejuvenation, with renewed energy to embark on an enriching second half of the academic year.
In alignment to parent education, I will continue to feature a monthly Montessori precept to further illustrate the philosophy guiding your child’s development. In the spirit of the new year and our collective growth is the quote: ‘There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competitiveness. There is respect for the environment and for the individuals within it, which comes through experience of freedom within the community.’
The first part of this quote refers to the grade looping and cooperative components of a Montessori classroom. You are already aware of our classroom structures, which follow the Montessori planes of development [three-year cycles (e.g., ages 6–9, 9-12), for all but our Kindergarten class.* Within these cycles, peer mentorship becomes a standard of the classroom. Older students naturally assume leadership roles, reinforcing their own mastery by guiding younger peers. This structure removes the pressure of a "standardized" pace; students do not measure themselves against their peers, but rather look to older classmates as aspirational models. By minimizing external motivators—such as grades, gold stars or class rankings—we foster intrinsic motivation and eliminate the "race for recognition" found in traditional models.
The latter part of Montessori’s quote addresses the dual concept of ‘respect for the environment’ and ‘freedom within limits.’ For the former, children are responsible for their space, which includes watering plants, returning materials to the shelf to cleaning the classroom. The latter refers to the concept of ‘freedom,’ which is probably the most misunderstood aspect of Montessori. Our pedagogy is not a "free-for-all’ but rather a disciplined liberty. Children are, in most cases, free to choose what to work on, where to sit, and whom to work with. However, they are not free to solely work on one subject matter or disturb others or misuse the materials. By making choices, children learn the consequences of their actions. The respect for others arises when a child realizes that their own freedom depends on respecting the freedom of those around them. This creates a self-regulating community where the teacher rarely needs to intervene.
Be sure to follow our school calendar, especially as there are a number of after school clubs beginning their Winter schedules [Soccer and Chess], with Mad Science [new] slated to be soon added.
Thank you, once again, for your steadfast partnership in our mission to provide an exemplary educational experience. Take care, and until next month ... ~Mr. Brian Long
*Regarding our Kindergarten program: While we strive for the full three-year mixed-age cycle, current state public funding formulas do not yet classify preschool-age children as compulsory. We are actively exploring strategic options to better align our early childhood offerings with these traditional Montessori standards.
