Instead of a traditional open house, the middle school invited parents to A Taste of Eucalyptus. Middle school and upper elementary parents were invited to sample adolescent life at MST over a relaxed evening.
The innovative idea was brought over by guides Emily Dowell and Chris Marks from their former school in the United States. Unlike usual open houses, students were absent except for the Kitchen Manager who oversaw the cooking of the dinner. And instead of passively observing presentations of the program, parents could experience it from the students’ view. Emily explains:
“Our focus on project-based work that encourages collaboration and contribution to the life of our community is a world away from the desks, classes, tests, and exams that most of us grew up with. It can be hard to explain in a PowerPoint presentation or through conversation how our environment provides the social, physical, and intellectual work that adolescence needs to thrive. Like a lot of Montessori, it's best to experience it, hands-on.”
Before “classes” started, participants placed their smartphones where students lock up their devices for the day. Then parents were divided into three groups: studying bees, raising micro-greens or cooking dinner.
The bee seminar was led by lead guide Emily, who presented an overview of bee biology, colony life and bee products. The environment, or classroom, was prepared with a range of related activities, from assembling bee product molecules to making beeswax candles to examining the grades of honey.
Guide Kartika Harsono demonstrated the science and process of raising microgreens, culminating with parents getting their hands in the dirt. And mirroring Eucalyptus community lunch, a pair of parents prepared the community dinner, a hearty curry with seaweed tofu salad, apparently a student favorite. They were supervised by guide Xavier Maréchal and the student Kitchen Manager.
Over dinner, participants had a lively discussion about the academics incorporated into the unique experiential learning of a Montessori adolescent education. Topics ranged from managing social media to medieval Icelandic law.
Parents left with an intriguing glimpse into the only accredited Montessori middle school in Japan, and one of the few globally.
–Wind Edward Kim