Good Neighbor Podcast: North Shore
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of North Shore
Good Neighbor Podcast: North Shore
EP #56: Working with the Whole Child: Margaret Henry's 40-Year Montessori Journey
From the moment Margaret Henry discovered Montessori education for her own sons, she was captivated by its effectiveness. Now, with 40 years of teaching experience and 18 years leading North Shore Montessori School, she continues to share this transformative philosophy. Nestled on two acres in Rawley, Massachusetts, the school provides a nurturing environment for children ages 2.8 through sixth grade, complete with chickens, honeybees, and turtles. But beyond its unique setting, authentic Montessori education fosters structure, independence, and a deep love of learning.
Montessori’s impact is evident in self-directed students who engage with specially designed materials, developing critical hand-brain connections under expert guidance. "We work with the whole child—with respect, grace, and courtesy," Margaret explains. Mixed-age classrooms encourage collaboration, and by kindergarten, students eagerly seek knowledge, presenting their learning with confidence. As Montessori’s 118-year legacy continues to thrive, North Shore Montessori invites families to explore how children flourish in an environment that honors their natural curiosity and development. Visit northshoremontessori.org or attend their open house to learn more.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Yvonne Godfrey.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Today we have the distinct pleasure of introducing Margaret Henry. She is the founder and CEO of the North Shore Montessori School, located in Raleigh, massachusetts. Thank you for having me. Oh, we're so excited to have you. Yes, can you tell our listeners about North Shore Montessori School?
Speaker 3:Yes, north Shore Montessori School is a small school. We have two children's houses which have age groups of three to six-year-olds Actually we take them two years, eight months through six-year-olds in our children's houses and then we have one lower elementary classroom that takes children six to nine and then an upper elementary that takes children nine to 12. So that's for second, third grade and fourth, fifth and sixth grade, 12. So that's first, second, third grade and fourth, fifth and sixth grade. We're located in Raleigh on a residential area two acres of land and chickens and honeybees and turtles, and we have a lot of outdoor as well as a really strong Montessori program.
Speaker 2:And how did you get into the educational field, Margaret?
Speaker 3:get into the educational field, Margaret. I have always had a love of working with children since I was very young. When my two sons were born, I was looking for a place for them and drifted into Montessori. That way I fell in love with it and I was doing a home daycare and I went into the Montessori training and just was blown away how amazing it is for children and I started off on my career path in the Montessori.
Speaker 2:Beautiful and you never looked back. No, I didn't. So what are some myths or misconception you've discovered in the educational realm of the Montessori schooling?
Speaker 3:in all my years, because there are many of them. A lot of people think Montessori is is not structured enough, it's too free-flowing, it's this and that which it's too free-flowing, it's this and that which it's not. A true being of Montessori. It's also not a religion, which is another misconception.
Speaker 3:Maria Montessori was one of the first doctors in Italy and she devised materials to go to the hand brain, information for children to learn. And it starts from the very young children. And although we call the work that the children do work, because parents go to work and they go to work, it is a lot of toys and a lot of playing, but we just don't call it that and they learn from it. And then we also have our outdoor environment, because outdoor is very important for children too, and our equipment is specially devised for balance, upper body movement, coordination, holding their weight. They have mats that the children work on or tables that they work on and they're free to pick out what they want to, what they choose to work on. Montessori teachers are more like guides as they learn one concept, then we move them forward to the next when they're ready.
Speaker 2:Hmm, yeah, interesting and different concept from the traditional mindset of desk and students, versus coming together almost like a rap session.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, we have many different aspects. We work with the whole of the child. We work with respect. We work with grace and courtesy. We work with. This is your work. You can invite somebody to be at your work, or you can work alone, and that's okay, and the children get to the point where they understand that that's okay. We don't push through work. We're doing this now. If you can't finish it, then it's too bad, it's put away. No, if you need to go back and revisit something, you can always go revisit it. If you want to move forward and you're ready, the teacher is there to guide you forward and that's beautiful.
Speaker 2:So it's learning at your own pace.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, and it also creates a love for learning. So by the time they get through the third year of the children's house program in kindergarten, they're starting to really want to learn. They want to know how to do this, they want to know how to do that. But when they're in the elementary programs it's just phenomenal. They present things to not only their classmates, but we have times when they present it to their parents and then, as they graduate out of here in sixth grade, they're now presenting to the entire community. It is a beautiful way of teaching children.
Speaker 2:Beautiful, and you have been doing this for 18 years.
Speaker 3:I've had my school for 18 years. I have been teaching for 40 years. So I've had my school for 18 years. I have been teaching for 40 years, so oh, I've been in this for a long time.
Speaker 2:That's tremendously impressive. Wow, well, thank you for sharing. Thank you, so, outside of work, margaret, what do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:I like knitting. I knit a lot and I have two granddaughters Right now. I've been attending their basketball games, which is great, and I do like going to yoga. Yoga centers me and keeps me going. I also do some traveling with my sister in the summertime too.
Speaker 2:Sweet. We definitely need those personal time and family bonding. So that's great, love it, love it. So let's change gears. Margaret, can you describe one hardship or one of life's challenge that you rose above and can now say because of it you're better, you're stronger? What comes to your mind?
Speaker 3:There's a couple of things. One is my mother raised four kids and we really became independent, and I think that really helped me realize that I can do for myself. Even though I didn't go through a Montessori way of life, I could do as myself. There became a time when I became a single mother as well and I got my strength in that. When my three boys were older, I was able to. My three boys were older, I was able to actually think about starting this Montessori school and then making it come true. So I got, you know, the strength started from a young age and once I was on my own with my three boys and got them moving forward, I knew I can keep going. I wanted to create a place that I thought was truly Montessori, and that's brought me here.
Speaker 2:Beautiful, beautiful. So, margaret, can you tell our listeners how they can learn more about the North Shore Montessori School? Do you have a website?
Speaker 3:We do have a website. It's northshoremontessoriorg and there's a lot of information on there that you can look us up. We are having an open house coming up on March 8th and 9th and on the 8th we have a very special time for the parents to come the present parents to come in and their children show them their special work. So it's called Follow the Child Saturday.
Speaker 3:So, on that Saturday we are also having an open house so you can come and talk with other parents that are here and get to know us and the school better.
Speaker 2:Beautiful and I negated to ask you can you tell our listeners one thing that they should remember about Montessori School?
Speaker 3:Maria Montessori never patented her name, so anybody can put out a flyer and say they're a Montessori. Anybody can put out a flyer and say they're a Montessori. You really need to make sure that they are American Montessori, ams certified or AMI certified so you're not running into a school that claims to be Montessori but they aren't. You can tell it by the materials that you will see when you visit a classroom. If they don't let you visit a classroom, I can guarantee you they're not a Montessori school. But it's the materials. And once you see the materials you realize, wow, it's quite amazing.
Speaker 3:North Shore Montessori School is home for children. They always say their house or their home. They love coming. They ask their parents is this a school day or is this not a school day? Montessori divides the school with keeping in mind that you're working with the whole of the child. It's not just educating the child, it's also socializing with the child, creating physical movement with the child. It works with the whole of the child. Grace and courtesy they need to know. They need to know what boundaries are, what is right and what is okay, what is not okay. That's not something that is normally going to come to them automatically. So Maria Montessori really did emphasize on the whole of the child and not just the educational part and the hand-to-brain information is so vital for learning.
Speaker 2:Beautiful and the Montessori school itself is about how old 50 years old.
Speaker 3:Montessori started. Actually, I started my school in 2007 and that was the 100th year anniversary of the very first Casa de Bambini, so it's 118 years old now.
Speaker 2:Many, many probably are not aware that the school has been around for so long.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, yes. And it started in Italy, it is all over the world, it's in every country, everywhere. They just grasp at her concepts for children.
Speaker 2:Beautiful, beautiful. And are there different types of Montessori school?
Speaker 3:Yes, a lot of people will say they're Montessori-like, they're Montessori school. But they're really not Montessori. You have to go into a school and visit the room and see the materials and make sure you'll notice the materials in the math area, the language area, sensorial, practical life. You'll see the materials. You'll also see the children working happily and usually very quietly, which shocks a lot of people, but that's how they learn in the beginning of the year to be in the classroom and it's a lovely environment.
Speaker 2:And what is the difference between AMS and AMI Montessori?
Speaker 3:AMS is the American Montessori Society and AMI is Association Montessori International. So that's the American Montessori Society happened probably about 90 years ago with Maria Montessori and the person from America that was working with her that she opened up the American Montessori Society. So they both are really trying to come together. So they're not two separate identities but they're still working toward the same thing and that's getting out the Montessori principles and way of teaching.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for having me Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, margaret, I really appreciate you being on the show with us today and we wish you and the North Shore Montessori School all the very best moving forward.
Speaker 3:Thank you very much and thank you for having me. This was a pleasure.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPNorthshorecom. That's GNPNorthshorecom, or call 857-703-9406.