Oak Farm Montessori June 2019
Writing our story Candice Holbrook, Head of School
Have you read any good books lately? This year at Oak Farm, I have been sharing with staff about the importance of writing our own ‘story’. Like any good author, we should look at each day as an opportunity to create an adventure and write the story as the year progresses. Each of us has an individual story to tell as well as those that are created with the students in each classroom and our interactions with each other. As I reflect back on the first year as Head of School, the word “adventure” is a fitting way to describe the genre of my own story. When writing, it is best to start with a hook that puts the reader right into the action. I can’t think of a better way, figuratively speaking, to start my own story than with a beginning build-up of anticipation… Who is the new Head of School going to be? To add interest, I started this new chapter after the students and staff had already begun the school year, so I was off to a fast paced journey. I am grateful to be surrounded with supportive, patient and understanding characters (faculty and parents) whose own stories quickly became entangled in my own; in the best possible ways. Engaging characters are a key component to keeping the reader interested in the story. Luckily, each of you has played a supporting role in my adventure this year. Some characters stick out more than others; such as the comedian, Pat Cole, that can always bring a smile to your face, or the hero, Lauren Moyer, on so many different levels, or the teacher, insert your own name here as it is all of you, who are there to help see the lesson in each experience. In all honesty, it is the students who have become my favorite characters. It has been a joy watching them grow over the course of the year and to get a glimpse into their own individual stories that they ‘write’ each day.
The setting of the story also matters greatly. This author has seen a myriad of settings this year that change frequently, as I share in the adventures created by students and staff. Whether I was immersed in the classroom, the outdoor environment of the woods or in the prairie, a visit to the barns led by middle school students, touring another Montessori school, in the “carnival tents” of the Parkview Mirro Center or among the skyscrapers in New York City; I was always thinking about how the experience could impact our Oak Farm Community. The setting in my story never disappointed, as each one was prepared with a purpose that inspired me to learn and grow in this new role. Of course there must be conflict, and this year was full of opportunities for characters in my story to show resiliency. There was a flood with water damage at the middle school. There was a fire, although this was a planned prairie burn experience to eradicate the invasive species in Oak Farm’s prairie, and there were tears as we said goodbye to some of our beloved characters, Sandy, Macy and Caleb. My own story here at Oak Farm is just beginning and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings!
Candice
A few of the many things to look forward to next year that will make an impact on the setting of the story of Oak Farm:
1. The construction of the Wellness Center 2. The construction of the Elementary Arts Center 3. Starting the school year at the middle school building equipped with a full renovation that reflects the needs of our young adolescents.
The Greatest Story, Let it be told... Kim Davidson, Director of Strategic Partnerships As we near the end of the school year, we are wrapping up a year of telling our story. The story of our founder and those who both walked alongside her and those who carried the torch after her; as well as, the families and students who were impacted by Oak Farm. It would seem remiss to tell our story and not share a little bit about our Board of Directors. A group of dedicated individuals who have remained loyal to Lorene’s vision and her desire to have the commitment to the Montessori philosophy drive all the school’s growth. While rarely seen on campus on a daily basis, the board provides the leadership and vision that has set the course for the school to be where it is today.
The Oak Farm Board of Directors: Mike Axel, Erica Dekko, Lauren Moyer (Chief Financial Officer, ex-officio and non-voting), Candice Holbrook (Head of School, ex-officio non-voting) and Casey Weimer. Olivia Salsbery joins meetings by phone. Mike Yoder, not pictured. Board President, Erica Dekko, has served the school in this capacity since 2009 when she was named President by Lorene. Prior to this, she had served as Vice-President since 2000. Erica brings over 30 years of non-profit board leadership experience to the school, and a passion and commitment to fulfill her sister and our founder’s vision. Mike Axel serves as Vice-President and is a founding member of the Board of Directors. He willingly shares his knowledge of Lorene’s long-term vision, serving on non-profit boards and investments as a way to support the school’s growth and to ensure mission fulfillment. Mike Yoder joined the Board in 2015 and serves as the Board Secretary. Along with his knowledge of the community and non-profits, he shares his legal expertise and brings an outside view to the school’s current expansion. Casey Weimer joined the Board in 2015. Casey brings vast human resource experience and working knowledge of running a local non-profit, the Cole Center Family YMCA.
Olivia Salsbery, joined the board in 2017. The youngest daughter of our founder, she attended elementary school at Oak Farm Montessori (middle school was not offered at that time) and brings the perspective of a Montessori student to her role as board member. Since graduating from The University of Oklahoma in December 2016, she has spent some time backpacking through South America and Antartica. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Australia. From the beginning, the Board of Directors was comprised of individuals who knew Lorene and understood her vision and commitment to the Montessori Philosophy. By design, the board would not operate like a traditional non-profit board with term limits or open appointments. While this approach is not as familiar to many, it was after being involved with other Montessori schools that this arrangement was implemented. This structure was established as a way to ensure that the board’s role to provide legal and fiduciary oversight was outlined. School leadership and the faculty were to be empowered to implement the vision and values of the Montessori curriculum into the daily culture and use them as a guiding principle for on-campus decisions. Erica Dekko, is both a parent and board member who is passionate about keeping her sister’s vision of Montessori alive. “My sister, Lorene Salsbery, helped me understand how the Montessori Philosophy is implemented in a way that meets children’s developmental needs. In this way, it creates children who ‘love to learn, forever’. By serving as board president, I believe that I am doing a small part to insure that this opportunity is available, not only to my children, but to as many children as possible in our geographical area.” She continued to explain that hearing from many past students is her assurance that this is being played out on campus daily. Alumni often recount how their time at Oak Farm instilled in them a natural curiosity and love of learning. Mike Axel, a long-time board member who worked alongside Lorene as she began this journey, spoke to us about his passion for continuing to serve the Oak Farm community, “My wife, Natalie, and I felt blessed when Lorene started Oak Farm and that we would have this option available for our children. Our two youngest children started at Oak Farm as toddlers and remained through the eighth grade which was the highest grade level offered at that time. I have been proud to serve on the board since its inception. It allows me to give back, in a small way, to Lorene and Oak Farm for the magnificent educational opportunity she created for Northeast Indiana.” In the past few years, the board membership was expanded. Casey Weimer explains, “I was asked to serve because of my background in Human Resources, a skill the board needed. When serving an organization, it feels good to be able to meet a need. In addition to bringing my expertise, I had long been inspired by the work of Oak Farm. It was a perfect fit.” Olivia Salsbery, our newest board member has a much more personal inspiration for being a board member, “When my mom started Oak Farm I was only six years old. Little did I know how much the vision she had would change the rest of my life. I’ve always cherished my time growing up at (and with) Oak Farm - a place full of community, curiosity, a few challenges here and there and always full of love. Although I’ve since moved away from Oak Farm’s corner of Indiana, it will always be home to me.” Being asked to serve on a non-profit board is a commitment for anyone; however, when you are asked to serve on a board long-term, it seems that there must be an inspiration that goes deeper than simply serving your community. Below see how some of our board members responded to, “What motivates you and excites you about the contribution you are able to make as board member?”
“I believe one of my roles as a board member is to promote the school, its mission and philosophy. Through my work and role in the community, I often have the opportunity to encourage business owners, public school administrators and non-Oak Farm parents to tour our school. Very often, the problems these individuals are trying to solve for our region’s workforce, students and community members are the very skills that students who attend Oak Farm and experience Montessori, possess as adults. Being able to help local community leaders see the connection between what happens on our campus each day and what they are wanting for future workforce and community members is exciting!” explains, Erica Dekko. “It has been exciting to see the growth of the school over the years from a handful of children in a small farm house to the beautiful sprawling campus that we have today serving 292 students. I’m motivated and energized to contribute to the future growth of the school to fulfill Lorene’s vision of creating a world-class education environment that will serve as a model for others to study and replicate across the country,” shared Mike Axel. Casey Weimer explains, “I am proud to serve Oak Farm and be a part of the good things happening. The school is such an amazing asset to our community. I am excited to cast a vision for the future of the school and help to ensure it continues to serve our community for generations.” Olivia Salsbery shares, “My motivations and contributions I bring to the Oak Farm board definitely stem from the familial connection I have to the school. I learned within the classrooms of Oak Farm, but I also learned about leadership, education, child development, strength and resilience just from being Lorene’s daughter. I remember listening to and watching my mom as she made her dream a reality. I love the impact of Oak Farm on its community and the gift of choice it gives to so many young people and their families, but I also remember the challenges and the hard work that went into the early days of Oak Farm. Although I miss my mom every day and wish she could be here to continue leading the school, I am excited that I might be able to help continue her legacy by bringing my experiences at Oak Farm and my memories of her, along with my own interests and passions, to the board.” As we wrap up this year and our series, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the articles throughout the year. As a parent who has had children at Oak Farm since August of 2000, it has been fun to take a stroll down memory lane and share a story that is very dear to me, personally. I hope that you have all enjoyed reading them as much as I have writing them. In closing, I would like to share a memory from Olivia Salsbery. I have heard similar thoughts expressed by other past students and graduates over the past few years. I believe her words will not only resonate with those who attended Oak Farm, but I believe that anyone who has been touched by Oak Farm and Lorene’s legacy will agree. “Most of my memories from my time at Oak Farm revolve around the people who made it feel like a home away from home. The teachers, staff, parents, and children at Oak Farm (now and through the past 19 years) who have kept and continue to keep my mother’s vision alive feel like family to me (even those who I haven’t met) and they were truly what inspired me to reunite with Oak Farm by joining the board. I am so grateful to be able to do what I can to help the gift of education continue to flow from Oak Farm and impact the lives of young children, their families and their communities for years to come.” Olivia Salsbery, daughter of Lorene Dekko Salsbery and former Oak Farm student.
In Touch with Nature Tracy Reincke, Toddler 2 Teacher
Allowing a child to connect with nature in a technological world can be difficult, but the Middle School students who organized our recent Toddler field trip did an amazing job of doing just that. No screens were used; just real life experiences that happen each day at the Middle School Farm. There was awe and wonder as the Toddlers and parents were able to connect with the animals, hear interesting facts, and experience the interesting smells a barn has to offer. Excitement and curiosity were also in the air as children had opportunities for intrinsic motivation to learn and explore more of what was around them. Some examples included: climbing hay bales, developing their coordination and balance, building self-confidence by feeding animals and focus and concentration on lessons being taught. Seeing former Toddler students now responsible for organizing and running the entire field trip and inspiring the Toddlers in nature was truly amazing. As the morning ended, we came together as a community for a picnic lunch. These students, Toddlers and Middle School young adults, exemplify our mission, “to provide a Montessori environment that inspires children to reach their potential through meaningful work.�
Field Day Fun
Each year the Primary students celebrate the last day of school with a Field Day event. Parent volunteers offer students opportunities to toss balls, color pictures, create giant bubbles, stack cups and interact with friends from all four classrooms. While all of these activities are fun and engaging, they are also a culmination of the big work learned throughout the school year: science, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, teamwork, leadership and compassion. An additionall skill practiced this year was resiliency. As storms started to roll in, the adults quickly modified the P.E. room and scheduled activities to accommodate the needs of the students. From rolling out protective plastic film to setting up an indoor picnic, the purpose of the day was maintained; an enjoyable day for all.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Alex Balle, Librarian
It can sometimes be difficult to come back to school after spring break. It’s starting to get warm outside, and after a week of sleeping in; the first Monday back to school can be a little bit of a struggle. But this year, students in Lower Elementary through High School had something special to look forward to. Newbery Honor author, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, came to Oak Farm for an author visit. She gave individual presentations to Lower, Upper, and Middle School students and she also had lunch with the young adults at the High School. During her visit, Kim spoke on how she researches, plans, and writes her award winning books. Students learned that it often takes years and countless drafts before a book is actually ready to be put on the shelves. Kim did a reading from her Newbery Honor book, The War That Saved My Life and its sequel, The War I Finally Won, showing students a direct connection between a scene in each book and how the books build on each other. She also signed books for students who had ordered them in advance of her visit. Kim primarily writes young adult chapter books, but she has written several picture books as well. She read one of these colorful books to the Lower students and showed them what a picture book looks like before it is cut and bound. Kim also shared some sample illustrations from different drafts of the book so students could see how the pictures, as well as the words, for books can change before it is published. Students from all age groups were encouraged and able to ask a variety of questions during her visit. Overall, the students were able to enjoy a wonderful experience on what is sometimes a difficult Monday to return to school.
URBAN ADVENTURES
Macy McNaughton, Upper Teacher
Fort Wayne, IN
Destination Downtown
When planning an end of the year trip, the teachers try very hard to organize events that are fun for the students, purposeful for their learning, and that put them just outside of their comfort zone - just enough to help them remember that learning often happens in this space! As a teaching team, we decided to take the students on an Urban Adventure to Fort Wayne! There are so many places in the downtown area that even those who live there haven’t explored. The opportunity to walk in the city, pay attention to street signs and traffic lights, learn how to use a city map - all of these opportunities were lessons for the students which coincided with the experiences we planned for them around the city. Our first day of the trip was spent downtown:
LOCATION
PURPOSE
Allen County Public Genealogy - students came with a family tree filled out Library to help guide their research. Ft. Wayne Museum Docent led tour of the museum of Art Downtown Ghost Tour
Christopher Murphy, Director of Outreach for the FW Youth Theater, led a walking tour to share some interesting (and slightly creepy) stories about the city.
River Greenway
There were two different activities along the river - one involved planting trees and the other was learning to identify and remove some invasive plants.
History Museum
A self-guided tour of a great museum that offers a lot of information about Fort Wayne and the surrounding area. The old jail in the basement is always a hit!
YMCA - Central Branch
A tour of the facility along with an activity on the importance of positive mindfulness & physical activity.
Old Fort
The Fort Wayne Historical Society did a re-enactment of what life was like in the Fort when the city was first being formed.
Two past Oak Farm teachers have opened a Alyssum Montessori Montessori School in downtown Fort Wayne. Their School students welcomed us to see their school as well as share with them what student life is like in the city. Botanical Conservatory
Butterfly Garden - the ability to walk among the butterflies and see them up close was a chance of a lifetime!
After exploring the city for a full day and then getting a good night’s rest, we headed to our service project. At this age students enjoy helping others, but sometimes need assistance as to what purposeful help looks like. We were able to partner with Camp Red Cedar in Fort Wayne to help prepare the grounds for their summer camps. Students helped with sweeping horse stalls, cleaning tack, raking the arena floor, dusting the walls & arena equipment, planting a sensory garden, cleaning cabins, and disinfecting several bathrooms. The work seemed simple for the students, but the help we provided equaled 213 hours of completed service! (65 students + 6 adults X 3 hours.) While dusting the arena equipment at Red Cedar, one student shared his view of the day’s work: “Well, if this place provides therapy and a fun spot for people with disabilities, then I better take this work seriously and make sure the equipment is ready for them!” This year’s trip may not have been a trip to a far away land. It wasn’t even to a place where no one had gone before. Instead, the trip was finding purpose in what is around us everyday and making a difference to those who need help.
Connecting with our Community Bridget York, Secondary Progarm Director
At the Secondary Montessori level, our prepared environment becomes a micro-society where students are able to make decisions as a community and practice the work of adults. Oak Farm Middle School creates opportunities that meet the adolescents’ needs for leadership, movement, creativity, problem-solving, responsibility, independence, and autonomy. One way that the students demonstrate this in our community is by sharing knowledge and preparing developmentally appropriate farm tours for the lower levels. A highlight of Spring at the MS is the Toddler Farm Tour. Students plan the field trip by beginning with the needs of toddlers- gross motor movement, opportunities to use their senses and discover nature. An outreach group created an informational passport with the different stations being offered so the toddlers had choices in activities. The students designed an obstacle course with a focus on safety and big movement. They chose animals that had just been born on our farmlambs, goats and chicks-for the toddlers to touch and feed. Knowing that this is sensitive time for language, they prepared short speeches about the animals to share. Another hit with the toddlers was the corn pit, with tiny animals to discover. The lovely morning comes to an end with toddlers, parents and teachers enjoying a picnic lunch. Everything was organized, planned and carried out by the MS students with MS teachers as “guides on the side”. “Independence, in the case of the adolescents, has to be acquired on a different plane, for theirs is the economic independence in the field of society. Here, too, the principle of “Help me to do it alone!” ought to be applied.” (Montessori- From Childhood to Adolescence) Farm tours are one of many places that MS students are able to work on developing stronger executive functioning skills. Executive skills provide critical supports for learning and development and they are developed through interactions and practice. A great resource for every age about executive function skills from infants to adolescents: https:// developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executivefunction-skills-with-children-from-infancy-to-adolescence/
Here are the 8 Executive Function Skills in practice for our MS students through farm tours: Impulse Control: Thinking before acting. MS students are incredibly conscious of their behaviors and actions around the toddlers. They see themselves as role models during farm tours with younger children. Emotional Control: Ability to respond with emotions under control. MS students demonstrate such calm and care when working with the toddlers. Flexible Thinking- Ability to adjust to unexpected situations. We all know toddlers can be the definition of unexpected. MS students are able to think flexibly and problem solve when the toddlers choose to eat the corn from the pit or leap across the straw to a tire in the obstacle course. Working Memory- Keeping key information in mind. MS students were prepared with safety precautions and information about their animals. Self Monitoring- Evaluating Performance. MS students spend time debriefing the event. They celebrate successes and look for ways to improve. Planning and Prioritizing- Establishing and meeting goals. Students work collaboratively to plan the event and meet goals throughout the process. They also make sure to have a plan for rain! Task Initiation- Taking action and getting started. Students initiate the stations for the tours and are very motivated to follow through with making their activites a success. Organization- Keeping track of things mentally and physically. This is a HUGE opportunity to organize; from setting up the barn to managing toddler behavior and coordinating with their peers, the toddler tour is a feat of organization.
OUT AND ABOUT... Jenn Jordan, High School Teacher
One of the great joys of Montessori education is getting out of the classroom, off campus and out into the world. Our spring intersession trips at the High School focus on giving students options for pursuing experiences connected to our academic work, while also seeing new places, meeting new people, and getting to know the people we spend time with every day in a different environment. This May, we had two student intersession experiences: one in West Virginia and one closer to home. For some of our adolescent students, what was desired was a trip which incorporated safe risk-taking, physical activity, and connection to the Earth through outdoor activity. This year’s trip to the New River Gorge in West Virginia checked all those boxes. On this trip, students challenged their limits with hiking, rock climbing, a mud course, white water rafting, and zip lining. Interspersed with these, we learned from local experts about the history, geology and ecology of the area.
in·ter·ses·sion noun
a short period between university terms, sometimes used by students to engage in projects outside the normal academic program.
Exploration
Giving Back
Other members of the high school stayed closer to home, while having equally valuable opportunities for growth. The other intersession experience this year incorporated service learning opportunities and working alongside adult professionals to learn more about the world of work. Working with ACRES land trust and the Noble County Humane Society was a exciting, rewarding and meaningful for these students. And they got to hold kitties!
A walk down memory lane...
Marie Burton, Reagan Albright, Emerson Dietsch, Connor Davidson and Ben Axel pose for one last picture in the animal barn during the 2015 Graduate Walk Through on May 21st.
Alumni Connects “At Oak Farm, we consider it one of the highest compliments when students want to come back and re-connect with our school community. It is validation that we are achieving something very special with each student who attends Oak Farm Montessori. It’s not just ‘school’.” Shared Candice Holbrook, Head of School. That was exactly what happened on Tuesday May 21st when five members of the 8th grade class of 2015 participated in the Graduation walk through. Our guests started the morning visiting with each other, former teachers and board members. During this time, they chatted and shared many normal teen-age stories, favorite places to eat and antidotes that took them back to their time on campus. “Do you remember when….” was heard on numerous occasions. “It was fun to be back on campus and to see Jill, our primary teacher, and other faculty.” shared Connor Davidson. The walk through campus was filled with high-fives, hugs and handshakes as younger students lined the hallways and took time away from their morning work cycle to welcome and cheer on the former students. A few tears were shed and laughter was abundant as teachers from the past stopped to spend time with the students to reminisce and wish them well. The culmination of the morning was stopping by the Middle School outbuilding where the current middle school students were practicing for the end-of-year play. A time of year and milestone that every Oak Farm Middle School student remembers! No matter their next step, it was hard to miss the imprint the Oak Farm Montessori education has made on the five graduates. While visiting, each one took time to share words of wisdom with the middle school students and reflect on the positive impact their time at Oak Farm had on them. “Oak Farm taught me how to be an individual,” stated Reagan Albright, “It will help you become your own person,” he added. “You never really know how fortunate you are at the farm. It helped me be prepared for my Freshman Year.” were words of wisdom offered by Ben Axel. “Erkinder and using the farm as a classroom, are integral parts of the Middle School curriculum. Stewardship of the land and animals deepens the students’ understanding of the food system, their own bodies and the natural world. Their engaged participation in all aspects of the land and land projects helps improve critical-thinking skills, analytical abilities and practical-life decisions and ultimately leads to self-confidence and valorization.” Explained Bridget York, Secondary Directory. “So, it is no surprise that these students recognize the impact that Erkinder and working on the farm made on the person they have become. It’s a testament to Dr. Montessori’s belief.” Having confidence is an important trait to have, as many students embark on life without mom and dad for the first time in their lives. A step that Emerson Dietsch is comfortable he is prepared to take, “Oak Farm prepared me to be a better person; meeting new people is now easy,” he shared. Regardless of where these graduates will spend the next four years, each one has a desire to move forward and make the world a better place for others. Like many Oak Farm alumni, Marie Burton credits her Montessori education with her love of learning, “Oak Farm fueled my desire to learn new things. I was motivated to want to learn more, not just to learn what the teachers thought I needed to know.”
When visiting with past students, it is always fun to hear what each one remembers about their time on campus, and what was their favorite memory while here. This group was no different! Emerson Dietsch & Marie Burton: New York Trip (for Model Montessori United Nations) Connor Davidson: Playing tag inside and outside of the outbuilding during lunch time. Reagan Albright: Chicken Care Ben Axel: Working on the farm with Pat Before leaving, they also shared their best advice for being successful in high school. Having balance and being involved was a definite theme by all the graduates. Ben Axel summed it up nicely by saying, “Take advantage of the unique opportunity Oak Farm provides that you won’t get anywhere else. High School goes by a lot faster than you think it will. Have fun; just don’t use all of your time studying books.” At Oak Farm Montessori, we come to work each day to fulfill the mission left by our founder, “To provide a Montessori environment that inspires children to reach their potential through meaningful work.” Faculty members are also guided by the Portrait of a Graduate which was developed through the collaborative work Lorene Salsbery, school founder and Judith Cunningham, past Head of School. The Portrait of a Graduate serves as an end in mind for the culmination of the important work many faculty and specialists guide each child through over the course of their time on campus. Graduates of Oak Farm Montessori school will be Life-Long Learners, Emotionally Literate, Leaders and Global Citizens. This document continues to serve as the compass and goal for all students who graduate from Oak Farm Montessori School. Congratulations to the Class of 2015! We admire your sense of adventure, willingness to pursue what’s right for you and your future goals. Whether you realize it or not, you embody the best of what Oak Farm Montessori is: The Portrait of a Graduate. Best Wishes to each of you and please keep in touch! Kim Davidson, Director of Strategic Partnerships Graduate
High School (located in NE Indiana unless otherwise noted)
Post-Secondary
Field of Study
Reagan Albright
East Noble High School
Ball State University
Business
Ben Axel
Canterbury High School
Wabash College
Economics
Marie Burton
Dekalb Central High School
Purdue University,
Biochemistry
Chloe Cameron
Canterbury High School
Kenyon College
Undecided
Austin Cole
Central Noble High School
Ball State University
Undecided
Madison Clark
East Noble High School
Connor Davidson
Canterbury High School
US Naval Academy
Emerson Diestch
Dekalb Central High School
Indiana University,
Mechanical Engineeing Biology
Julia Eggenberg
Laurel School (Shaker Heights, OH)
Sociology
Abby Green
Carroll High School
Eugene Lang College at the New School in NYC Indiana University,
Cole Hapner
Southside High School
Cyanna Lemanski
East Noble High School
Indiana University,
Biology
Adam Niederholtmeyer
Northrop High School
Purdue University
Sam Uphoff
Carroll High School
Ridley Zolman
Central Noble High School
Biology
Other
Playing baseball
Running track & Cross Country