NEWS
March 3rd, 2023
Dear Montessori Leaders,
Dr. Montessori was a pioneer. She led us on a path of enormous potential for humanity. As we continue to walk this path in service to our own schools and communities, the New Jersey Montessori Association Corporation, NJMAC will once again be your partner and your homestead in the Montessori movement. Welcome back!
Keeping in line with Montessori principles, NJMAC wants to be a source of support, opportunities and growth for all our members, meeting you where you are in your Montessori journey… in experience, interests, talents and expertise. Our goals include offering professional development, volunteering and social engagement opportunities. Please visit the NJMAC website to find membership and benefits details and stay tuned for additional resources and opportunities coming soon. Please be reminded that our membership application for the 2023-24 term is now open. We hope you will become a member today!
The new NJMAC team awaits your company as we build on the mission set forth by NJMAC founders and strengthened through the committed efforts of leaders before us.
Let’s make our NJMAC Stronger Together!
With Warm Regards,
Saloni Mathur, Amanda Fink, Kathryn Imbrogno, Michelle Blake & Myani Lawson
New Jersey Montessori Association Corporation
April 13, 2021
The New Jersey Montessori Association Corporation (NJMAC) invites you to join our NJMAC Community Facebook Page. The purpose of this Facebook page is to bring us together as a Montessori community within the state of New Jersey to support, strengthen and enhance the growth and development of our Montessori schools.
This is a forum to share ideas and get feedback from others who share our mission. All topics, ranging from Montessori-specific questions to HR, job postings, board questions, fundraising, etc. are welcome.
NJMAC has suspended membership meetings for an interim period. We hope that once the world returns to a more “normal” pace, we can resume our operations and initiate elections for new officers. If you are interested in a position or you would like to nominate any of your staff to enroll in a more active role in the NJMAC organization, please email your interest at njmacstrong@pmonts.org.
Between now and then, let’s remain connected in our shared stories, and support for one another.
Be Kind and Courteous
We're all partners in creating a welcoming environment. Let's treat everyone with respect. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required.No Hate Speech or Bullying
We want everyone to feel safe participating on this platform. Bullying of any kind and degrading comments about things like race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, or identity will not be tolerated.
No Promotions or Spam
Give more than you take to this group. Self-promotion, spam, and irrelevant links aren't allowed.Respect Everyone's Privacy
Being a part of this group requires mutual trust. Authentic, expressive discussions are welcome, however, some topics may be sensitive and private. What's shared in the group should stay in the group.
Posts and comments will be monitored by administrators (Kelly Pitoscia-Legiec and Yogeeta (Yogi) Gumber) who have volunteered their time while managing their own schools. Please be patient in expectation of their responses.
March 10, 2021
It’s hard to believe that about this time last year, we were just hearing of the first COVID-19 case here in New Jersey. Last year, on Friday, March 6th, 2020, over 500 Montessorians gathered in Edison, NJ, for the annual NJMAC conference. Since that time, the year’s events and the global pandemic have affected all of our lives. We all had to adapt to the new reality, whether that means learning all about “viral loads,” covid testing, and quarantine timelines; or, figuring out how to provide online learning to young children; or merely managing to keep your school from closing its doors. Let’s face it; we have all worked through almost insurmountable struggles this year. And yet, here we are. Whatever our situation is, we have adjusted ourselves, reimagined our schools, and are all looking to the future when we can return to a more “normal” way of being.
We are writing to share some updates on NJMAC and how our organization has faced these challenges, and how we now look to the future. So, you may have noticed some great resources that have helpful information available to Montessori schools. Late last spring, we added all NJMAC members to a few of these organizations’ contact lists. We hope you have been taking advantage of the MMPI’s (Montessori Public Policy Initiative) resources and those of The Montessori Foundation.
Some of you have asked whether we will have a conference this year. If you remember, even before the pandemic, we had moved the 2021 NJMAC conference, usually held the first Friday in March, to happen in the fall of 2021. As the pandemic continued, we realized that the safety of hosting a large gathering in the fall of 2021 would still be questionable. As a result, we have decided to suspend the annual NJMAC conference for this year. We are looking forward to reconvening in the fall of 2022 for another amazing NJMAC conference.
In the meantime, NJMAC will be suspending membership meetings for the remainder of this year. Since a few of the board members' terms are expiring, we hope that once the world returns to a more “normal” place, we can resume our operations and will start by initiating elections for new officers. We hope to reach out over the summer to share further updates. If you or anyone on your staff has a desire to take a more active role in the NJMAC organization, feel free to email your interest to njmacstrong@pmonts.org.
Between now and then, we will be launching a Facebook site to allow school leaders to remain connected, share stories, and support one another. Stay tuned for more details! As always, we wish you the best in your school’s endeavors.
Warm regards,
NJMAC Board of Directors
Andrea O'Brian, Kelly Pitoscia-Legiec, Kathryn Imbrogno, Pauline MacNeill
"Grow New Jersey Kids" Approves Montessori Curriculum
On March 15, 2018 Grow NJ Kids, New Jersey’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, approved the Montessori curriculum for AMS-Accredited schools seeking star rating in the state.
We are proud of this achievement and so happy that AMS accredited schools in New Jersey will benefit from this recognition. If you have questions about participating in Grow NJ Kids, please visit their website: http://www.grownjkids.gov/ProvidersEducators/.