Witherly Height’s First Article

By Vrinda Suresh and Amalia Barrett

Maria Montessori was not one to stick to the status quo.

When she started the first Montessori school in Italy, she challenged traditional thinking about education. And it was not just issues of education that she confronted: she contributed to discussions on women’s rights, war and peace, paying no attention to the confines of traditional thought.

It is therefore not surprising that a Montessori education stresses self-motivation, independent learning, and critical thinking, and that Alsion would be founded on these same values. Our classrooms are built for Socratic discussion; our curriculum forces us to engage with current events; our small environment fosters a sense of comfort in sharing our opinions. The school is shaping students who are not just focused on grades, but are intent on being responsible, socially aware, humanistic, and conscientious global citizens.

We’ve been given plenty of opportunities to apply the values we’ve learned within our school by researching topical issues, participating in various volunteer programs, caring for the environment and growing our own garden. But a larger platform is long overdue. We want to broadcast our values to a wider audience and address issues of importance in our community—Alsion, Fremont, America, the world.

This journal allows us to communicate the ideals that form the foundation of our school. It is the epitome of all these values: a student-run news outlet that allows us to express our opinions, discuss world events, display our dynamic talents, and actively support the ideals we stand for in the real world through our writing and creativity. Witherly Heights is where we can and will stand up for the values our non-traditional education has taught us.