The four eighth
grade HPMS students came into the school at different times. Some have been
with the school since it was first opened. Others came in when the school had
become more developed. No matter when they came in, HPMS helped them discover
their passions and grow as people. I am one of the eighth grade students. I
have been in HPMS since first grade, and being a part of its community has given me the opportunities to shape who I am
now.
When I first
joined HPMS, I was instantly welcomed by a group of compassionate, hardworking
teachers and warm, embracing students. Even from that age, HPMS was already
building confidence and compassion in kids. We had research projects and
presentations where we spoke in front of our class. Sometimes the older kids would
read us passages from science or other topics and would help us answer
questions about them. I feel that this helped to shape who I am because having
those memories makes it more personal to me when we do things like that, since
we are the older kids now. We have reading buddies and showcases to give the
younger kids a sense of mentorship. To this day I love working with kids and
others in my community, and these values came from HPMS.
HPMS also
offers many hands-on resources for kids to learn practical life skills, learn
concepts, and strengthen their creativity. When you are little, you get
practical life works that kids learn from and
enjoy doing! This happens a lot in HPMS, because the kids here love to
learn. When you get a little bit older, you start doing works that help you
visualize mathematical and scientific concepts and strengthen your
understanding. Upon reaching middle school, you get to show your creativity
through art, building, writing, science, math, and humanities based projects. The
STEM program is a huge part of this, because the kids can create actual models
of the ideas that they create, but each class offers many unique ways to
express your individual thoughts.
Speaking of
individuality, HPMS has a group of dedicated teachers who support the school’s
philosophy of giving the students the independence and freedoms to grow into
confident, kind, accepting people. They also support the interests of students
and provide a safe, loving community to try other things out. That’s another reason
HPMS is wonderful. The community is so closely knit that no one has to be
afraid of judgement or ridicule from classmates if they want to try unique
things.
My personal
experience has consisted of all of these factors and so much more. My friends and
teachers have been incredibly supportive of me and my goals, which are to be a
writer and an activist. In a nutshell, HPMS is an amazing school, one built on
compassion, confidence, independence, and student-driven passion. I feel
especially lucky to have had the opportunity to be able to grow and live in
this community.
--Aparna Packer will be in the first graduating cohort of 8th Graders at Hamilton Park Montessori School. When asked what she remembers from her early years at the school, she muses: "I remember when I was younger, I really liked the long chain work. That helped me with math facts and I remember it very clearly. I feel like it was more effective than plain memorization. It gave me a clearer visualization to work with. I also remember Ms. Kathy telling stories about farmers during geometry lessons to help explain certain concepts."