Whether you are a returning student or new to the Lauremont School community, the start of a new school year can be both thrilling and daunting. This new beginning is the time to reconnect, make new friends and start the process of learning new skills and concepts. Along with offering outstanding teaching and learning, and ensuring that every student feels a sense of belonging, a central priority at Lauremont School is to ensure that relationships are fostered and nurtured for every student. Research about the correlation between student success and the home/school partnership emphasizes the value and importance of these relationships. Equally important, studies from UCLA’s Student Engagement Retention Study (2019) reveal that students thrive when their peer groups are just as supportive and connected and these relationships play a critical role in students’ academic success.

Walking through the halls each morning, I am humbled by the grace and camaraderie I witness between our oldest and youngest students. The simple act of helping each other unpack knapsacks, navigate the hallways and share classroom supplies can lead to budding friendships. The Montessori Elementary classroom is a social and collaborative hub that fosters connections not only between our students but also between our teachers and parents. These connections are vital to the success of our students. Not only does feeling connected support academic success, it facilitates the growth of a healthy self-esteem.  

The Elementary classroom supports the twin traits of freedom and responsibility by allowing students to make choices and decisions that enhance their learning. Classroom environments are where healthy relationships are fostered and students feel the support they need to achieve their best and reach their potential. The Elementary years are a time when social dynamics are crucial to student happiness and achievement. Each morning, your children engage in the Daily Physical Activity with their peers and teachers. Aside from the obvious health benefits, research has shown that children who are physically active for as little as 20 minutes a day have more active brains, better academic achievements, and improved attention in the classroom. Every day starts joyfully as the classrooms are filled with music and laughter. 

Another initiative we began this year is our Nest system, which provides an environment that facilitates healthy competition, growth in social maturity and acceptance in a way that encourages students to be the best version of themselves. Younger students develop confidence as they collaborate with older students to achieve shared goals. Our older students cultivate leadership skills and develop compassion and empathy as they engage with their younger peers. The Nest system plays a key role in fostering belonging and facilitating connections. In our first ever Nest initiative, our Elementary community raised almost $6,000 with our Twoonies for Terry initiative to support cancer research.

By facilitating collaboration, the teacher is integral to building a connected classroom. These connections extend to our parent community as a home/school partnership is fundamental to the fostering of student success. The Elementary team is proud of the community of belonging we are building for our students, in partnership with our parents who have entrusted their children to us.