The Montessori Promise: A Commitment to Authenticity and Accountability

Many years ago, while I was still a professional musician and long before I became a mother, I heard the word Montessori for the very first time.

At the time, I was living in Bloomington, Indiana, playing in a rock band, and several of my musician friends were becoming parents. As their children approached toddler age, conversations naturally turned to education and where they would send their children to school. Bloomington Montessori was the place to be! It was a school where children were encouraged to be themselves, learn at their own pace, and grow in a supportive environment. Learning was not something that happened in short bursts throughout the day; it was a lifelong journey.

I remember thinking, Why in the world would anyone send their child anywhere else?
As someone who had always felt a little "different" from my peers growing up, I instinctively knew that I wanted my future children to attend a school where they would feel valued for who they were, develop confidence in themselves, and, most importantly, love learning.

Not too many years later, I became a mother, moved back to northern Indiana, and enrolled my daughter at The Montessori Academy. I have never looked back.

So, what does my personal Montessori journey have to do with accreditation?

Everything.

One of the challenges of Montessori education is that the name "Montessori" is not trademarked. Any school can call itself Montessori, regardless of whether it truly follows the educational philosophy and principles developed by Dr. Maria Montessori. Some schools embrace the name without fully embracing the practice. I recently heard a long-time Montessorian affectionately refer to these schools as "Montes-sortas" — schools that are sort of Montessori.

This is precisely why accreditation matters.

Accreditation is not simply a certificate to hang on the wall or a distinction to include in our school materials. It is a rigorous, multiyear process of reflection, evaluation, and accountability. It requires a school to examine every aspect of its operations, from classroom practices and student experiences to governance, finances, facilities, and community relationships.

In essence, a school going through accreditation writes its own story. It celebrates its strengths, acknowledges its challenges, and identifies opportunities for continued growth. Then, a team of experienced educators and school leaders visits the campus to verify that story, ask thoughtful questions, and ensure that the school's practices reflect its stated mission and values.

Accreditation asks us not simply to say that we are doing what is best for children, but to demonstrate it. It holds us accountable to our families, our faculty, our community, and, most importantly, our students.

The Montessori Academy has a long and proud history of this commitment. In fact, TMA was the second school in the country to earn accreditation through the American Montessori Society (AMS). Approximately twenty years later, we expanded that commitment by pursuing dual accreditation through AMS and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). Together, these organizations provide a comprehensive framework for evaluating both the authenticity of our Montessori practice and the overall health and effectiveness of our school.

Today, Sunday, November 8, we are excited to welcome seven volunteer accreditation team members to our campus: three representing AMS and four representing ISACS. Over the following several days, they will observe, listen, ask questions, review our work, and, ultimately, help us confirm the story we have spent years telling through our self-study.

After more than fifty years of serving children and families, we recognize that being an excellent school does not mean being a perfect school. It means being a school willing to look closely at itself, celebrate what is working, acknowledge what needs improvement, and continually strive to do better.

That is the true value of accreditation. It is not about proving that we have arrived. It is about demonstrating our commitment to continually growing, learning, and remaining accountable to the children and families who place their trust in us.

And really, isn't that what Montessori education is all about?

Many people easily see the value of Montessori education in the early childhood classroom through the hands on materials and focus on independence. What is sometimes less understood is how those same Montessori principles evolve and are just as important during adolescence. Junior high students are driven by curiosity, purpose, and the desire to do meaningful work. When students are genuinely engaged and trusted with challenging material, they are capable of remarkable levels of critical thinking, collaboration, and responsibility.

Our forensic science program is designed with these Montessori principles in mind. Seventh and eighth grade students learn authentic forensic science techniques and apply them to solve a staged murder mystery within the school community. Teachers and staff become suspects and witnesses while students investigate crime scenes, search for evidence, analyze clues, and defend their conclusions in a mock trial. Through this work, students practice abstract thinking, problem solving, respectful communication, and freedom within limits. They learn to manage independence responsibly while working within the expectations of the community. Most importantly, they experience what happens when adults believe they are capable of meaningful, sophisticated work that connects directly to their interests and curiosity.

Upper elementary and junior high art students dove into the art and science of color recently, exploring how electromagnetic waves behave and how we perceive light in the visible spectrum. Students took apart a model of the eye and learned how the rods and cones of the retina receive light of specific wavelengths. They used ropes to simulate waves and investigated the relationship between wavelength and energy and the concept of polarization. They then experimented with polarized gels, rotating them to discover that aligned light waves can be completely blocked or allowed to pass, depending on the relative position of the gels. They got to see colorized images demonstrating how pit vipers perceive infrared light and birds and bees perceive ultraviolet wavelengths. Students learned about the differences between additive and subtractive color mixing and then used red, green, and blue flashlights to mix light directly–producing cyan, magenta, and yellow shadows. To wrap things up, students took turns manipulating prisms to reproduce Newton's famous optics experiments, separating white light into the full spectrum and then reassembling it back into white light. All of this sets the stage for an exploration of color theory.

Junior High students arrived in Washington, D.C. today and are already immersing themselves in the rich history of our nation’s capital! Their first stop was the Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum, followed by time exploring the National Mall—captured in a wonderful photo in front of the Washington Monument.

Students and teachers will continue taking in the incredible sights and experiences of Washington, D.C. before returning late Wednesday evening.

For the past week, room 3 has had a truly special experience as Ms. Ludwick introduced one-day-old Ayam Cemani Indonesian chicks into the classroom. The children were invited to observe quietly with their eyes, honoring both the fragility of new life and the importance of respectful engagement. In this peaceful and intentional moment, students experienced firsthand the wonder of life, deepening their sense of curiosity, empathy, and connection to the natural world—an authentic reflection of Montessori principles in action. This truly special experience gave students the opportunity to witness new life up close.

The Windfall 2026 Silent Auction is now LIVE! Go to GiveGrove to see the amazing items and bid. All donations are matched dollar for dollar, so your giving is doubled!

**Junior High/Elementary After Care Location Change**

Due to Windfall setup in the gym, Junior High/Elementary After Care will be held in the art room on Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27.

Please go to the art room door for pickup.

Community Kindness in Action

When one of our TMA moms stopped by The Home Depot to purchase gift cards for our drive supporting the Edwardsburg community after last Friday’s tornadoes, the team there asked what the cards were for. When they learned they were going to help families impacted by the storm, they immediately matched the donation.

Thanks to the generosity of two TMA moms, their contribution was quickly doubled, turning into $200 in Home Depot gift cards, $100 in Lowe's gift cards, and a car full of bottled water and Gatorade to support families as they recover.

Moments like this remind us how powerful a caring community can be. We are grateful to our TMA families and to The Home Depot for stepping up to help our neighbors in Edwardsburg.

Join us for ice skating on March 5!