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