I want to take time to share thoughts regarding the meaning behind why we believe camp is so important that we include it as part of our curriculum. My reflections are mainly from my observations of children attending the end-of-the-year week-long camp. I am focusing on three areas: building independence, the extension of the curriculum, and fostering social development.

• Has anyone ever said something that didn’t sit quite well with you, but you were unsure of how to respond in the moment? 
• Have you ever had to check a racial identity box and were unsure of which to pick? 
• Do you wonder what are best practices around having age-appropriate conversations about current events with your child? 
• Is this something that you have never had to consider?

Rosie Klein, who is going into her Senior year at Whitney Young, just made the U.S. Under-18 Women’s Select Hockey Team. She also committed to Princeton to play hockey last November. "This is a really big deal; it’s essentially the feeder for the USA women’s Olympic hockey team," NNM alum parent Colleen Klein explained.

Hear from Mike Madgiak, one of our head teachers in junior high here at Near North, with over a decade of experience co-leading the spring junior high trip at our school. Mr. Madgiak explains the 8th-grade spring trip and the important connections to Montessori curriculum.

How did we celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month here at school this month? Centering Joy!

What is self-regulation? Self-regulation is the ability to monitor and manage your thoughts, feelings, and actions in acceptable and safe ways. In simple terms, it is your ability to think before you act, pause before you snap, and express your big feelings in a safe manner. So, how do we help our children build this invaluable skill?

I am very fortunate to be excited about a lot going on currently. Just being back in Chicago and having the opportunity to hang out with old friends (most who went to NNM actually) is something I love and definitely don’t take for granted. I also have a little brother who is almost 3 who I love hanging out with. Excited to watch him grow up and even attend Near North one day!

My first memory of Near North is in Cynthia’s class learning to write in cursive. I was very shy and timid as a kindergartner, but Cynthia’s warmth and care made me feel safe and optimistic. I can still remember the feeling of tracing my pointer finger along the pink sandpaper letter board — I think it was a capital “I” — and that feels significant because I began the discovery of myself as an individual there in that classroom!

My earliest memory (ever) is from Jan Szostek’s 3-6 class. Jan was showing me how to use a stencil to trace a triangle, and asked me to pick three colored pencils to color in the triangle. I picked three purple pencils. (I was a lady who knew what I liked.) Jan encouraged me to mix it up a bit, maybe try a red or a yellow along with the purple. Wise advice, in retrospect.