Winterfest and Performances in a Montessori School
Our family had a great time attending the Winterfest performance this past week, but why do we have this community tradition? Is this a Montessori thing?
Dear Curious Parent,
Our Winterfest tradition is definitely Montessori-inspired. It celebrates music, culture, creativity and humor, and gives the children a chance to help create a cohesive performance that brings our families together every year, during the darkest coldest season when we most need warm lights and a sense of belonging.
Our youngest students are often new to performing for a large audience and this serves as their first experience. We have a couple very well-trained Orff music instructors on staff, who just happen to also be great musicians in their own right. The classrooms are often filled with music and music lessons, but preparing for Winterfest always brings new songs, dances and experiences with instruments, as well as more opportunity for the children learning to work cohesively with ALL of their lower elementary classmates.
Upper elementary children have the opportunity to completely craft their own classroom performances, and with several years of previous experience, they are ready and confident to write, direct, make elaborate props, and act out (often absurdly funny) comedic sketches.
Middle school students have up to 6 years of Winterfests under their belts, and they absolutely shine every year in bringing our community a memorable performance that is entirely self-directed, as well as helping out wherever they're needed the night of the big performance!
One of the most magical parts of the big performance night is how excited our younger students are to see their older friends and schoolmates on stage! Even better, some of the older children who were once so nervous to participate–even hiding behind the curtains for their first Winterfest–are now the funny, charismatic "stars" of the show!
A last note: We put a lot of work into helping the children prepare for Winterfest–guides, staff, and families–but this opportunity is so meaningful! It allows all of our children to stretch and grow, as they discover and contribute their personal strengths to a meaningful, shared experience. We hope you get a chance to enjoy and feel proud of our community!
Sincerely,
Maria
