Dear BCMCS Families,
Welp, we are officially a fourth of the way though this absolutely fantastic 2025-26 school year. Again, within each month’s school message, I will both relay and expand upon a quote from Maria Montessori. Fitting this point of the school year, where we have now built our foundation, our focus moves toward Montessori concept steps, with one of the most vital being Independence.
Per Maria Montessori, “The child's development follows a path of stages of independence, and our knowledge of this must be the guide in our behaviors. The teacher must help the child to act, will and think for himself. Although it is vital to stimulate, we must leave the child free to unfold itself, with the educator’s role to guide the student doing it alone, and must never help a child with a task at which he feels he can already succeed.” This quote emphasizes that a child's independence development is not a straight line but a series of steps toward self-reliance, sort of a path of stages toward independence. The adult's role is to observe and understand these natural developmental stages. We should neither rush nor unduly slow the child's progress. Instead, our focus should be to prepare an environment and offer assistance precisely when and how it's needed, aligned with the child's current ability. The primary objective is to help the child become a self-directed individual. The teacher must create opportunities for the child to practice practical life independence, develop self-control, follow through on tasks based on an inner drive and engage with academic concepts through hands-on materials, just to mention a few. The final, crucial part of the quote outlines the adult's delicate balance of stimulation and restraint. It is vital to stimulate the child’s needs by offering rich, engaging materials and activities, however, once the interest is sparked, the adult must step back and "leave it free to unfold itself." True learning happens through the child's own activity and self-correction. The educator's role is to guide the process, to show the correct use of materials, introduce new concepts, and ensure a safe, organized environment—but the goal is always to lead the child to ‘do it alone.’ This is the most powerful takeaway, often summarized as the philosophy of non-intervention. The adult must never do for the child what the child is already capable of doing for himself, or feels he is ready to attempt. Intervening when the child can succeed (even if it takes a long time or is messy) robs the child of the opportunity to build self-confidence, concentration, and the joy of mastery. In essence, the quote calls for a paradigm shift where the adult steps away from being a dispenser of information or a constant helper, and instead becomes a humble and keen observer who clears the path for the child's natural, internal development toward a capable, independent person.
If not aware, as part of BCMCS’s Charter, families are required to volunteer 3 hours per school month. There are numerous opportunities available for parents to get involved, whether it’s assisting in the classroom, helping with lunch/events, or supporting our school committees. Your participation not only enriches our school community but also provides a valuable chance for you to connect with other parents, teachers, and students. It goes without saying that our PTO and its board and members persistently adhere to this requirement, and we thank them for their continued efforts. I would like to also formally thank Shoba Shetty, as well as the Polam, Pallai, Vardhan, Nedumakeland and Patel families for their efforts with the Staff Diwali Luncheon, as well as those who both showed and volunteered for yesterday’s Halloween classroom festivities.
Please be sure to look at our school web calendar, especially for 'NoSchool' November. With regard to the upcoming Parent / Teacher Conferences, you will soon receive a OneCall email that will be sent out which will detail the process. That's all for now ... Take Care, and until December … ~Mr. Brian Long
