Dear Howe Montessori Families,
It is hard to believe that the school year is already coming to a close. This year has truly been a whirlwind! As we wrap up, I would like to a few moments to personally extend a thank you to our incredible school staff who works very hard on a daily basis to guide our children and help them learn and grow. We would be hard pressed to find a more caring and dedicated group of teachers. I would also like to thank our PTA board and our parent volunteers for the hours of dedication to help enrich our school and build a sense of community for our students. To all our parents, I would like to say thank you for trusting us with your children, and for your investment and support to provide a quality education for our children.
As I reflect on the school year I am encouraged by many positive things that have happened throughout the year. We welcomed some new families into our school, we began an after school choir and student council, had a student place second in the Cipriano run, and our chess team finished in second place in the district competition. Overall our students scored higher than the national and district levels at most grade levels on district level assessments. We also began utilizing a single grade configuration in the lower elementary levels allowing us to focus on more Montessori instructional strategies. Moving forward, we will be saying goodbye to 14 wonderful 5th graders who are about to transition to a new chapter in their lives- middle school! We are very proud of each of them and wish them well in their futures.
Next year, at Howe School, we will focus on student learning while increasing the use of proven Montessori materials and strategies that are aligned with the Dearborn Education Curriculum. We will focus heavily on:
- Teaching students to use strategies for understanding reading and reading to learn
- Improving foundational understanding of math operations and algebraic thinking
- Building interest in science through additional science enrichment opportunities
- Building social relationships and independence in the school community
These priorities were developed through multiple forms of feedback from parents, analysis of student data, and through staff/student input. In order to meet these needs, we have decided to extend the use of single grade classrooms through fifth grade. In doing so, we will continue to schedule math blocks that will allow students to continue to advance beyond grade levels when appropriate. Thank you to all who completed the surveys and provided input for our school community. While some parents preferred the split level configuration, a strong majority of our parents and staff have expressed support to increase implementation of Montessori instruction by using a single grade configuration. We look forward to sharing in this process with you!
In closing, on behalf of the staff at Howe Montessori School and Special Education Center, we wish everyone a very happy, healthy and safe summer break. We will look forward to hearing about all the fun and exciting learning experiences your families have enjoyed over the summer!
Respectfully,
Tammy Fournier