If there is one thing that COVID-19 has taught us it’s that we can be very flexible when we have to be. Change is hard—but that caveat is mainly for adults. Children’s bodies are growing, their minds and emotions are expanding, the little ones are able to accept change easily. Perhaps one of the most inspiring or encouraging lessons adults can learn is to look at children who live in the present.

If you could peer into a window at Hudson Montessori School, you would find that the children have risen to the CDC safety guidelines—without hesitation. The Jersey City school goes up 6th grade, but take a closer look at their toddler 2-year-olds in their preschool as a beautiful example. Skeptics would say, there is no way my 2-year-old can do that. But, the beauty of Montessori is how the teachers approach learning and explaining to children why we do the things we do.

Before school started, many parents expectedly expressed concerns that mask-wearing would never work. But, after the first couple of days of teaching our children about mask-wearing, handwashing time, how we use materials in the classroom, and standing or sitting apart from our friends, the children comfortably adjusted to the classroom rules. The children are not mad about wearing a mask. Instead, they are great stewards for reminding friends to not let their mask fall past their nose.

Every day, the small, in-person class of toddlers play, sing, create, and dance while wearing a mask the entire day. There is no defiance or sadness. Instead, you hear laughter ring throughout the room as children learn about life on a farm, the sounds that letters make, and using Montessori materials to learn important fundamental concepts. As their young brains absorb this information, the children are making social connections with their teachers and other students.

During COVID, some things had to change, but not everything. The Montessori curriculum has remained exactly the same; the children still have the finely constructed wood cylinders or counting beads that Montessori is known for. A difference is the strict sanitization of all items between uses. And, children as young as age 2 know the rules and gladly follow along.

“Did you clean that material? Is this clean now?” one child says to their teacher, Ms. Fumi. “Yes, if it’s on the shelf, you can take it, it’s been cleaned.”

Children do not get upset by sitting at desks 6 feet away from their friends as they do their activities. Instead, children are shown how to do “air hugs,” “air high-fives,” and playing games outside during open playtime with friends.

It is only natural as parents to lament the “good old days.” Meanwhile, our best role models are the little humans always looking ahead to the promise tomorrow brings. The school welcomes parents to embrace “the new normal” and take a look at the school through a virtual tour. Don’t miss out on the amazing strides your children can accomplish as they thrive, learn, grow—all as safe as can be—in school with their teachers and friends.

If your child cannot physically come in-person to school for whatever reason, Hudson Montessori School offers a parallel remote learning program for children over age 3 and up through 6th grade. For children aged 2 to 3, the school offers a virtual Parent and Me class in the afternoons.

To schedule a virtual tour of Hudson Montessori School, please contact Maki Vilomar, director of admission, (201) 516-0701, or admissions@hudsonmontessori.net. For more information about the school, go to www.hudsonmontessori.net.

“Fostering a Love of Learning” for students is the central, guiding theme of Hudson Montessori School. It is the school’s mission to create lifelong learners, independent thinkers, and problem solvers. Serving children from 2 years old through 6th grade, the school’s small class sizes are supervised by qualified staff experienced in the Montessori Method, who are specialized to focus on the individual interests and needs of each child entrusted in their care.