Category: Community

For the month of November, the Upper Elementary Book Club voted on which genre to explore. And the winner is: fantasy and the hero’s journey! Each of the novels below offer nontraditional takes on traditional fantasy or fairy tale elements. Upper Elementary readers will follow characters through adventure and danger as they face their fears, … Continue reading “Upper Elementary Book Club – Fantasy and the Hero’s Journey”

The very best part of Villa di Maria is our people. Our community of families, faculty and staff is something to be proud of. In this series, We are VdM, we’ll highlight the energies, talents, humor and wisdom of some of our amazing people. Today we’ll meet Jaime, Chris, Tommy and Oliver Macke who joined … Continue reading “We are VdM: The Macke Family”

Some photos in this post were taken before the COVID-19 pandemic. I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother [for] the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity. Eleanor Roosevelt Over the years, our guides have hosted numerous on-campus events to deepen our community’s understanding of Montessori and … Continue reading “What a Great Question! Cultivating Curiosity in Montessori”

Children are as independent as you expect them to be. Dr. Maria Montessori Shortly after my daughter started at Villa di Maria at three years old, I found myself explaining why we chose Montessori to a family member who was plainly critical of our choice. I started by telling him all the reasons that jumped … Continue reading “The Expectation Effect, Montessori and Batman”