Last month, the staff at VMS quietly and unobtrusively accomplished a major milestone in the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) certification process:  we were deemed “Montessori”.  “Huh?” you might ask.  You probably know we are licensed through a variety of governmental institutions, as required by law, and we are licensed to conduct kindergarten through MSDE.  A little history might provide some insight…

It’s been awhile since I last wrote, and that’s because things at VMS have been hoppin’! Needless to say, this blog will be a long one...

Our summer program, Little Villagers, was very successful with lots of fun in the sun, engaging weekly themes and projects, and plenty of opportunities to slow down (just a little!) for the dog days of summer. Many thanks to our summer staff who made this such a great way for our little ones to enjoy their summer break.

We took advantage of the excellent weather we had over the summer to make some improvements to our facility. The pine trees around the fence were either removed or trimmed and the underbrush cleaned out; old bushes and piled up mulch were removed from around the building; the shed was given a face lift; the entire fence was completely replaced; a cushy-thick layer of mulch was applied to the playground; the area around the playground was re-graded for optimal storm water drainage. A lot of work, but so worth it!

I can honestly say there is no such thing as ‘winter doldrums’ when you’re working with preschoolers, and VMS is no exception.  Besides a renewed focus on learning after the winter break, the frequent snows we’ve had keep the energy level high.  To further their learning experiences (and just for fun), the children have enjoyed two very different programs in the new year: well-known storyteller Arianna Ross of Story Tapestries came to VMS and delighted the children with animal tales from Asia, and Sarah, a dental hygienist, provided the children with lots of good information about keeping their teeth healthy.