Hillside Montessori Annual Fund

It was the day everything changed.

On Wednesday, March 11, students and staff left Hillside Montessori, dashing headlong into a 4-day break from school. Some teachers were travelling to Dallas for the Annual American Montessori Society conference, others were observing schools around the Southeast. And then, overnight, the world changed and Covid-19 swept us all into unexpected directions.

Along with the rest of humanity we, at Hillside Montessori, paused to take stock of the situation. In the midst of tragedy, we were determined to find a way to continue serving our families and maintain a sense of community. Together – students, guides, families – we were determined to stay safe, healthy, and engaged. The desire to learn never wavered; the desire to teach never faltered. We found that we could thrive in this brand-new world, students and guides linking virtual hands and stepping bravely into the world of Zoom. Together, from a distance, we performed Botany classification and held music lessons, baked bread and wrote poetry, studied fungi and languages and history, delivered letters and held a virtual Science fair.

With a virtual grace and courtesy, and with guidance and support from their parents, grandparents, and friends, the students continued to study and learn with enthusiasm. What all of us in the Hillside Montessori family witnessed, in spite of a world-wide pandemic, was a community thriving.

Hillside Montessori is a community effort: teachers and students, parents and grandparents, volunteers and friends, all working together to nurture generations of life-long learners. In doing so, Hillside fosters within our students a strong awareness of how every child, every person can contribute in meaningful ways to make their world – even a brand-new world – a better, more adaptable, and more resilient place.

The world is, indeed, our classroom.

We ask that you be a part of this thriving environment by contributing to our Annual Fund. Like most independent schools, tuition covers only a part of each student’s education. As a result, we are challenged with bridging this gap. Your generous donations help fund the daily operations of HML as well these critical areas: financial aid, classroom materials, and professional development.

At Hillside Montessori, it is not our desire to return to normal, but to build on what we have learned about community, safety, and education. We will move forward with a renewed vision for the future. Your donation is a pathway through these challenges as well as support for continued and varied educational experiences for our students. With your constant support, we have grown – and we will continue to grow.

We are in this together, and your support sustains our future.