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Inherent within the Montessori
philosophy of education is a cooperative community that respects the
individuality of each child by acknowledging and exploring
differences among us. Rogers Park Montessori is committed to
creating and maintaining a diverse school population and an
environment that shares differences of gender, race, religion,
family structure, socioeconomic level, culture, age, sexual
orientation, language, physical abilities and learning styles. RPMS
promotes in its student body a sense of responsibility for creating
an inclusive school community. The School honors its commitment to
this inclusion through the admission process, hiring practices,
professional development, curriculum, and programs.
Building and maintaining a diverse
community is a continually evolving process that requires time and
energy in both the short and long-term. In the end, by remaining
committed to this process, we will both celebrate our differences
and come to understand the universality that we share.
Examples of Diversity Curriculum at
RPMS
3-6:
- Personal Time Line and Family
Photo Albums
- “Gotcha Day” to celebrate
adopted children
- Observance of holidays such as
Hanukkah, Chinese New Year, Three Kings Day, Cinco de Mayo
- Inclusion of children’s
literature from around the world
Both 3-6 and Elementary:
- Guest speakers to talk about
different cultural and religious practices.
All Elementary:
- Study of world cultures based on
the Fundamental Needs of Humans Beings (a Montessori material)
- Celebration of cultural
holidays-for example: Chinese New Year, Day of the Dead, Kwanzaa,
Hanukkah, Diwali
- Native American Studies
- Observance of Black History
Month, Hispanic History Month
- Use of the Native American Peace
Council for problem solving
9-12 (Upper Elementary):
Culture Fair: This is an
exploration of different cultures selected by the students. The
basis of the research is grounded in Montessori's Fundamental Needs
of Humans which explores the following (Food, Shelter, Defense,
Clothing, Transportation, Art, Music, Culture, Religion) across
different cultures.
Middle School:
- Topics covered range from: The
Civil Rights Movement, Native American Cultures, First and Second
Wave of Feminism, The Gay and Lesbian Rights Movement, Workers’
Rights, Immigration, Comparative Rites of Passage.
- Sample books from the literature
curriculum: House of the Scorpion, Slave Dancer, The Outsiders,
Sweetgrass, Breaking Barriers, Warriors Don’t Cry, Persepolis
Spanish Language:
All elementary and Middle School
students participate in Spanish class, where they learn to
communicate in a second language and celebrate Latin American
culture and literature.
- Cultural lessons and
celebrations include: Dia de los muertos, Hispanic Heritage Month,
study of Latin American indigenous cultures and prominent Hispanic
American leaders such as Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.
- Study of immigration,
particularly at the Middle School level, the film “El Norte” is
presented and discussed.
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