CHILD Montessori School

 May 11, 2017

Aaron’s Story

Move number six. He was just four yearls old, going on five. Two countries and four states.

I remember his first day at school number four. He was shy. He held my hand tight. It was hard for us both but he went forward without a tear. His teacher Ms. Laura came to grab his hand from mine. Her melodic spanish voice calming us both as he walked away.

School is very important to me and I wished for years that I could find the right one. One to encourage his spirit and help Aaron find a love of learning. A friend of the family insisted on Child Montessori. This is the story of school number four.

A week into Aaron’s time at Child Montessori and he said he couldn’t make friends. As a parent my spirit was crushed with these words. I meant the best for my family but in that moment I felt like I had done irrepairable damage to my son. It took a visit from my father-in-law to break through to him. Aaron, jr told his papa that he didn’t have any more room in his heart for friends and that he missed his old friends. Papa simply replied “then we’ll work on making your heart bigger” Almost instantly all of our moods lightened. This was the beginning of Aaron’s transformation.

Weeks later Aaron had friends. They all ran to him each day. He was happy. It was hard for me to believe that my shy son was coming out of his shell and becoming a fixture in the classroom.

It was the gentle way that Ms Laura ran her room. She asked for help from the students. She involved each one of them. They each had a turn to be in front. It is a way that builds community and mutual respect. The kids learn to see each other as important. It is a method beyond rank and ability and makes clear by example that each individual has something to contribute and that his/her contribution is very worthwhile.

The next issue was actually mine. It’s funny how as a parent we hit barriers watching our kids go to school.

Time for first grade came and as it did my biggest concern came up. He wasn’t ready for first grade. Silence...lots of thoughts..lots of blame and finger pointing between us parents.

In the midst of all this Jean came through. She touched our hearts and helped to change the course of all of our lives. She is an amazing person. It’s hard to imagine that in a school of over 100 students that she personally knows your child. That she knows more about your child then you do and that she can explain their personal nuances to a T. She tells you about your child and you abolutely know it’s true.

I left our conversation about Aaron, jr humbled and absolutely trusting in Jean and Laura that they knew what was best for Aaron.

That year was a struggle for me but Aaron jr soared. He mastered concepts in math and reading. He became a leader in the classroom, ever Ms Laura’s helper. The children looked up to him and he became confident. Aaron grew up that year. He became himself and at 7 1⁄2 years old knew himself.

Aaron moved to first grade the next year. A year behind some of his friends but fully confident and diligent about working. He was happy and excited about school and came home daily with all the neat things they did in the Elementary classroom.

Four and a half months flew by and the time for conferences came. It was hard to believe my eyes when I walked into the conference and saw a gigantic stack of work on the table, all belonging to Aaron. The words Ms Cassie spoke next were even more unbelieveable. She told us that Aaron had completed almost all of the grade one work and that he was starting to move onto the second grade work. I think all of us sat around that little table and were just in awe over what had been done.

Aaron was allowed time to blossom and because of this he was fully ready for all that lay ahead. In one single year he completed and mastered two grade levels of work. This is the beauty of the Montessori method and of Child Montessori. He was allowed to work at his own pace with a teacher always encouraging along the way. When he was ready it was obvious to all of us involved because he worked even harder and quicker than anyone from the outside could have believed was possible.

October 2014 brought a dream to reality. A ranch. A place to keep horses, chickens, dogs, a garden. Everything my heart had ever desired. It was real, right in front of me and then yet another choice. Live my dream and change schools yet again.

We made the choice to move. To have a ranch, to have horses at home and all that brought with it. My fervent hope as a parent that the life of living outdoors and having every kind of animal you wanted would somehow offset the dose of reality in entering the public education system.

The first thing I noticed about the buidling was how scary it was. Huge, loud, echoing and a big loop of rooms with the only differentiation being the designs on the door. Big rooms, no water in the rooms, bathroom passes (what the heck are those?! I have to ask permission to pee?!). Somehow I sucked it up enough to meet with the principal. Kind and focused on her kids, she painted a nice picture of life in elementary school. My heart softened.

I took Aaron in for his first day. He was proud and confident and excited about what lay ahead. Hard to believe that in less than 6 hours damage would be done that would take 18 months to repair.

Aaron came home on his first day with an F. What’s an F?! It means that your teacher gave you a 30 problem multiplication test and only 90 seconds to do it. It means that on the first test, the first MATH test of his life he failed, and the teacher made sure he knew. I had a one page letter that came home about teaching kids multiplication and how much catch up was ahead of Aaron. A young man’s life was shattered that day. Shattered by disbelief in him, in his ability and the absence of asking a few simple questions about a child’s background.

I could write pages of how the system failed him and the challenges I faced as a parent in navigating those waters with my child but that’s not this story. This is the story of school number 4 and the second miracle that came about.

Six months later Aaron, jr had failed tests, made friends, lost friends, enjoyed gym class, hated homework, loved riding the bus, contemplated not living his life anymore, encouraged kids to beat up each other and had multiple visits to the counselor.

The day that saved his life was one I will never ever forget. Aaron, Sr woke me up out of a dead sleep and recited a plan to me on how we could send Aaron Jr back to Child Montessori. I was shocked awake and we made plans to move him back. It’s an hour away with no traffic and yet a father’s love for his son saved him.

The start of his fourth grade year Aaron, jr went back to Child Montessori. He had a lot to learn and a lot to unlearn. Cassie’s and Jean’s patience that year was second to none. If I thought I had to have patience waiting for second grade I was mistaken in my defintion of patience. Aaron, jr was disruptive, uncooperative and unwilling to work, and yet somehow slowly and steadily the magic of Child Montessori worked on him again and helped Aaron jr find himself again.

Aaron, jr’s spirit is soaring. It was nurtured, treasured and honored. He was always believed in by everyone. Teachers, students, assistants, parents, all of us. The community and focus of Child Montessori changed the course of this boy’s life. Of all of our lives. Twice.

This school is a guardian of your child’s spirt. A place to know that they are special and a place to be safe in finding themselves so they can have a lifetime of Joy and Learning.

Miracles happened with my son. I am ever Grateful.

Melody 

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