“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.”
–Words of wisdom from Dr. Maria Montessori
–Words of wisdom from Dr. Maria Montessori
Dr. Montessori’s words echo with importance more than 100 years later as we consider how we, the Pinewoods Faculty and Staff, will meet this moment with increased self and social awareness in 2022. We understand we have a responsibility to ourselves, our colleagues, our families, and our wider community.
We aspire to design communities of belonging. We believe our community is broadened, strengthened, and enlightened by diversity in all its forms.
We assert our willingness to address conscious and unconscious bias and the long-standing systems and structures that limit the human spirit.
We commit to fostering the capacity of our students to engage with awareness, confidence, and compassion.
We understand educational equity is long-haul work that must be addressed by intentional attention to curriculum, materials, everyday interactions, and the structures and systems that impact access, opportunity, and empowerment of individuals. We believe that developmentally appropriate practices and curricula that are based in Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist (ABAR) tenets are a key element to the Montessori peace education, and we recognize that the work of being ABAR educators is a continuous process of self-critique and willingness to change and grow.