NAMTA Presents
New England SpringFest in Hartford, CT
April 23-26, 2015
Courtesy of Montessori Center School, Phoenix, Arizona
Wellsprings for Montessori
Science of Peace
and Sustainability
plus
Montessori Mathematics for the Adolescent (Ages 12-18)
featuring Michael Waski
Thursday, April 23–Saturday, April 25, 2015
9 a.m.–4 p.m. each day at Hilton Hartford Hotel
The math workshop is open to adolescent orientation graduates only.
Prerequisite book purchase: Montessori Algebra for the Adolescent
A NAMTA Conference
Hartford, Connecticut
NAMTA Presents
New England SpringFest in Hartford, CT
Wellsprings for Montessori
Science of Peace
and Sustainability
Understanding natural systems often leads
to a realization of the varied complex human
systems within our world. This conference offers immersion into the natural ecosystems of
Hartford, Connecticut and the opportunity to
experience the Montessori public and private schools that have
become beacons of community sustainability practices. By exploring the bioregion of northeast New England, a template for the
study of place will emerge that will enable participants to realize the unifying learning possibilities among public, private, and
home environments.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
7:00–8:00 p.m. • Registration
Friday, April 24, 2015
8:00–9:00 a.m. • Registration
Hilton Hartford Hotel • 860-728-5151
Wellsprings for Montessori
Science of Peace and Sustainability
Friday, April 24, 2015, continued
Courtesy of Donna Ruhlman
9:00–9:45 a.m. • The New Science of Humanity
Paula Polk Lillard
We exist in the world as a unique species: in the world, yet not of
the world. Montessori inspires the depth and breadth of the truly
scientific and creative mind through an all-inclusive approach to
the life of the child and the young adult who is in self-formation.
We will discuss how Montessori environments at every age level
specifically place the child and the student within nature and a
biological foundation while realizing the transcendent qualities of human existence
and achievement.
9:45–10:00 a.m. • Break
10:00–10:45 a.m. • Understanding Natural Systems and
Engaging with Your Local Bioregion
Gretchen Hall
Montessori describes man’s relationship with his environment as
reciprocal as he both transforms it and is transformed by it. Sustainability and stewardship require a harmonious relationship between
man and the social and natural contexts in which he operates. In
this keynote, Gretchen will explore how Montessori pedagogy provides a holistic and
systematic approach to developing individuals who will live in harmony with nature.
Knowledge creates the understanding that forms the basis of stewardship as children
come to understand their context in the unity of nature and their role in maintaining
ecological balance.
10:45–11:00 a.m. • Break
11:00 a.m.–Noon • Underlying Principles of Sustainability
Tom Wessels
This presentation will cover two scientific principles that are critical
for the sustainability of any system. We will examine the second law
of thermodynamics and its relationship to entropy, which frames why
our current socioeconomic system is not sustainable. Then we will look
at the principle of self-organization as the foundation of sustainable
systems to show that, at its core, sustainability is about an integrated network of mutually beneficial interrelationships. The presentation will show how self-organization can
be addressed in a curriculum for any age level based on fostering interrelationships, and
how it can effectively make any class and classroom more dynamic.
April 23-26, 2015 • Register before April 9, 2015
A NAMTA Conference
Hartford, Connecticut
Friday, April 24, 2015, continued
Noon–1:30 p.m. • Lunch
1:30–4:00 p.m. • Workshops (choose one)
A. Keeping a Nature Journal
Gerard Leonard
Gerry will explore keeping a nature journal with elementary
aged children. We will share inspiring readings from famous
naturalists and poets and will practice the art of observation in
the natural world. We will write both prose and poetry and draw
from nature.
B. Botany as a Means of Total Development
Uma Ramani
In this workshop we will explore our personal connections to the
plant world and focus on ways to bring botany to the child, not
as a subject to be studied but as raw material for creative, constructive self-formation. We will renew our personal relationship
with plants and discover the beauty and wonder in the plants
around us in preparation for opening the doors of exploration
and discovery of plant life for the child.
www.auerfarm.org
C. Annie Fisher Montessori Magnet School Erdkinder:
A Montessori Public School Approach
Visit Auerfarm with panel: Jacqueline Cossentino, John Freeman, Jack Hasegawa,
Hartford Erdkinder Students, moderated by David Kahn
The Hartford Public Schools Erdkinder program was launched in September 2014 and
is currently incubating at Annie Fisher Montessori Magnet School with support from
the staff at Auerfarm. This hands-on session explores both the path to Auerfarm and
the manner in which work on the land is influencing the design of the program.
Hilton Hartford Hotel • 860-728-5151
Wellsprings for Montessori
Science of Peace and Sustainability
Saturday, April 25, 2015
9:00–10:45 a.m. • Designing Exuberant Play and Learning
Landscapes for Montessori Toddler and 3-6 Communities:
Defining Best Practice
Robin Moore and Nilda Cosco
Drawing from their international experiences on creating
play and learning environments, Robin Moore and Nilda
Cosco explore the notion of schools as models for sustainable building designs, sustainable school yards, and naturalized places and systems. Moore and Cosco address planning
and design policies that support the needs for children and
families to have culturally diverse, socially stimulating, and
healthy lifestyles at school and in the public realm. This
session is framed for an audience of public/private sector
Montessori educators, working in Connecticut and adjacent states, who want to
optimize their indoor-outdoor space through conscious design.
10:45–11:00 a.m. • Break
11:00 a.m.–Noon • Ripples and Butterflies: An Ecological Look at the Promise and
Impact of the Prepared Environment for Young Children and Vulnerable Families
Jacqueline Cossentino
Drawing from her ongoing research on birth-to-six Montessori
family centers, Jacqueline Cossentino will share insights from
four exemplary programs that specialize in serving low-income
families in urban communities. This talk begins with a focus on
the relationship between external and internal order, opportunities for purposeful work in nature, and simple, functional
spaces for living and learning. Then Cossentino will trace the expanding impact of
beauty, order, and community connections that are made possible when learning
and living spaces are designed with intentional emphasis on the developmental
needs of very young children and their families.
Noon–1:30 p.m. • Lunch
April 23-26, 2015 • Register before April 9, 2015
A NAMTA Conference
Hartford, Connecticut
Saturday, April 25, 2015, continued
1:30–4:00 p.m. • Land Outings (choose one):
Bus travel and visit at each location
D. The Montessori Magnet School at the Learning Corridor,
Designed by Smith Edwards McCoy Architects:
School Design that Supports the Montessori Curriculum
Tour CREC Montessori Magnet School with Kent McCoy
and Tyler Smith, project architects, facilitated by Tim Nee
CREC Montessori Magnet School is a masterpiece for the indoor and outdoor
space. Kent and Tyler will do a special tour around this Montessori building and
talk about other innovative designs for indoor-outdoor building relationships. Tim
Nee, founding principal of the school, will also provide a brief history of the school
and answer any related questions.
MDP © Sara Guren
E. Gardening at The Cobb School with Children Under Six:
Science Through the Hoe and Spade
Marisa Gallagher
A children’s garden is a true extension of the Montessori
classroom and functions as an outdoor environment at The
Cobb School. In the garden children learn the careful work
and tender patience needed to grow plants. The garden is
also where the child forms the understanding that most of
our food comes from the earth. We will gather and discuss ways to start and plan
a children’s garden that is practical, fun, and filled with opportunities for experiencing the science of gardening.
F. Erdkinder at Montessori School of Greater Hartford
Caren Ross
Visit the Montessori School of Greater Hartford’s Erdkinder Program located in the Nepaug section of New
Hartford, CT, on the peaceful, thirty-acre Millstream
Farm. Get your hands dirty as you experience the purposeful land-based work that is the hallmark of an
authentic Montessori Erdkinder. Participate in one or
more of the science occupations that are offered to our
students, including apiary, food science, garden, land
ethics and stewardship, ruminants, and water.
Hilton Hartford Hotel • 860-728-5151
Wellsprings for Montessori
Science of Peace and Sustainability
Sunday, April 26, 2015
9:00-10:30 a.m. • The Montessori Training Center of New England (MTCNE): A
Unique Partnership Approach to AMI Training
Panel presentation and discussion with Dr. Paige Bray, Gretchen Hall,
Gerard Leonard, Tim Nee, and Uma Ramani
Learn how four distinct organizations such as Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), Capitol Region Education Council (CREC), University of Hartford (UH),
and the CT State Department of Education joined forces in Hartford to create the
AMI Montessori teacher training, offer a master’s of education from UH, and provide the opportunity for Montessori teachers to receive their state teaching certificate. The unique master’s program supports Montessori practitioners’ continued
learning, including the understanding of public Montessori implementation and
professional interactions with non-Montessori educators.
Speakers
Paige Bray, Ed.D, is an associate professor of early childhood education and the academic advisor and program coordinator for the graduate early childhood programs in the department of
education at University of Hartford. She holds a BA and an MS in education from Sarah Lawrence
College (NY) and received her Ed.D from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Jacqueline Cossentino, Ed.D, is senior associate and director of research at the National Center
for Montessori in the Public Sector. She received a BA in history from Smith College and an M.Ed
and Ed.D from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her work revolves around advancing
fully implemented Montessori education in the public sector, and her research focuses on the
development of expertise within the Montessori educational culture.
Nilda Cosco, PhD, is the director of programs for the Natural Learning Initiative and a research
associate professor for the College of Design at NC State University. Dr. Cosco holds a degree in
educational psychology from the Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina and a PhD
in landscape architecture from Heriot Watt University/Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland. Her
primary research interest is the impact of outdoor environments on child and family health outcomes such as healthy nutrition, active lifestyles, attention functioning, and overall well-being,
particularly as they relate to natural components of the built environment.
John Freeman is principal of the Montessori Magnet School at Annie Fisher, Hartford, CT. He has a BA
from St. John’s College and completed the Elementary Course at Washington Montessori Institute.
Marisa Gallagher is a primary teacher who has been teaching at The Cobb School, Montessori for
over twenty-three years. After graduating from AMI Montessori training, Marisa set her roots in
a primary classroom and has been a mentor to students in training and to new teachers. Marisa
started the Spanish program in the elementary classrooms at Cobb, directed both the before and
after school programs, and assisted in primary and elementary classrooms.
April 23-26, 2015 • Register before April 9, 2015
A NAMTA Conference
Hartford, Connecticut
Gretchen Hall is the director of training at the Montessori Training Center of New England (MTCNE)
and is the director of the Montessori Magnet School, an urban, public Montessori school in Hartford,
CT. Gretchen holds a BS in electrical engineering from Michigan State University. She received her AMI
primary diploma from Washington Montessori Institute and an M.Ed from Loyola University Maryland.
Gretchen has eighteen years of Montessori experience and is on the AMI/USA board of directors.
Jack Hasegawa is executive director of the 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm, Bloomfield, CT.
Mr. Hasegawa has had a long career in educational administration, board development, diversity
training, and fund development management.
David Kahn is executive director of North American Montessori Teachers’ Association and Montessori
Development Partnerships. Mr. Kahn holds a BA in fine arts and classics from the University of Notre
Dame (IN) as well as the AMI Montessori elementary diploma from Bergamo, Italy.
Gerard (Gerry) Leonard is currently enrolled in the AMI Elementary Training-of-Trainers Program.
Gerry recently worked with Greg MacDonald and Benoit Dubuc on the inaugural AMI elementary
course in Mexico City and is currently assisting Carla Foster with the Montessori Training Center of
New England (MTCNE) elementary course in Hartford, CT. He has taught for over thirty years in primary, elementary, and adolescent classrooms, is an officer of the NAMTA board, and serves on the
advisory board of MTCNE.
Paula Polk Lillard is co-founder of Forest Bluff School (IL) and is the author of Montessori Today,
Montessori: A Modern Approach, and Montessori in the Classroom. Paula is a graduate of Smith
College and is an AMI Montessori primary guide. She has served on the board of directors of both
the American Montessori Society and the Association Montessori International/USA. Paula currently devotes the major portion of her time to guiding and supporting Montessori parents.
Robin Moore is the director of the Natural Learning Initiative and a Professor of Landscape Architecture at NC State University. He holds a degree in architecture from London University and in
urban planning from MIT. For most of his career, he has worked in the field of landscape architecture as an educator, researcher, and consultant. His primary research interests include user-based
design of intergenerational play and learning environments, using participatory design processes,
and environment-behavior design methods. He is the author of several books including Natural
Learning (1997) and Nature Play and Learning Places (2014).
Tim Nee is the assistant executive director of CREC Montessori Magnet School in Hartford, CT and
the former principal of CREC. Tim has an undergraduate degree in elementary education from Indiana University of PA and graduate degrees in supervision, curriculum development, and educational
leadership from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Tim is currently working extensively with the state
(CT) in the implementation of the pilot for the Connecticut System for Educator Evaluation and
Development (SEED).
Uma Ramani is currently a consultant to the Hartford Public Schools Montessori Initiative and
works with teachers, administrators, and parents to help integrate authentic Montessori practice
into the program. She is an AMI trainer (primary), holds AMI diplomas at both the primary and
elementary levels, and has a master’s degree from Cornell University. Uma continues to promote
Montessori education in India, where her vision is to take Montessori training to the grassroots
so that it will be a catalyst for sustainable development and social change.
Caren Ross is a middle school teacher at Montessori School of Greater Hartford. Caren holds degrees in psychology and Spanish from Tufts University and an MA in international affairs from Columbia University. Caren attended the AMI Montessori Orientation to Adolescent Studies in 2004.
Hilton Hartford Hotel • 860-728-5151
Wellsprings for Montessori
Science of Peace and Sustainability
Smith Edwards McCoy Architects (Kent McCoy and Tyler Smith) have a particular interest in
the design of early childhood learning environments and are recognized for their work in urban
design, building renovation, and school design. Their school designs have been inspired by
two fundamental convictions: Public schools should instill civic pride by being welcoming, safe,
light-filled architecture; and their design should support and enhance the specific pedagogy
of their magnet theme. One of their most highly regarded schools is the Montessori Magnet
School at The Learning Corridor.
Tom Wessels is an ecologist and founding director of the master’s degree program in conservation biology at Antioch University New England. He is the current chair of the Center for Whole
Communities. Tom holds a BS in wildlife biology from the University of New Hampshire and an
MA in ecology from the University of Colorado. His books include Reading the Forested Landscape, The Granite Landscape, Untamed Vermont, The Myth of Progress: Toward a Sustainable
Future, and Forest Forensics: A Field Guide to Reading the Forested Landscape.
Hotel
http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/connecticut/
hilton-hartford-HFDHHHF/index.html
Hilton Hartford Hotel
315 Trumbull Street
Hartford, CT 06103
860-728-5151
The Hilton Hartford hotel is situated in the heart
of the business and dining district of Hartford, CT.
The hotel is within walking distance of over thirty
restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues.
Complimentary WiFi is available throughout all
public areas of the hotel.
Call 1-800-754-7941 to reserve your room by March 24, 2015.
Mention NAMTA conference to receive the NAMTA rate of $119.
Transportation
Bradley International Airport (BDA) is 12 miles (15 minute drive time) from the
Hilton Hartford Hotel. Taxi fare from the airport to the hotel is approximately $40.
Self parking at the hotel is available at $18 per night.
Driving directions can be found on the hotel website:
http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/connecticut/
hilton-hartford-HFDHHHF/index.html
April 23-26, 2015 • Register before April 9, 2015
A NAMTA Conference
Hartford, Connecticut
Register by April 9, 2015 for early registration rates!
Conference Registration: Friday-Sunday
NAMTA member tuition fee:
❑ $300 ( ❑ $315 after April 9)
Non-member tuition fee:
❑ $360 ( ❑ $375 after April 9)
Friday workshops (Choose one):
Saturday workshops (Choose one):
❑ A. Nature Journal
❑ D. CREC Montessori Magnet
❑ B. Botany
❑ E. The Cobb School
❑ C. Erdkinder
❑ F. Montessori of Greater Hartford
Montessori Math Registration: Thursday-Saturday
Please bring a copy of Montessori Algebra for the Adolescent to this workshop.
NAMTA member tuition fee:
❑ $360 ( ❑ $375 after April 9)
Non-member tuition fee:
❑ $420 ( ❑ $435 after April 9)
Montessori elementary training: ❑ Yes ❑ No
Adolescent orientation graduate: ❑ 2003 ❑ 2004 ❑ 2005 ❑ 2006
❑ 2007 ❑ 2008 ❑ 2009 ❑ 2010 ❑ 2011 ❑ 2012 ❑ 2013 ❑ 2014
Friday and Saturday luncheons are included with each registration.
Choose one:
❑ Non-Vegetarian ❑ Vegetarian
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Hilton Hartford Hotel • 860-728-5151
2014-2015
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Join NAMTA online at www.montessori-namta.org
A NAMTA Special Event in Hartford, CT
featuring Michael Waski
Open to Adolescent Orientation Graduates Only
Montessori Mathematics for the Adolescent
(Ages 12-18)
Thursday, April 23 – Saturday, April 25, 2015
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day at Hilton Hartford Hotel
Prerequisite book purchase: Montessori Algebra for the Adolescent
Registration takes place Thursday, April 23, 2015, from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Montessori Mathematics for the Adolescent
(Ages 12-18)
Michael Waski
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
This series of workshops will go through the steps of select key lessons from Mike Waski’s
book Montessori Algebra for the Adolescent. Chapters on signed numbers, graphing, lines,
solving equations, factoring, exponents, quadratics, and transformations will be examined.
Materials will be available for actual practice during the sessions, and follow-up activities
will be discussed. The connections and implications that these key lessons have for the entire third plane will also be reviewed. Participants will gain a new set of interesting and
challenging activities that will engage students of all abilities in new ways. Please bring your
copy of Montessori Algebra for the Adolescent.
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. and 3:15 – 3:45 p.m.
Breaks
Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
Michael Waski is a math teacher at Montessori High School at University Circle
in Cleveland, Ohio. He holds the AMI elementary diploma from Bergamo, Italy,
a BS from Kent State University (OH), and an MA in educational administration
from California State University, San Bernardino. Michael has been teaching
for fifteen years, eleven of which have been at the adolescent level. In addition,
Mike is a member of the visiting faculty on The AMI Montessori Orientation
to Adolescent Studies course as well as a frequent NAMTA presenter. If you
have been fortunate enough to see him speak, you know that his passion for
math is infectious and his knowledge of how to teach it is inspiring. Mike is
also the author of Montessori Algebra for the Adolescent, truly the holy grail
of advanced Montessori math for the adolescent. This book is available for purchase through the
NAMTA website, www.montessori-namta.org.
Hilton Hartford Hotel • 860-728-5151