The Riverbend School Blog

Montessori Innovators at Riverbend

Last Thursday evening, The Riverbend School held its first ever Academic Fair. Students from Kindergarten through Grade 8 treated professional evaluators, parents, teachers, administrators and their fellow classmates to beautifully presented research projects.

Riverbend students had been asked to think of a topic that sparked their interest or ignited a passion. They were also asked to not only research their topic and become an expert, but to practice their public speaking skills to orally connect their research to their visuals, demonstrations, experiments and activities to visitors. Teachers helped their students cultivate their ideas, and once the students got going, nothing held them back.

Casey, 2^nd Grade, challenged himself to learn how to dance like Michael Jackson and tore up his living room floor which all were able to view on his lap top (with envy). 

Madison, Kindergarten, wondered how paper was made, so she taught herself how to make it! She brought in her own pulp and paper press and went to work demonstrating how our every day paper is made. Madison also made us aware of the real and crucial need for recycling. Brooks, 8^th Grade, wanted to know more about the Geneva Conventions and how they came to play such a critical role in our present day world. He graciously and eloquently provided his evaluator with the history of the first Convention and how it has shaped modern day politics. Have you ever seen a Venus Fly Trap in the winter months that looks dead? Well, thanks to Jonathon, 4^th Grade, we now know that the plant lives in a dormant state through the winter—changing to a dark color and remerging in the Spring bright green and ready to be fed! Ian, 5^th Grade, taught us about Space Exploration and his desire to travel deep into the universe. Judging by the intense enthusiasm he exuded, there’s no doubt he will make his way there someday.

“It was incredible to talk with Riverbend students tonight and evaluate all the unique projects—these students are curious, bright, passionate, creative and are developing skills for real life as innovators. It is so energizing and reassuring to see what America’s children, who will soon be our leaders of tomorrow, are doing to prepare. My hat goes off to Riverbend, and their commitment to providing students with the best principles of education," said one outside evaluator.

The backbone of Montessori philosophy is based on nurturing the whole child by fostering their individual learning styles. “The selection of topics was as individualized as each child’s personality.  It was extraordinary to see the joy they felt as they explained their projects to visitors,” said our Head of School, Karen Riccardi. 

The night proved, once again, that children at any Montessori grade level, are capable of unbelievably amazing things.