When we founded Hilltop Children’s House 8 years ago, we chose Mother Teresa as our patron—trusting God, like she did, to provide for the work He called us to.
Today, our community finished her novena and celebrated with blueberry muffins 🫐💙—blue and white, just like the Missionaries of Charity’s saris.
Come find us at First Friday tonight to celebrate with us (and grab a muffin)!
The Black Strip is a 90-foot strip of black cloth with a narrow strip of red cloth at one end.
The Black Strip presentation includes a talk about how long it took for the earth to cool after it came together as part of our solar system, follows by how long it took for life to develop from single-cell organisms, through fish, plant life, and all of the types of vertebrates that have spread out across the land.
The point of it is not to give a scientific and technical presentation about precisely how long each stage took, but to give the children an impression of how much time it took for various things to happen.
That narrow red strip at the end represents, in a proportional and impressionistic way, the entire extent of how long humans have been on earth. Since God formed our first parents from the particles of the earth and breathed his life into them, that red strip represents all of human existence.
The Black Strip helps children to get an impression of just how long the earth has existed, and how long life has been on earth, before the time of man.
The Black Strip always gets a reaction and a sense of wonder from the children as we enter into the school year and consider the grang scope of human existence, our place in the world, and our responsibility and privilege to explore and think about this cosmos that God gave us to live in and explore.
Born this day in 1870, Maria Montessori was the first female medical doctor in Italy and a professor of anthropology at the University of Rome. She opened the first Casa dei Bambini, Children’s House, in Rome in 1907 without preconceived notions of a method of education. It was her willingness to observe and follow what the children showed her about how they naturally learned that led to what we today call the Montessori Method. Happy birthday, Maria Montessori!...
Full training makes all the difference. This year Is the first year since our Elementary guide, Mr. Tom, completed his AMI Elementary diploma, a diploma that is recognized by Montessori schools and institutions all around the world.
With this training completed he is in a better position than ever before to hit the ground running, assess where the students are in their learning, present the next lesson they need, and bring them along according to their lights, along with his assessment of how quickly they can move to the next thing. He is prepared to show those connections that exist between and among topics of study and questions the children have.
AMI-trained guides typically are found in expensive schools in wealthy enclaves. Hilltop Montessori is blessed to have AMI training at all three of our levels—Toddler, Primary, and Elementary—with the Primary and Elementary guides holding full diplomas at their respective levels....
Exciting News for Our Community! Are you looking for an education that prepares your adolescent not just for tests, but for life?
Imagine a school where your 12-15 year old is inspired to learn by doing, developing independence, critical thinking, and a strong sense of responsibility—all while fostering a love for learning.
Hilltop Montessori School is exploring the possibility of starting an Adolescent Montessori Program, and we want YOU to be part of this exciting journey!
Montessori education for adolescents offers: >Hands-on, real-world learning opportunities. > A focus on personal growth, leadership, and moral development. > A supportive, close-knit community that values each student’s unique potential.
We’re hosting an Informational Meeting to share more about what this program could look like and to hear your input.
Ohio residents! Did you know that you can give some of your tax dollars to scholarships for Hilltop Montessori School students? It`s easy! Just follow these 3 steps:
1. Determine your Ohio State tax liability 2. Make a donation at https://app.ocen.org/schools/14926/landing 3. Claim your donation on your tax return and get your credit whether you are getting a return or making a payment
She wasn’t able to read at all when she joined us last year. This year she stops what she’s doing to help when she sees another brand new student struggling to read.
This is why this style of classroom is so powerful....
It’s #GivingTuesday 2020. Like so many other worthy charities we are seeking your support.
We began this year in spite of COVID with twelve children. Since we do not wish ability to pay to be a barrier, seven of those twelve have received some level of tuition reduction.
As you can see in the photos below from our Instagram feed, it has been a pleasing year thus far. We have added:
a dishwashing stand where children can learn to wash and dry their own dishes after snack;
a knobs and screws work for the children to learn how to use basic tools;
aprons and oil cloth underlays to increase the number of children who can do pouring works;
some outdoor tools for raking leaves;
more books for our reading corner, among other things.
Our ask for #GivingTuesday is two-fold:
Large Needs
Heating and Ventilation: First, if you can give a large amount, it will help us shore up our aging heating and cooling system. Our furnace, air conditioning unit, and ductwork are very old and need to be serviced badly. Such work doesn’t fit into the regular budget, so an emergency could be catastrophic for us.
Outdoor Works: Second, we would love to provide an outdoor space where children could go to do outdoor works in a secure and well-designed yard. This requires a retaining wall and fence around the perimeter.
For those who cannot give a large amount, would you consider becoming a monthly donor? Monthly donors are the lifeblood of our operations, allowing us to plan for the future. We are looking for 20 new donors at the $20 level by the end of the year. We have nine new monthly donors, could you help us close that gap with a first $20 monthly donation?
Whatever you give, we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. God bless!
