Beginning in fall 2024, MCS will offer a Spanish Immersion program to entering kindergartners and first-grade students. Read on to learn more about our dual language program, its benefits and some frequently asked questions. Language immersion Language immersion is an educational approach through which students are taught literacy and content in two languages. Mastering multiple languages has positive effects on a child’s cognitive development and executive functioning skills, on their academic outcomes, their social skills, and their economic futures. MCS’ new Spanish immersion program is designed to foster bilingualism, biliteracy, enhanced awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, and high levels of academic achievement through instruction in two languages. Montessori education Montessori is a pedagogical model that is student-centered and self-paced. Children are guided, assessed, and enriched by knowledgeable and caring teachers, the leadership of their peers, and a nurturing environment. In the Montessori classroom, children embrace multi-sensory learning and inquiry. The experiential approach to learning is designed to provide myriad and natural opportunities for children to practice independence, citizenship, and accountability. Montessori students grow up to be confident, enthusiastic, and self-directed learners who think critically, work collaboratively, and act boldly. The Learning Arc In our carefully prepared Montessori environments, students in MCS’ immersion program will achieve biliteracy and bilingualism by the conclusion of sixth grade. Beginning in kindergarten and first grade, 90% of the curriculum will be taught in Spanish and 10% in English. This ratio will gradually shift as the children progress into the upper elementary program; by fourth grade, children will learn in a 50%-50% classroom, accessing the curriculum in both Spanish and English and demonstrating reading, written and oral fluency in both languages. Frequently Asked Questions Q: Which grades does the immersion program span? A: The 2024-25 school year will mark the launch of this new program with a kindergarten/first-grade multi-age classroom. The program will grow one-grade level each year and will eventually span kindergarten through sixth grade. We will also open a primary classroom (ages 3-5) in the fall of 2026. Q: Does MCS offer tuition assistance for families in the immersion program? A: Yes, we do! We have generous need-based financial aid available, and we work on a case-by-case basis to reduce the cost of attendance each year to put MCS within reach for a family. We encourage all families to apply for financial aid when applying for admission to the school. Q: Will MCS’ immersion classrooms include an equal balance of students who speak each target language (Spanish and English) at home? A: We seek to include native, fluent, and heritage speakers of both Spanish and English in the classroom, as well as students who may have a third language as their home language. Q: We speak languages other than English and Spanish at home. Can my child still benefit from the Spanish immersion program at MCS? A: Yes, they can! Ultimately, every child’s needs are unique, and each family’s choice on this topic is personal. We encourage you to weigh whether committing to a third language is a priority for your child’s education and development. Q: Will my child still take specialist classes and have opportunities to work with other MCS students outside of the immersion program? A: They will! Each child will take art, music, drama, library, physical education, and STEAM Lab. Students in our immersion program will not take Mandarin Chinese to protect time in the Montessori curriculum in the target languages (Spanish and English). Q: What is the admissions process to secure a placement in the program? A: Interested families can apply for admission to MCS through our admissions portal. To learn more, we encourage you to schedule a call with our Admissions Director, Tyler Clark: www.mcssb.org/how-to-apply Q: Where can I access credible research about Montessori education or immersion education? A: We recommend the following sources for further reading and exploration: The American Montessori Society: https://amshq.org/Families/Why-Choose-Montessori The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition at the University of Minnesota: https://carla.umn.edu/ MCS will host a Spanish Immersion information session on June 4 from 9 am to 10 am. Please reach out to our Admissions Director, Tyler Clark, to RSVP: [email protected].

Today we discuss the principles behind Montessori classroom elements and how those principles benefit students. What Makes a Montessori Classroom Special Montessori classrooms are designed to be intuitive and conducive to a child’s needs at multiple developmental stages. Montessori classrooms feature the following: Designated learning areas: Each classroom is divided into several curricular areas. Typically, these areas are dedicated to sensory, practical life, language, math, and cultural studies. Natural furnishings: Whereas traditional classrooms use brightly colored plastic furniture, Montessori classrooms mostly stick to natural wood furnishings. Soft lighting: Montessori classrooms use lighting similar to what a child might experience at home. The classroom may have fixtures designated to specific sections to create a cozier atmosphere. Specific organization: While Montessori spaces are designed to encourage self-driven learning, they’re far from chaotic. These classrooms include a neat and predictable organization of supplies and educational items. While the design of each classroom may differ according to room architecture, student needs, or resources, educators create these classrooms to optimize the way children interact with the environment and with each other. How Montessori Classrooms Benefit Children Encouragement to Learn The entire design of a Montessori classroom is intended to encourage learning at a child’s own pace. The sensory and practical areas of the classroom help students develop different skills, such as perception and motor skills. Additionally, the designated spaces and clear floorplan encourage children to find areas of personal interest. This exploration encourages creativity, feelings of freedom, a sense of self, discovery, and hands-on learning experiences. Overall Comfort If you have a child who has already started school, you know how difficult the first day of separation can be. This feeling of discomfort can come from uncertainty or attachment to individual family members, but children may experience more anxiety if they also must deal with a completely new environment. Touring the classroom before you take your child to class can help minimize this effect. Additionally, the soft lighting and natural furnishings of a Montessori classroom make the space more welcoming and less intimidating. In many cases, children recognize familiar elements from home and adjust to the space more quickly and easily. Nurtures the Development of the Whole Child Montessori classrooms are designed to help children develop their whole selves. The shelf and materials organization encourages independence and builds socially conscious habits. Interested in learning more? Contact us today to schedule a tour and see first-hand how the classroom environment supports students in achieving their full potential. Reference: Miniapple International Montessori

When you look inside a Montessori classroom, you’ll notice the general attractiveness and warm quality of the room. As you peruse the environment, you may also notice the array of colorful materials on the shelves and how they stand out in contrast to some of the neutral feel of the rest of the room. These colorful learning materials are designed for beauty so that our young children will be drawn to them. However, this isn’t the only reason Montessori materials have distinct colors. The color-coding also helps with organization and structure in the learning environment, and perhaps even more importantly, plays an important role in facilitating children’s cognitive development and learning. Creating External and Internal Order In our toddler and primary classrooms, practical life—activities like scrubbing a table, cleaning a window, watering a plant, or creating a flower arrangement—are set up so that all of the objects for a particular activity are arranged by color. This way young children can rely on color cues to know what objects go together and to independently access supplies, like getting a dry apron. Sensorial materials often use color to help isolate a quality and help children develop their perception. For example, when discriminating dimensions with the pink tower, all of the cubes are the same shade of pink. Color-coding is also used to help children pair two identical sets of materials, like when matching sounds with the sound cylinders. These forms of color-coding help children with both the order in their surroundings and also in constructing an internal sense of order. Integrated Throughout The color-coding gets even more interesting as children move into more academic subjects, like language, mathematics, and even geography. When our primary children begin to use puzzle maps, they start with the continent map, a two-dimensional representation of Earth, and the continent globe, which shows the planet as a sphere. The puzzle map and the globe show the continents, and each is painted a distant color: North America is orange, South America is pink, Europe is red, Asia is yellow, Africa is green, Oceania is brown, and Antarctica is white. As children begin to learn the physical representation of each continent, they also associate a color with that continent. All other learning materials that involve the continents–such as picture packets, information cards, or booklets–maintain this color scheme. In the math materials, children learn to associate a quantity with both the number of beads represented and the color of those beads. The beads are the same size but change only by the number on the bead bar and the color. So a ten bar is always constructed of ten gold beads, a nine bar with nine dark blue beads, eight with brown, seven with white, six with light purple, five with light blue, four with yellow, three with pink, two with green, and one with red. This color scheme is consistent throughout all the math materials that use the bead bars, from the simplest lessons in the primary to advanced cubing and cube roots in the elementary and beyond. Similarly, there is clear and consistent color coding in other materials and concepts, such as with the hierarchy of numbers to designate place value or the role of different parts of speech with the grammar materials. Strengthening Neural Pathways While this color coding does continue to help with organization and structure, now the color also helps children with their cognition and memory. Color has long been used as an effective tool in marketing, through brand recognition, consumer attitude, and purchasing decisions. How the brain processes color impacts our children’s attention, comprehension, and retention. Dr. Maria Montessori may not have had all the current-day studies at her disposal, but she did recognize the power of color in the learning process. We now know that color connects neural pathways and integrates different forms of intelligence, which allows learners to construct more consolidated meaning and make deeper cognitive connections with content. When learning the quantity of six, children count the six light purple beads on the bar to determine the quantity of six. At the same time, neurologically they are creating pathways in their brain for quick and easy recall when they see the light purple bead bar so they can immediately think “six” in the future rather than having to count the beads. Later, when children start to use the bead bars for advanced work with compound multiplication, the distributive law, squaring, cubing, and so much more, the neural connections they have are strengthened by both a clear and concrete understanding of the quantity and the associated color. Leading to Abstraction The color-coding in math, language, and other subjects, also helps children move from the very concrete to more abstraction and symbolic representation. Because they learn to associate nouns with black equilateral triangles and verbs with red circles, as children analyze sentence structure they can begin to parse out the subject and predicate by using those two color-coded shapes and eventually even just the color. With the understanding that our decimal system place values have associated colors–units are in green, tens are blue, hundreds are red–children can better conceptualize the pattern in the numerical hierarchies because unit thousands are also green, ten thousands are blue, hundred thousands are red, and then unit millions are green, and so on. This color-coding also helps when we move into operations with larger numbers and quantities. When children move from very tangible representations of a bar of ten beads to represent ten and a square of one hundred beads to represent a hundred, they use small color-coded tiles with just the color and number. Thus children can manipulate a blue tile with 10 printed on it and a red tile with 100 printed on it, and (thanks to the neural pathways established) fully understand what those tiles represent as they add, subtract, multiply, and divide. A Powerful Aid The power of color is fully integrated throughout Montessori classrooms and provides an amazing aid to children’s cognitive development. In addition to helping memory and learning, the color brings beauty and appeal to our learning environments while also supporting children’s independence! We recommend coming to see this for yourself. There are so many examples of how color brings learning to light. Contact our Admissions Director, Tyler ([email protected]), and schedule a tour today!

In Montessori, we nurture grace and courtesy in the classroom. But what does grace and courtesy really mean? And what role do they play in supporting the development of social relationships? What is Grace? What is Courtesy? Let’s first isolate each word. Grace can be defined in two parts: 1. simple elegance or refinement of movement, and 2. courteous goodwill. Courtesy is defined simply as: the showing of politeness in one’s attitude and behavior toward others. Stated another way, grace and courtesy comprise how we move through the space around us showing respect for ourselves and others. Grace & Courtesy Lessons In our toddler and primary classrooms, grace and courtesy are considered to be part of practical life learning and we devote time to grace and courtesy lessons. For example, teachers give instruction on how to walk around someone’s work on the rug, how to wait your turn, how to offer help, how to tuck a chair under the table, or how to introduce oneself. These lessons are offered one-on-one or in small groups and we often use role playing as a technique for exploring the skills. In the Older Years As children enter their elementary years, our approach shifts slightly. Elementary-age children are more focused on their social interactions and are learning how to navigate the ups and downs of friendships. As such, much of the grace and courtesy work at this level provides children with tools for communicating directly and respectfully, sharing perspectives thoughtfully. In addition, they are learning how to interact with the broader community as they arrange visits or interviews, conduct themselves according to the norms of different communities, and explore how to be a host or be a guest. The Goal The goal in Montessori education is that these acts of grace and courtesy aren’t rigid expectations, like insisting that children say please and thank you. Rather, they become part of how children want to be and interact. Dr. Montessori is quoted as saying: “…the essential thing is that [the child] should know how to perform these actions of courtesy when his little heart prompts him to do so, as part of a social life which develops naturally from moment to moment.” Like all other exercises in Montessori prepared environments, we offer opportunities to regularly practice and repeat grace and courtesy skills. Because these experiences are part of the normal functioning of the day, they provide a respectful way for young people to learn expectations and for adults to provide scaffolding and assistance for social skills. The Results In time, as we offer these grace and courtesy opportunities and give children a safe place to practice, our young people eventually perform these skills independently. Curious to learn more about the Montessori approach? Contact us today to schedule a tour.

The '90s was truly a golden era for fashion and style. In the spirit of our upcoming Auction Benefit , we compiled some of the more wearable fashion trends from the ’90s. Men's Trends Minimalist Tailoring: Men wore monochromatic jackets or blazers with pants and a solid or graphic t-shirt underneath. Leather: blazers, jackets, vests, pants, Dr. Martens or other combat boots. Plaid/Flannel: Flannel and/or plaid shirts were associated with the era’s grunge scene. Layer under a blazer, tie around the waist or open with a plain or graphic T-shirt underneath. American Prep: Brands like Nautica, Polo and Tommy Hilfiger were embraced for their bright colors, stripes and country club sporty aesthetic. Track suits : drawing inspiration from 90s hip-hop culture (Beastie Boys, Run DMC, etc.) the options range from the classic Adidas version to dressier options from designer brands. Women's Trends Slip dresses: Slip dresses epitomized the minimalist look during this period. These dresses were also paired with a t-shirt underneath for a more casual look or with a leather jacket or blazer on top. Plaid: From grunge influences to Cher from the movie, Clueless , plaid was popular. Plaid flannels were worn as shirts, but most often tied around the waist as a trendy ’90s look. Animal print: The animal print really was everywhere, from hats to coats and dresses. Monochrome Black + Leather: The monochrome black ensemble, an outfit consisting of black from head to toe is fashionable no matter the decade. Leather was popular during the ‘90s thanks to grunge culture and the hit movie, The Matrix. American Prep: plaid, logo branded tops, stripes and pop colors from J.Crew, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica. Footwear: Timberland boots, derby shoes, Air Jordans, Adidas shell tops, strappy sandals, platform sandals, Dr. Martens, combat boots, Converse. Additional footwear trends here. Looking for more '90s apparel and accessories references? Click here for a deeper dive into this decade!

Montessori Center School’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce Vanessa Jackson as Montessori Center School’s next Head of School. The Board approved the Search Committee’s recommendation to appoint Vanessa, following an extensive national search process that included various stakeholders within the MCS community. “We are thrilled to officially welcome Vanessa as MCS’s new Head of School,” says M-J Hey, President of The Board of Trustees. “Vanessa has served as MCS’s Interim Head of School for the past seven months. We believe that Vanessa’s character, experience and leadership qualities make her the most qualified to lead MCS into the future. Additionally, Vanessa's track record within the field of educational leadership and her deep ties to MCS’s mission and community as an alumna, current parent and recent member of the Board of Trustees will serve MCS beautifully as we chart this next exciting chapter together.” Vanessa says, “This is an immense privilege and I’m thrilled to serve as MCS’s new Head of School in this next exciting chapter. Thank you to the Board of Trustees, staff and families at MCS for placing your trust in me. I remain committed to collaborating with our school community to provide a modern Montessori experience, rooted in academic excellence.” Prior to MCS, Vanessa served as the founder and executive director of a high school in East Los Angeles for seven years, where she supported the recruitment, development and retention of faculty and staff. Vanessa earned her BA in Slavic Languages & Literature from Princeton University and holds an MBA from New York University. Vanessa is married with two children who currently attend Montessori Center School.

Families of preschool and elementary students will choose from Spanish immersion and Mandarin Chinese

Santa Barbara’s local independent schools Montessori Center School, Crane, Laguna Blanca, Riviera Ridge, and Santa Barbara Middle School hosted an anti-bias, antiracist parent webinar for their community members on October 18 with nationally-recognized antiracist educator, teacher, speaker, and advocate Britt Hawthorne. This marks the first collaboration among the five schools, jointly hosting a community discussion focused on social justice. The event topic, “How to Raise AntiRacist Children,” incorporates tools and tips from Hawthorne’s 2022 New York Times Bestseller, “Raising AntiRacist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide.” “At Montessori Center School , we are committed to engendering a just and equitable school community,” says MCS’s Interim Head of School Vanessa Jackson. “Thank you to our incredible partners at Crane, Laguna Blanca, Riviera Ridge and SBMS for collaborating with us on this important topic. This event presented a very powerful opportunity for us to continue our work to disrupt and dismantle our own biases so that our children can grow up in an environment where all human differences are celebrated and supported.” "At Laguna Blanca , we believe diversity, equity and inclusion is an ongoing practice that demands engagement and lifelong learning. This work is rooted in our core values of scholarship, character, balance, and community. We view this as imperative to creating a better future and invite all members of our community to participate in our conversations and solutions.” - Director of DEI Ursula Chan " Crane School is committed to creating and sustaining a community rooted in equity and justice. Through our programming, curriculum, and events like this, Crane and our partner schools affirm our commitment to building an anti-racist future and a community of critical thinkers capable of reimagining and building a truly beloved community. As our core value Put We Before Me expresses, we believe deeply in the power of collaboration and partnership to overcome division and the -isms that present themselves and to create a strong sense of belonging." - Michelle Holmes, Crane's Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging “At Santa Barbara Middle School, we are committed to fostering an environment that actively promotes inclusivity of all students, their families, and their identities. We are honored and proud to be partnering with our fellow independent schools of Santa Barbara to continue this path forward, together. We look forward to more of these collaborations in the future.” - Bianca Vega, SBMS Assistant Head of School “The Riviera Ridge School is committed to creating a campus environment that mirrors the cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic composition of our greater community. With diversity comes a responsibility to honor, value, and celebrate individual differences while providing a safe space of inclusion, belonging, and positive interactions among all School community members. We are grateful for being part of this collaboration and we acknowledge the continuous commitment that is needed to have meaningful progress.” - Dr. Mario Bucio, Director of Student Wellness & EIB practices. About Britt Hawthorne Britt Hawthorne (they/she) is the author of the highly-anticipated, New York Times Bestseller, Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide (Simon Element, 2022). Britt is also an antiracist educator, teacher, speaker, visionary, and advocate committed to raising a generation of antiracist children by centering families of the global majority and fostering equitable learning environments for students and children of all ages and backgrounds. Her work has been recognized by PBS, the National Education Association, Drew Barrymore, Google for Education, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Rice University, the Association Montessori Internationale, and countless more. Britt has traveled extensively to speak at conferences, authored publications, and appeared on podcasts covering social justice, liberation, and equity in education.