building a montessori community for all · building a montessori community for all september...

Building a Montessori Community for All

September 26–28, 2014 • Columbus, Ohio

Montessori Advocacy: Bringing Montessori Back Home

Embassy Suites Hotel Columbus • 1-800-362-2779

An OMA and NAMTA Event

Friday, September 26, 201412:30 – 1:00 p.m.Registration

1:00 – 5:00 p.m. (Break at 2:45 p.m.)Deepening Community for Collective Impact: Change Happens When We Work TogetherPaul BornCollective impact is a powerful paradigm for social progress that enables diverse organizations to create lasting large-scale change. The unprecedented collabora-tive commitment to bring high-quality education to more children has magnified the potential for the Montessori community to create real and lasting change for children and society. To build a common agenda for change we need to work to-gether as a community and harness the power of mutually reinforcing activities. Ongoing communication requires not only good information but also a willing-ness to share, engage, and create opportunities for deep and lasting agreement. Our commitment to each other and to our communities creates a collective empowerment and deep bonds. In this keynote, Paul shares the fundamental principles of collective impact and provides key insights on deepening commu-nity to sustain us as leaders and to achieve the outcomes we desire.

Saturday, September 27, 20148:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Registration and Hospitality (Coffee and Assorted Teas)

9:00 a.m. – Noon (Break 10:15 – 10:45 a.m.)Deepening Community: Finding Joy Together in Chaotic TimesPaul BornAs the number of issues that impact our ability to serve children continues to grow, will we choose between working harder, immersing ourselves deeper in our isolated spheres, or working together, turning towards each other for strength and support?

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September 26-28, 2014 • Register by September 12

Columbus, Ohio

This keynote invites Montessorians to consider the role that community could play in shaping our identity, quenching our thirst for belonging, and bolstering our physical, mental, emotional, and economic health. In the chaos of modern life, communities can unravel and leave many feeling afraid, alone, and over-whelmed. In this thoughtful presentation, Paul Born describes the four pillars of deep community and the tools needed to find joy: • Sharing our stories • Taking the time to enjoy one another • Taking care of one another • Working together for a better world. It’s up to us to create community. Mr. Born shows that the opportunity is right in front of us if we have the courage and conviction to pursue it.

Noon – 1:00 p.m.Lunch

1:00 – 2:15 p.m.Breakout Session One (choose one)

A. FamiliesNurturing the Building Blocks of Community: Grace, Courtesy and CivilityPat LudickAs a parent of five children and grandparent of ten, Pat Ludick will address the areas of grace, courtesy, and civility as necessary components of family life as well as life within a school community. She will share important and effective ideas for parenting and nurturing children and adolescents during their diverse cycles of social and moral development.

B. Engaging Diverse LearnersLove of Work: Creating Environments that Foster a Love of Work in a Community of Diverse Developmental AbilitiesPaula Leigh-Doyle, Sarah Tetzloff, and Elizabeth SeneyThis panel will examine the conditions and the role of the adults that foster a love of work and a sense of self-competence within a community of diverse abilities. An inclusive Children’s House focuses on the development of normal-ization. In elementary, the conditions of true individualization emerge through working in a social learning environment that creates a culture of work, inter-dependence, and diverse abilities. For adolescents, a student’s negative self-perception about their abilities, such as a weakness in mathematics, can be addressed and prevented.

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C. First PlaneThe Gift of Mindful Communities: Fostering Whole Development in Infancy and Early ChildhoodAlyssa Conklin MooreDuring the first six years of life, the young child is actively engaged in the process of self-construction. This workshop focuses on the role of the adult as the creator of the environment. A child’s sense of belonging can be promoted and protected as optimal development is strengthened. The essence of community and how our Montessori environments ultimately serve the greater good will be explored.

D. Elementary (6-12 years)The Spirit of the Child Nurtured Through Literature and Creative ActivitiesGinger Kelley McKenzieMontessori wrote, “Society must fully recognize the social rights of the child and prepare for him/her and the adolescent a world capable of ensuring their spiritual development.” Ginger will address the use of literature in self-chosen reading and small book groups.

E. Adolescent (12-18 years)Community: The Work of the AdolescentLaurie Ewert-KrockerOriented to Montessori’s plan of work and study, Laurie Ewert-Krocker dem-onstrates that Montessori’s developmental approach values community as the most important aspect of the adolescent’s social organization and work.

F. AdministratorWe All Do Better Together: Creating a Supportive School CommunityJack Jose and Krista Taylor Education is rooted in ever-widening circles of commu-nity beginning with the community of the classroom and expanding to broad, urban school districts. Even when all stakeholders share goals, com-munities can fail. Jack and Krista will describe how to develop co-hesive communities at the foun-dation level utilizing strategies for collaboration, communication, and celebration.


Columbus, Ohio

2:45 – 4:00 p.m.Breakout Session Two (choose one)

G. Families Compassionate Parenting: Speaking and Listening from the HeartSusanna WarrenLearn and practice compassionate parenting approaches using tools that create connections and strengthen goodwill between parents and children. Create an environment that helps parents and children develop communication and social skills that support their mutual well-being.

Move beyond power struggles to cooperation and trust • Motivate using power-with rather than power-over strategies• Boost your child’s emotional growth and self-esteem • Express your wants in a way your child will hear • Reduce family conflicts and sibling rivalry •

H. Engaging Diverse LearnersCreating a Classroom Community for All: Liberating the Child with Special Needs Within the Montessori EnvironmentKathleen Winterman and Julie Kugler AckleyDuring these interactive sessions, participants will examine current best prac-tices in early childhood special education and the ways in which these practices are consistent with Montessori theory and practice. Specific adaptations that use Montessori materials will directly connect to terminology, strategies, and methods of special education best practices. Examples will show how to create data-specific IEP documents that describe Montessori practices and materials. Practice and learn how to translate Montessori methods of record keeping and documentation into the specific IEP terms and data. Time will be allowed for questions on specific classroom scenarios and strategies.

I. First PlaneIn the Footsteps of Montessori: Bringing Positive Psychology to Our CommunitiesHeather GerkerDr. Montessori said, “Character education is just as important to education as reading, math, and science.” Insights from the field of positive psychology support the Montessori philosophy, especially the emphasis on intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation. Heather will contrast ways to encourage “well-being” rather than “well-doing” and describe techniques to support character develop-ment that go beyond grace & courtesy lessons.

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An OMA and NAMTA EventJ. ElementaryLower and Upper Elementary Communities InterfaceLaura Opfer and Adam DiamondExplore the value in open flow between lower and upper elementary class-room communities. The philosophical context of the second plane will be examined, and practical ideas for having lower and upper elementary work together will be detailed.

K. Adolescent Conversation Around Adolescent EngagementMarta Donahoe and Barb ScholtzGuides and administrators for the third plane need to connect and build community just like the adolescents do in the school environment. This session will create sup-port and ideas for optimal experiences that respond to the needs of adolescents and the adults who work with adolescents.

L. AdministratorsWhole Montessori School Community for All SchoolsDavid Kahn and Phil DosmannViewing the school as a whole, interactive, community-driven process, the speakers will look at the universal administrative principles that are unique to Montessori schools, including district, charter, and public schools, and what unites them.

4:15 – 5:00 p.m.Montessori Advocacy: The Time Is Now for All SchoolsChristine LowryThe current landscape of education public policy is having an increasing impact on the Montessori community. Federal, state, and local initiatives, legislation, and public funding are forcing all Montessori schools–public, charter, private, large, and small–to make choices, and schools will have to decide whether to compromise or advocate. This talk will explore the decisions and choices that all Montessori schools are facing and will give specific and inspiring ways for every member of our community to engage and contribute to the collective impact in support of Montessori education.

7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Community Dinner Distinguished Montessorians will be honored, and the history of Montessori in the State of Ohio will be discussed.


Columbus, Ohio

Sunday, September 28, 2014 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.Registration

9:00 am – NoonUnconferenceThis portion of the conference will be structured as an unconference in which the content is collaboratively created by the participants. Sessions will be sug-gested by the attendees on the day of the conference, and most sessions will be round-table discussions (though they can be organized any way the participants like). Everyone is free to leave or join any session whenever they please, and an important role is being the butterfly: deliberately moving from session to ses-sion, thereby cross-pollinating discussions.This is a wonderful opportunity to network and find the people who care about and are working on the issues that matter most to you. Topics that are already generating a lot of energy include SUTQ, charters and district survival, state licensing, testing and assessments, and Montessori in the public sector. All Mon-tessorians, regardless of roles, are warmly welcomed, and we encourage people from different roles, regions, and settings to participate and inspire greater thinking on any topic.

Conference SpeakersJulie Kugler-Ackley, M.Ed. is American Montessori Soci-ety (AMS) credentialed for both EI and EII and holds an Ohio license for K-grade 8. She is a Clinical faculty mem-ber at the Xavier University Montessori Teacher Educa-tion Program. She has teaching experience at all levels of Montessori elementary levels.

Paul Born is the president and cofounder of the Tamarack Institute, which has provided leadership in Canada on issues of citizen engagement, collaborative leadership, and community innovation since 2001.

Marta Donahoe is the executive director of Cincinnati Montessori Secondary Teacher Education Program (CMSTEP) and was the founder and long-time pro-gram coordinator for Clark Montessori in Cincinnati. She currently serves Clark as the program consultant. She has a master’s degree in education and is certified through AMS for ages 6-18. She is currently a consultant with Montessori schools.


An OMA and NAMTA EventAdam Diamond is lead upper elementary teacher at Cornerstone Montesssori School, Cincinnati OH.

Phil Dosmann is the Executive Director of Avanti Montessori Charter Manage-ment Organization. He worked in the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) for 30 years as a teacher, curriculum coordinator and administrator. He established a charter IB Montessori high school for MPS which became the first public K-12 Montessori program in the US. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of Louisville, an AMI diploma from Bergamo, Italy, and an MA in administrative leadership from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee.

Laurie Ewert-Krocker is pedogogical advisor at Hershey Montessori School’s Adolescent Community in Huntsburg, OH. She holds AMI diplomas at both the primary and elementary levels, a BA in English from John Carroll University (OH), and an MA in English from the University of Washington. Ms. Ewert-Krocker was the founding head teacher of the Hershey Montessori School’s Adolescent Com-munity, a Montessori farm school model.

Heather Gerker, M.Ed., is the program director for the Greater Cincinnati Center for Montessori Education and is president of the Cincinnati Montessori Society. She is also the director of professional development for Children, Inc. in Covington, KY.

Jack Jose is the principal of Gamble Montessori High School, a Cincinnati public school serving grades 7-12. He has held this position for 5 years and taught Eng-lish at Gamble for a year prior. Before that he was an English teacher and Paideia program facilitator at Hughes Center, a Cincinnati public school, for 13 years.

David Kahn has been executive director of the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association for more than 40 years. Mr. Kahn was founding program director of the Hershey Montessori School’s Adolescent Community in Huntsburg, OH and is found-ing executive director emeritus of the Montessori High School at University Circle in Cleveland, OH. Mr. Kahn holds a BA in fine arts and classics from the University of Notre Dame (IN) as well as the AMI elementary diploma from Bergamo.

Christine Lowry is the cofounder and head writer for the Montessori Forward web-site and has been involved in Montessori education for over 20 years as a school owner, head of school, and primary teacher. She was a cofounder of the Colorado Montessori Association, served on the AMS Public Policy Committee, and con-sulted with AMS. She has a master’s degree in special education from University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and earned her Montessori credential with CMTE.

Paula Leigh-Doyle is head of school at Hershey Montessori School (Concord Twp., OH). She holds an the AMI Primary (3-6) Diploma from Sion Hill College, Ireland, and a BA in Education from Goddard College in Vermont.


Columbus, OhioPat Ludick began the adolescent program at Hudson Montessori School where she served as program director for 8 years. She taught humanities in the middle school program of Ruffing Montessori School East (Cleveland Heights, OH) for 11 years and served as middle school coordinator at Ruffing. She also spent two years as project director of the land school model at Montessori School of Raleigh (NC).

Ginger Kelley McKenzie, an AMS board member, has her 3-6 and 6-9 Montessori credentials from the National Center of Montessori Education, her doctorate in educational leadership from Texas Tech University, and a master’s from Texas Woman’s University. For the past 23 years, she has been associate professor of Montessori education at Xavier University.

Alyssa Conklin-Moore is an assistants to infancy teacher at Hershey Montessori School in Concord, OH. She received her BA in anthropology and psychology from Oberlin College, her master’s in education from Cleveland State University, her AMI primary diploma from the Ohio Montessori Training Institute, and her AMI as-sistants to infancy diploma from The Montessori Institute in Denver, Colorado.

Laura Opfer is the elementary head teacher/clinical faculty of Montessori educa-tion at Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH.

Barb Scholtz, M.Ed, teaches at Clark Montessori School’s Teacher Education Program in Cincinnati, OH. She is AMS-credentialed and has 33 years of teaching experience.

Elizabeth Seney is an adolescent community guide at Hershey Montessori School’s Adolescent Community (Huntsburg, OH). Elizabeth received her BA in psychology from National University and an MA in secondary education from Grand Canyon University and is a licensed middle school mathematics teacher.

Krista Taylor is currently an intervention specialist at Gamble Montessori High School in Cincinnati Public Schools. She holds a BA in history from Kenyon Col-lege (OH), and M.Ed from Wheelock College (Boston, MA) and is completing her Montessori secondary I and II credential.

Sarah Tetzloff is an upper elementary guide at Hershey Montessori School (Con-cord Twp., OH). Sarah received her AMI elementary diploma from the Wash-ington Montessori Institute, and her M.Ed in Montessori education from Loyola University in Maryland.

Susanna Warren is a certified trainer and coach with the Center for Nonviolent Communication, Albuquerque, NM.

Kathleen Winterman, Ed.D. has had experience as an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist, a building principal, and as an Associate Professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She currently holds seven valid licenses from the State of Ohio.



WHO is the OMA? The Ohio Montessori Alliance (OMA) is a collaborative community promoting education that nurtures the development of the whole child, from infancy to adult-hood, as envisioned by Dr. Maria Montessori, and substanti-

ated by current research. We strive to coordinate efforts and enhance connections between and among parents and families, alumni, educators, professionals, schools, universities, organi-zations, media and government, to collectively safeguard and nurture the developmental needs of our children. http://ohiomontessorialliance.org/

WHAT IS NAMTA? The North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA) documents Montessori in the public schools, helps teachers and administrators become more effective, furthers the advancement of Montessori concepts into mainstream education, and helps par-ents extend the Montessori environment into their homes. Its services include print publications, audio visuals, conferences, and research. http://www.montessori-namta.org/

Hotel and TransportationEmbassy Suites Hotel Columbus2700 Corporate Exchange Dr.Columbus, OH 43231Reservations: 1-800-362-2779 or 614-890-8600

Mention Ohio Montessori Alliance/MDP to receive the conference rate of $125 per night.

Embassy Suites guests enjoy free cooked-to-order breakfast each morning and complimentary appetizers and beverages at the nightly evening reception. Com-plimentary WiFi is available throughout the hotel. Parking is free of charge.

Directions from the Hotel Staff: To find our hotel in Columbus, Ohio, take I71 North to I-270 East. Exit #27 Cleve-land Avenue. Go south onto Cleveland Avenue. Go to next street light and turn left onto Community Park Drive (East). Go to stop sign and turn left (North) onto Corporate Exchange Drive. Hotel will be ahead on the left.

Directions from the Port Columbus International Airport (11 miles from hotel): Int.Gateway to I-670 E. Exit I-670 at I-270 N. I-270 to exit 27 / Cleveland Avenue. Turn left (South) onto Cleveland Avenue. Turn left (East) onto Community Park Drive. Turn left (N) onto Corporate Exchange Drive.

See the hotel website for more details: http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/ohio/

embassy-suites-columbus-CMHCEES/index.html


Columbus, OhioRegistration

Creating a Montessori Community for AllMontessori Advocacy: Bringing Montessori Back Home

Conference fee: ❑ $200 (❑ $235 after September 1)Conference fees include Saturday luncheon and dinner. Choose one: ❑ Beef ❑ Fish ❑ Vegetarian

Saturday Session One (Choose one): ❑ A. Families ❑ B. Engaging Diverse Learners❑ C. First Plane❑ D. Elementary❑ E. Adolescent❑ F. Administrator

Name: _________________________________________________________Phone : _________________________ Email: _________________________Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________City: ___________________________________________________________State/Province:_____________________Postal Code: ___________________Country: _______________________________________________________Name of Your School: _____________________________________________

Payment Options❑ Check or money order: payable in U.S. currency and drawn on a U.S. bank.❑ Visa ❑ MasterCard ❑ AmEx ❑ Discover (complete the information below) Card Number: ___________________________________________________ Name on Card: __________________________________________________ Expiration Date (month/year): ______________________________________3- or 4-digit Authorization Code: ____________________________________ (found on front of AmEx, back of other cards)

Address: _______________________________________________________ Street Address where credit card bills are sent.

City: ___________________________________ State/Province: __________

Postal Code: ____________________________ Country: ________________Return to: NAMTA • Mail: 13693 Butternut Road, Burton, OH 44021

Scan: [email protected] • Fax: 440-834-4016

Saturday Session Two (Choose one): ❑ G. Families ❑ H. Engaging Diverse Learners❑ I. First Plane❑ J. Elementary❑ K. Adolescent❑ L. Administrator

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building a montessori community for all · building a montessori community for all september...

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