Dear MVMPCS Families,
Last week upper elementary students received the first of the Five Great Lessons, Coming of the Universe and the Earth, which raised concern among some of the members of the school community because it featured a retelling of a non-secular creation story. The story was presented as just that -- a story. It was not shared as a factual accounting of the creation of the universe, and it follows the script that AMI elementary trained teachers learn. It is designed to be dramatic, as its main purpose is to “spark the imagination” of the listener. Students will go on to study astronomy, meteorology, chemistry, physics, geology, and geography after hearing the First Great Lesson. They will also read and learn about other origin stories.
While this story would typically be given as a whole level (all classes) presentation, this year it was made into an online presentation, narrated by Ms. Jennifer, and shared in each of the upper elementary classrooms. Many families who have since seen the video were not present for the introduction or the post conversation that teachers had with their students that was also part of this lesson. Students were prepared by their teachers to hear the story, and they expect to continue with follow-up work that explores “scientific, cultural, and religious explanations of how the universe and earth came to be” (Kidd).
Because of the non-secular nature of the video and the fact that it can be viewed in isolation -- without the necessary pre- and post-conversations that help to ground it in context -- it has been removed as a resource from the online student pages. In addition, moving forward, all MVMPCS teachers will focus on telling a secular version of The First Great Lesson, and be more mindful of the content of all of their lessons. Our Montessori teacher specialist will assist with this practice.
The Five Great Lessons are an essential part of Montessori curriculum and include:
First Great Lesson - Coming of the Universe and the Earth
Second Great Lesson - Coming of Life
Third Great Lesson - Coming of Human Beings
Fourth Great Lesson - Communication in Signs
Fifth Great Lesson - The Story of Numbers
For additional information on this curriculum, please see Montessori for Everyone’s The Five Great Lessons, and Marcia Kidd’s Montessori’s Five Great Lessons. These resources will help you to understand the variety of lessons being offered to our students, and the many topics that naturally flow from them.
In closing, I apologize to any family who felt as though their child had been exposed to teaching that sought to influence them in any particular way. I can assure you that that was not the intention, and that we will proceed more carefully in the future. Teachers are working hard to get up to speed in our new virtual environment. Moving forward, lessons will be more closely reviewed specifically with an eye to inclusivity and to honor the diversity of our community. I am grateful for a community who partners with staff and administration to troubleshoot, problem-solve, and model how to appropriately step into the arena and take positive action. As a reminder, your child’s teacher is your first level of contact to resolve any concerns. If you are not successful, you are encouraged to reach out to the principal, and failing resolution at that level, then on to the Governing Council. Thank you for your time and your support.
Sincerely,
Amy Dorman
Principal
http://education.fcps.org/mvmpcs/ 217 Dill Avenue Frederick, MD 21701 240-236-6100 Fax: 240-236-6101 Principal: Amy Dorman