Narrator 0:00

This is The Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Stacey Poehler

Stacey Poehler 0:14

Good morning, everyone. I am excited to be chatting today with our newest expert contributors, the Milton Montessori School. I have with us Nora Arrieta, she is the head of school, and Liliana Lemos, she is the educational coordinator. Welcome, ladies. Hi. Hi. How are you, Stacey? Good. Good. Why don't we start off with you both introducing yourselves and talking a little bit about your background and what originally drew you to Montessori education. And Nora, if you wanna get us started, that would be great.

Nora Arrieta 0:45

Sure. My name is Nora Arrieta. I am the executive director at Milton Montessori School for the Milton and Canton campus. I... My background is in accounting. I'm actually a CPA. What drew me to Montessori was I will say, when I become a mom, my daughter was around three years old. We went to the pediatrician office. We were there, we were waiting, and I keep looking at this other girl. She was probably the same age than my daughter, and she keeps pointing at the walls and all of these pictures on the wall, and she keeps saying, "Oh, look, Mom, this look like a Monet. And this one is like a Picasso." And then the last picture that she looked at, she saw it, she turned around and look at Mom with this big smile and said, "Oh, the sunflowers from Van Gogh." I, I was amazed. I look at Mom and I ask her, "Wow, you must spend a lot of time with your child teaching all of this." She look at me and she smile, and she say, "You know what? That she goes to a Montessori school." It was in that moment that I wanted to know what kind of environment sparks that joy and curiosity on a child that age. She was three, and she keep telling me this, these pictures and describing them with such an excitement that I knew back then that I wanted that for my own children.

Stacey Poehler 2:20

That's a great story. And how about you, Liliana?

Liliana Lemos 2:23

I am Liliana Lemus, and I serve as a educational coordinator here at Milton Montessori supporting teachers, supporting the classrooms, refining curriculums, and ensuring that we are offering an authentic Montessori program to the families. I hold a Montessori certification in both infant and toddlers and early childhood. I'm also certified in conscious discipline. In my previous role, I was Montessori field consultant, and also in... I was part of the academic committee for the South region. So we were visiting schools, observing teachers, and making sure that they keep those Montessori standards across the level. So what drew me to Montessori, it was personal experience. I was looking a school for my son almost 17 years ago, and after many tours, we ended up at this Montessori school and the first thing that I saw when I step in the primary classroom, I observed childrens like working calmly, engaged in the work. So I thought "Oh, this is so powerful." Especially coming from a traditional education background, I remember thinking, "This is how learning should look like." And since there I've been in Montessori, and my childrens as well.

Stacey Poehler 3:52

That's awesome. And, how long have you guys been at the Milton Montessori School, and how about the rest of the team? How long have folks been there as pa- as part of your community?

Nora Arrieta 4:03

I have been here for eight plus years. I'm about to start my ninth academic year. Yeah. What really settles apart at Milton Montessori, I believe it's the longevity of our staff and our teachers. A lot of my teachers have been here for five plus years, and some of them 10 years. So I know they have-- they go through-- they don't go through years our school, they invested in this community and this school. In an industry with a really high turnover- consistency really matters. It creates stability and also creates a school culture where the children and family feel really, they really feel that we know them.

Stacey Poehler 4:51

That's awesome. So let's talk a little bit about the history of the school. Can you tell us, when the school first opened, and maybe what was the or- original spark or need in the Milton community for a Montessori school like this?

Nora Arrieta 5:07

Sure. Milton Montessori was founded in 2008 by our owner. He was looking for a authentic Montessori education for his own children. They were, I believe, two and three and a half years old. They're in college now, so it's been a while. And when he was looking for that, he could not find anything around locally for him, and so he decided to start his own school. His wife be- his wife became the first school director. So what started as a family vision has grown into the community that we are today. That's great.

Stacey Poehler 5:49

That's great. And, the school originally started more as a preschool/nursery, and then has expanded over the years. And most recently you will be expanding to middle school So maybe you can talk about why you guys felt that there was a need to grow beyond the, early childhood education.

Nora Arrieta 6:09

Sure. Yes, this was actually our first middle school year this past year. As the school grow, as the school grew, our families did, too. They didn't want to leave. They wanted to continue their journey with us. They keep seeing the impact that Milton Montessori had in their children, and so they were the one that asked for more. That's really what led to the expansion into the elementary years, and now this first year for the middle school. Our mission really didn't change. We think more like it actually came to life. When we see the older children now making a contribution to society and contribution to this community- That's where we see it come to life because that's part of our mission. We, one of our mission is for the older children and for any student that graduates from here to make a contribution to society. So instead of evolving the mission, it's actually came to life now that we have a middle school program.

Stacey Poehler 7:14

That's wonderful. For those who maybe don't know what Montessori education is can you talk about the method and why it is still one of the best ways to learn

Liliana Lemos 7:23

today? Yeah. So let me start it with a little bit of history, that this philosophy started over 100 years ago with Dr. Maria Montessori, where she was observing children, the way that they move, the way that they learn, the way that they engage in the world. So she discovers something very powerful, and it was that childrens are When ch- when we give them independence to children, they work better. When we give them a prepared environment, they develop better. So I define Montessori as a education that follows the child instead of asking a child to adapt to educational systems. So in our Montessori classroom, children are not just memorizing information, they are developing curiosity, creativity, communication skills, compassion, and courage. And let me tell you this is our real mission at Milton Montessori, to develop those five C's. Awesome. And you asked me what is still so relevant today. And I believe that this education develops the whole child. It's not just academics. Children learn how to manage their time- working at collaborated environment. How to solve problems, how to learn from their mistakes, and also how to think out of the box.

Nora Arrieta 9:09

she just mentioned the out of the box thinking. A lot of the more known and famous entrepreneurs are Montessori children. You have the Google founders, you have Amazon founder, you have Facebook founders. All of these out of the box thinkers were Montessori children, because they grew up seeing the creativity in the classroom, and look what they are now. A lot of the actors and Taylor Swift is a Montessori child. You have royalties is Prince William. All they choose Montessori for that reason.

Stacey Poehler 9:44

That's really cool. And a good testament to what you're doing- here locally as well. Can you talk about some of the advantages of continuity for a child who maybe starts in early childhood education with you and then continues all the way through eighth grade?

Liliana Lemos 10:00

So one of the benefits is that this education is connected. It's connected from infancy all the way to the adolescent age or level. Also another benefit is the development of social skills, social and emotional skills. Montessori students learn from early age how to manage their time, how to make choices, how to solve conflicts, and and they take their work with responsibilities. By middle school, this, all those skills become deeply internalized. Another benefit is the three-year cycle for every level. So during those three years, childrens are deeply focused. Teachers are making connection with them. Teachers really know who they are. So during these three years children do have the opportunity to connect with each other and to develop their education.

Stacey Poehler 11:09

So a student would stay with the same teacher for three years. Is that what you're saying? Yeah. Yes. Yes.

Liliana Lemos 11:15

Instead of in other education settings, childrens are restarting every year. In Montessori, they start for three years seeing the same teachers, same curriculum, and they make more connection, and they feel more confident in a safe and secure environment. That's really good. For sure.

Stacey Poehler 11:36

Many people think about Montessori as something that's just for, little kids preschool, elementary. How does the curriculum change maybe to keep a seventh grader, an eighth grader challenged academically and, and in other ways as well?

Liliana Lemos 11:51

Yes, the, and I think that is a misconception that many people have, that Montessori is only for early years. But is... There is the, just a foundation. It's just a foundation because the education, the Montessori education grow with the child. By the time the students reach middle school, their learning looks way different that they learn in the primary classroom. At the adolescent level, the curriculum becomes more challenging, it's connected to real work activities, they are contributing to the society. At this age students are doing microeconomics. They are running their own business. They are running... They developing budgets for their business. And the education is project-based work. All this knowledge that they are been accumulating for those years, they are putting in practice into real world practices. Also, here at Milton Montessori, we blend the Montessori philosophy with the Georgia academic standards, just to prepare those student for what comes next.

Nora Arrieta 13:05

Like she mentioned, we are a Georgia accredited school, Georgia Accrediting Commission school, so we must meet those standards first. But obviously, we had to add the Montessori way of learning those principles.

Liliana Lemos 13:20

So our goal is not only to prepare those students for high school, they, We help them become confident, capable young adults, and they know how to think, how to communicate, how to adapt to the real world.

Stacey Poehler 13:40

I know one of the things that you mentioned earlier was this concept of, following the child and the independence that, your education offers. Can you talk a little bit more about that and how that maybe meshes with meeting some of these high academic standards that you are also striving

Liliana Lemos 13:58

for? Yes, of course. Freedom in Montessori classroom doesn't mean childrens can do whatever they want. Our teachers are intentionally decide the environment so the students can have choice of independence. The lessons are intentionally prepared. The students are given choices of their work, but those shows those choices happen with academic goals. What is beautiful about Montessori students, they develop the ownership of their learning. Instead of working only because an adult told them to do it in Montessori, the students begin learning how to manage their time, make decisions, solve problems, and take responsibility of their own work. We, in Montessori, we meet the students where they are, and but also we challenge for them to go further. So freedom actually support the high standards because the students are more engaged, more motivated, and more connected with the learning.

Nora Arrieta 15:10

Also when in the higher grades, the children need to be accountable for their work that they're doing. So teachers meet with them once a week trying to have a, instead of a parent-teacher conference, they have a child and a teacher conference every week to see h- what have they accomplished. They had to be responsible for developing their program, their lesson plan for that week, and obviously we had to be sure they accountable for that. So that's one of those things that we do definitely in the higher gra- lower elementary grades and middle school grades, they're accountable every day because of what they choose, and the teacher is completely involved in this process.

Stacey Poehler 15:51

I know when people think about Montessori, one of the things is like the hands-on learning and I believe you call them objects or materials and can you talk a little bit about the learning environment and, how that works to really help students succeed

Liliana Lemos 16:07

academically? Yes. Yes, one of my favorite materials in in a Montessori classroom are the golden beads, and this is a such a powerful example how Montessori works. With this material, when children are working with these materials, they just not memorizing concepts. They are building numbers, exchanging units, tens, hundreds and that's the real understanding in how decimal system work. I have witnessed childrens having that aha moment when they realize, "Oh, this is how a 1,000 looks like." And and you can watch their understanding click at that moment, 'cause they are feeling and they are experimenting with those materials. So that's a b- that's the beauty of Montessori, going from concrete to abstract from experience to understanding in this approach.

Nora Arrieta 17:14

The prepared environment in a Montessori classroom that you mentioned is one of the most important things in the classroom. We need to have a class that, that is prepared for a child three to six years old, 18 months old. They need to be able to do everything by themselves, so it's really important for most of the classroom is always ready for them. Like she mentioned, all of the material they have to feel and understand with their five senses. They usually looking at a classroom and feeling and hearing and smelling. Everything is ready for them to learn.

Stacey Poehler 17:55

And how about, social skills? In a world where, kids are just looking at screens at home and now even at, traditional schools all day long how do you help students to develop some of their social skills and con- conflict resolution and creating relationships with their peers?

Liliana Lemos 18:16

In in our Montessori classroom, the classroom is a social learning environment. We have something called grace and courtesy, and that is a big part of the Montessori curriculum, where childrens learn how to interact politely, how to wait for their turn, how to express their emotions properly. So grace and courtesy is a big part of Montessori classroom. Students are having real responsibilities in the classroom. Leadership develops n- naturally. Older childrens guide young children and that comes with the three-year cycle that we follow. Older children support younger children, and it's beautiful to see when a older student give lesson to a younger one without an adult intervention. So the world is moving fast, and we cannot eliminate the screens, but here at our school, we focus and make that connection first, and help the childrens understand how important human connection is. We expose them to technology at the higher levels, because it's in our world, it's around us, so childrens also needs to know. But only when they are ready. Only when they are gonna use that technologies with purpose, and not only for entertainment.

Nora Arrieta 19:55

And that's more like in our higher grades, like upper elementaries and middle school grade. Never on a child three to six years old. There is no screens in the classrooms.

Stacey Poehler 20:05

That makes sense. Yeah. I know one of the things that you've talked about is the continuity of the education, but I know that you also wor- work really well with families who maybe have decided that traditional education isn't the right fit for their student. And, their point of entry could be, during an elementary year or during a middle school year. Yeah. So can you maybe talk about how you acclimate those students and families to the Montessori style of learning, and how you work to make sure that that they are, catch up with their peers and are able to do the same things that maybe some of the students who've been there since nursery school or pre-K can do?

Nora Arrieta 20:47

Yeah I was just, I was thinking, that is a really controversial thing that happens in Montessori schools. Yeah. I know there are several schools when you go there for the elementary grades, and if you have not come from their Montessori background, they immediately say, "No, we cannot, take you." I believe, and always, and Milton Montessori, I have always done this. I have always see if Montessori is out there for everybody to know, for everybody to hear, and but not everybody knows about it. Why would I punish a family that say, "This is not for me. The public system is not for me anymore. This is not how I want my child to learn." Why would I not say, "Hey, come, let me show you what Montessori is all about"? I have so many cases of children that have come from traditional settings to my school here, and they have blossomed. And you see how Montessori magic really works for these children, and that's all they needed. I have families telling me that, "Wow, I have never thought that she or he was gonna be able to actually stand up in front of the class and do it." So I have always, when I give my tours and I know that they don't have Montessori background, we give them the chance to come and spend a whole morning, a day with the children. I wanted the teachers to spend the time with them. We always really clear about the materials that they've no, they have not been exposed to. It's gonna be a little weird for them to get used to this. But it takes no time. The children are so re- strong when you put them in the right environment. Yeah. And,

Liliana Lemos 22:27

another thing that is a very important key is the connection the teachers make with their student. Independently, if they are being in our environment or if they are coming from from a different setting. So connection is the key to start that relationship. And then the child is exposed to the environment, and it's lovely we do that transition. But our teachers spend a lot of time observing and knowing the child. The child. So that's... So that connection is the key.

Stacey Poehler 23:00

Great. Great. When a student graduates from eighth grade, what are, some of the most important traits that you think they carry with them into high school?

Nora Arrieta 23:11

When a student graduates from Milton Montessori I think, I believe they leave with, like Miss Liliana mentioned in the past, with what we call the five Cs. I want them to leave here with courage to try new things and to think independently. They're gonna leave with compassion for others, because they've been with children younger than them the whole time, so they're gonna have compassion for others and for their own community. Creativity, and how they gonna solve problems. The curiosity, we always tell them to ask questions. That keeps them, When you ask questions, that keeps them engaged with learning. And lastly, I believe they're gonna leave with a strong communication skills that help them express themselves with confidence. There you go, I know you see. With confidence. So those are the qualities that we hope to stay with them long after they have leave our classrooms.

Stacey Poehler 24:13

And I know there's a lot of expansion happening in terms of your buildings as well. All, new spaces are being created there. Spaces for athletics. I believe there's a tennis court that y'all are building and-

Nora Arrieta 24:26

we are. We are definitely... Our new building is just in phase one right now. We're we're gonna have three, three lower elementary classrooms, two middle schools, one upper elementary. We have a media center, a science lab. We have tennis courts and a pavilion. our families requested this. They, you can see that they wanted more, and that's definitely what we're doing now. We're really excited about this new year.

Stacey Poehler 24:55

is there anything else that you're excited about as you look towards the future there?

Nora Arrieta 25:01

I think the opportunity to extend authentic Montessori education to more families. That is, we want to grow with intention, we have a strong foundation already, so it's really about expanding for our students, while staying true to who we are. For us, it's not just a getting bigger in numbers, but bigger or deeper on the impact that we're doing here at Milton.

Stacey Poehler 25:32

Oh, great. You guys, it was so great talking with you today and learning more about the school and your approach. I know local families are going to want to reach out to you, and the best way for them to do that is to go to your website miltonmontessori.org. You guys are right in Milton on Bethany Bend. It's a great location, and I know that you want people to come in and visit you and get to experience the school firsthand

Nora Arrieta 25:59

Absolutely

Stacey Poehler 26:00

and can they book

Nora Arrieta 26:01

tours with you? Yes. Okay. They can just go online, book the tour. We- you're gonna get to choose what campus would you like to visit, and of course, this is the Milton area, you just choose the Bethany Bend campus, and you're gonna see the availability for tours. We usually do the tours in the mornings, but is, if there any any reason you cannot come in the morning, just give us a call and we can work it out.

Stacey Poehler 26:25

That's great. Thank you both so much. I appreciate having you on today, and look forward to people coming and checking you guys out. Thank you. Sounds great. Thank you for having us, Stacey. Yeah. Bye.

Liliana Lemos 26:35

Bye.

Narrator 26:37

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast, Milton and More. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpmilton.com. That's gnpmilton.com, or call 470-664-4930.