Letter from the Principal

Hello Faith North Community,

“The immense influence that education can exert through children has the environment for its instrument, for the child absorbs his environment, takes everything from it and incarnates it in himself.”
-Maria Montessori

When Montessori teachers think of preparing the environment they usually have images of shelf placement and materials arranged carefully for optimum use. All of the meticulous preparation of the environment is vital to the prime importance that Montessori gives the environment, but it is not the totality. Every person in the classroom as well as clothes worn, sounds made, the objects carried in are all part of the environment that is absorbed by each child. To keep our environment consistent with Montessori ideals requires vigilance. If we are trying to create a space where our children’s spirits thrive, we must also attempt to shut out the clutter of the commercial world. When our children wear advertising for corporations, they are advertising what the corporation feels is important. Many times what is displayed are trade names, TV or movie characters and sometimes violent scenes. These may be found on our children’s clothes, shoes, lunch boxes, backpacks and notebooks. Why should our children provide this advertising and does it really improve the quality their life? Classrooms lose some of their tranquility when super heroes invade. Such gimmicks not only reinforce the idea that we need to buy the latest fad, but they also promote behaviors that are associated with these products.

Children from the very youngest to our adolescents need advocates who can help them understand advertising and commercialism and how it affects their choices in daily life. Stay in tune and aware of such influences and assist your child in doing the same by having discussions about the motives behind marketing and advertising.