Last year my daughter, who is Chinese-American, said she wanted a doll with “yellow hair”. When I asked her why, she said, “Yellow hair is better than dark hair.” At the time, she was four and most of her classmates at a church-run preschool were European-American with light-colored hair. Despite the assurances of her preschool teachers that young children don’t discriminate, kids notice differences, as they should. But they also pick up on messages from their environment—parents, media, etc.—about those differences. Some features, they learn, are more desirable than others. And many people believe that being different in itself is bad.
That was the main reason I enrolled her in Intercultural Montessori’s Mandarin Chinese program. At her new school, differences and diversity are celebrated. Learning about Chinese language and culture and having strong role models in her Chinese-American teachers have helped her develop a link to her birth country and pride in her Chinese as well as her American heritage. Meeting other Asian-American kids, some whom are adopted as she is, is strengthening her racial and ethnic identity.
Pearl Gaskins, parent of Lena. Preschool student, Chinese Program
My son is currently a 3rd grader in the Spanish elementary program and he started attending the school when he was 3 years old. What initially attracted me to the school was the language immersion aspect because I really wanted my son to be a native speaker of Spanish and I liked that he would not only learn to properly speak the language, but learn to read and write it as well. I think the teachers, especially the Spanish elementary teachers, are outstanding! They are dedicated to their students and they treat them like family. When I leave Adrian at school I feel confident that he is in a warm, safe and caring environment. I also like the Montessori approach to education that adapts to the interests of the child. If my son is more advanced in a particular area, he can move on to the higher level material. I love the fact that the older students help the younger students with their materials and lessons. Also, the students get to do some unique experiments, the Nature's Classroom experience and special activities (like preparing the Thanksgiving meal). I get so many compliments from family, friends and strangers on what a kind and considerate child I have. I have no doubt this has a lot to do with the environment he has been a part of at Intercultural. The children genuinely care about one another and my son truly enjoys school.
Janette Schroeder, parent of Adrian. Third grade student, Spanish program.
We chose to send our children to Intercultural Montessori because we want them to grow up and become good citizens, not just of the United States, but of the World. We want them to learn about the cultures, traditions, and languages of other societies. We want them to become good global citizens. We want them to grow up in an environment that embraces diversity, tolerance, and peace.
One of our children has challenges with impulse control. The teachers at Intercultural have been fantastic partners in our journey toward improved self governance. Our children are very different in their personalities and learning styles. The staff at Intercultural Montessori is exceptional in how they observe and understand our children -- what makes them tick, how they learn, and how to motivate them. They create a very safe and loving environment for our children which, in turn, helps to create secure and confident children.
Leslie Levy and Andrew Martin, parents to William and Belle. Preschool students, Spanish Program.
