News At-A-Glance
Brighton, Colorado
School News: Fostering Community Involvement
While Montessori education is so interesting all by itself, Brighton’s Meadowlark Montessori school is helping its young students to learn the valuable life philosophy that their talents can and should always be shared with others.
The Holiday Season has provided the elementary children at Meadowlark Montessori with such an opportunity. They made Christmas cards and wreaths for the residents at The Brighton Care Center. They will visit them in January and present handmade calendars as well as read a book with their new senior friends. In our busy world, this connection of the children with seniors, who have more time to read with them, is a good one. The excitement of the children combined with the wisdom of the seniors make this interaction a win/win for all that participate.
Another innovative, learning activity for the children has been that they’re helping to train a therapy puppy, a Border Collie named Lady Jane. Lady Jane will visit other schools and nursing homes and bring joy into the lives of everyone she visits. Tracy Nazarenus, from Second Chance Ranch, takes in dogs and horses like Lady Jane, giving them a second chance at life…and a fine one at that. The children at Meadowlark are doing behavioral training exercises with the dog to prepare it for its other visits elsewhere. This activity as well teaches the children what it’s like to be responsible for the training of a pet and gives them a glimpse at Tracy’s good will with Lady Jane which extends to those she visits.
Another perspective broadening experience was the school’s participation in Operation Christmas Child. The students filled shoe boxes with toys and personal care items to be sent to less fortunate children. 38 shoe boxes were collected to send out this Christmas season. This fabulous outpouring of love for others less fortunate has done several things for Meadowlark’s students. Not only have they thought of someone else in the preparation of these boxes, but it’s also allowed them to expand their world to include others and know about their lives.