The Nest, Winter 2023

Issue #1 December 2023

The Nest

Bannockburn’s School Magazine

The Nest December 2023 Issue #1

The Nest Magazine is a new publication published by Bannockburn School to highlight our school community. A leading independent Montessori school, Bannockburn School is recognized throughout Toronto for its outstanding academic standards, its steadfast commitment to Montessori education, and its deep respect for the potential in every child.

We are fully accredited by the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA) and are a member of the Conference of Independent Schools (CIS).

Writer and Editor: Erica Fyvie Design: Toni-Marie Miller Contributors: Katie Altay Leigh Ashworth Naoko Campbell Fani Englezou Isabella Foster Emma George Adalove Gorrie Terry Gorrie Zoherain Khalfan Sue Pattni Jacqueline Richman Sharon Robinson Jie Ruan Lisa Russell Monica Vitantonio Erica Fyvie and Toni-Marie Miller would like to thank all of the contributors for their time and enthusiasm on this project.

Issue #2 will be released in March 2024.

Issue #3 will be released in June 2024.

For questions or comments about this magazine, please contact Toni-Marie Miller at communications@bannockburn.ca.

Bannockburn School | 3080 Bayview Avenue Toronto, ON M2N 5L3 | 416-789-7855 | www.bannockburn.ca |

Pg. 2

Welcome to The Nest

I am very excited to introduce the first issue of our new Bannockburn magazine, The Nest. This magazine is a long-time dream of mine and I am thrilled that it has come to life through the incredible work of Erica Fyvie, our brilliant writer and Toni Miller, our talented graphic artist.

A nest connotes the idea of home and family: a safe place for our young, full of love, growth, and stability. Erica came up with the perfect name for a magazine that was created to celebrate the nurturing home Bannockburn has provided for children (including my own), over the last 30 years.

In the last 17 years, I have witnessed that Bannockburn is much more than just a school. It is our support group, social hub, and our calm oasis in the ever-changing weather of parenthood. Bannockburn is a place we know our children are safe and well cared for by the incredible teachers and staff who dedicate themselves to providing the children with their best every day. The lessons our children learn here will be instrumental when they are ready to fly.

With our teachers and staff being the heart of our success, The Nest strives to capture the excellence of our community. Getting to know the dedicated individuals who make our school this magical home for all its children is our goal. Teachers and staff make our nest so strong and solid, and each member brings their very own twig or leaf to do so.

So, curl up with a warm cup of coffee (or tea if you prefer), and read about some of the pillars of Bannockburn, as you enjoy our ‘root issue’ of The Nest.

- Jacqueline Richman, Interim Head of School

Pg. 3

An Interview with Interim Head of School, Jacqueline Richman Nurturing a Community of Respect and Curiosity

“It was the warmth, the caring, the calm nature of the classrooms.

When we brought Quincy in as a two-year-old for the tour, I remember very distinctly that he would not stop playing with the water cooler in the room and I said, ‘I’m so sorry,’ and the teachers said, ‘he’s a child and he’s curious! That makes perfect sense— don’t worry about it at all.’ And that’s what I wanted my child to hear, that it’s okay to be curious and want to explore.”

Nurturing a community of curiosity isn’t something you read often on a job description, but it’s an integral part of leading a school.

“When you watch children who are engaged in a way that makes them happy because they’re choosing to participate in what they’re learning at that moment and they feel safe and nurtured, you create a place where children want to be and parents can see and feel that,” she said.

This feeling is by design. For Jaci, a major foundation of the school—respect—runs through every decision.

“Bannockburn was the only school I could imagine leaving my child in—I knew he would be safe and cared for. I thought, ‘I can do this,’” said Jacqueline Richman, Interim Head of School.

Choosing a school for any parent is a big deal. Choosing a school when you have Jacqueline Richman’s extensive experience in education is like doing a home inspection and then deciding to buy the house on the spot—it means this place is understood, inch by inch.

Jacqueline, or Jaci as she is known, innately understands the theme of this issue because the roots of Montessori run deep in her life.

She attended Montessori as a child and its tenets served her well.

She always knew she wanted to pursue a career in education, and grew interested in exploring non-traditional approaches that were based on the individual learner. After receiving her Honours BA and attending the Institute of Child Study, where she earned her Ontario Teachers Certificate, Jaci chose to continue her education at OISE. She focused her Master of Education degree on child development within the school environment.

For 15-plus years, she ran an educational consulting business called TEACH. As the head of the company, she managed a team of teachers who facilitated her recommendations on which independent schools would be a good fit for the families she worked with, and she offered specialized tutorials to help them get there. She knows that when children feel safe, that’s when they can learn.

Jaci, however, wasn’t interested in talking about her own credentials. She wanted to talk about Bannockburn and why she thinks it’s such a remarkable place.

Pg. 4

“One of the biggest roots at Bannockburn is respect. Even for Quincy and the water cooler, I saw respect for him. I saw it for Dusty and Casy, my other boys, and all of their classmates.”

[Quincy, Dusty, and Casy all graduated from Bannockburn and went on to Bayview Glen Independent School. Quincy is currently at the University of Guelph, pursuing a degree in justice and legal studies.] “It’s a big part of the Montessori philosophy, but it’s one thing to be part of a philosophy and another to see it come to fruition. The level of respect for children, for their abilities at their very young age, that they have ideas and opinions that should be heard, was for me as an educator what I value. As a teacher, I know how capable young children are, and dismissing their capability is disrespectful. And when you show them respect, the children respect you and thrive in that environment.”

“We don’t just take their brain and educate that part! It’s about the whole child. What we teach becomes a foundation of who they are as a person.”

Since school is about the entire family and not just the student, Jaci marvels at the reciprocal nature of school and home.

“School parents work with us to create this community. If the parents don’t also create the culture of acceptance and warmth and caring, then it doesn’t work. It has to be a partnership.”

One of the cornerstones of the school is the Bannockburn Parent Association (BPA). For Jaci, former BPA Chair, she thinks the greatest aspect of the volunteer group happens almost as a byproduct of all the activities.

“The BPA has sales and fundraisers, but that’s not what it’s really about, despite the hours and hours that go into that work.

The parent association is about building community. It’s about the parents getting together and forming connections. When those connections extend beyond our school community—when one parent says to another ‘this is a good place to go,’ that is the most powerful endorsement for a school.”

Once mutual respect and trust are established in a caring community, the business of building a pattern for learning can begin. For some of our students, that means finding a school that perhaps for the first time in their young lives, actually sees and “gets” who they are and how they learn. For Jaci, she thinks this is a bedrock of Montessori.

“Number one, when you are truly Montessori you follow the child. People can misunderstand this concept as unstructured, do-whateverthey-want-all-day, but that’s not what follow the child means. It means you look at where each child is at any point in time and then you present the next step for them that’s developmentally appropriate. When you send the message that we accept everyone for who and where they are without trying to ‘fix them’ or ‘get them on the right level,’ then they feel safe to open up enough to learn and be social.”

And for those parents who may wonder about the three-year age grouping in classrooms, Jaci believes it’s one of the wisest principles in the Montessori framework.

“In a traditional school, you are putting children in a classroom with only kids their own age, which is so unnatural. Where in your life do you ever only exist with people who are exactly the same age? People don’t develop at the same time so it makes for a poor construct to have everyone doing the same work at the same time. Here, socially, the older children in the class serve as role models and leaders. When they leave here, they know they can be friends with whomever they want.”

Outside of the strong academics, there are certain longstanding traditions at the school. The Fun Fair and BPA activities are favourites of Jaci’s. She also treasures the grad trip.

“I think it’s magical,” she smiled. “Each year our grads plan and budget and fundraise the entire year for their own trip! This process contributes to the fact that Bannockburn graduates are such self-confident, responsible, caring, good people and we love to celebrate that.”

With her own Bannockburn roles changing over time from school parent to BPA Chair to Board Chair to Director of Advancement and now, Interim Head of School, what are her current goals?

“I have a very deep connection and passion for the school. I think Bannockburn is an extremely special place. From 2007 as a school parent until now, my goal has never changed: I only want it to continue to be that special place, to flourish, to provide children with amazing opportunities they’re not going to have other places, to become their best selves,” she said and paused before continuing.

“It’s about doing everything I can to have more and more children have the privilege of learning here.”

Pg. 5

An Interview with Business Manager, Sharon Robinson

Navigating the Bannockburn Waters

“I was really impressed with the boys’ progress in the Montessori program. Glen was reading so well at age four! I decided to take time off from finance and did my Montessori training. It was a leap of faith, but I was really excited about it. I started working at TMS (Toronto Montessori School) as a Primary teacher and spent 15 years there.”

Luckily for us, she came to Bannockburn eight-and-a-half years ago, where she could combine her finance background with her extensive experience in Montessori. She has been righting our ship ever since. According to Sharon, she’s the one who lucked out coming here: “It’s an amazing group of dedicated professionals. All the departments really support each other as much as they possibly can. Everyone’s already working so hard and when we ask them to do a bit extra, they always say yes. The children are happy, they’re learning, and it’s just a really positive environment for children to grow up in and I love to see that.”

For Sharon, it’s not just the teachers; she’s grateful for the entire crew.

For School Business Manager descriptions, three words appear frequently: critical, essential, and crucial. For some reason, this made me think of a senior captain on a ship. Navigating skills, handling cargo, and helping to keep this entire school afloat, that’s Sharon Robinson.

Sharon, as Bannockburn’s Business Manager, oversees [overseas?!] the finances of the school and the endless logistics of running the school building and maintaining the property. What this work entails: liaising with contractors, ensuring caretaking, keeping the safety and security of the building, and supervising everything financial. She works with the finance committee at Bannockburn, a subcommittee of the Board of Directors, a group of three people who Sharon refers to as “financial experts” : Peter Ferrante, Derek Russell, and Christine Bernadini. Based on the information that Sharon provides to the committee, they make their recommendations to the board who are then ultimately responsible for the financial decisions of the school.

Since the theme of this issue is roots, I had to ask Sharon about hers. How did she get to Bannockburn? In her case, the root network is both extensive and impressively strong.

“I have a degree in developmental psychology from McMaster University and also a business degree from Ryerson [now Toronto Metropolitan University]. I started working in the tourism industry, in finance and marketing, including working in the finance department at Canada’s Wonderland. I became a community college instructor, which was what initially got me interested in teaching.”

Besides the seismic waves that our children bring into our hearts and brains and homes, they also often affect how and where we work. This was true for Sharon as well. She and her husband have two sons: Glen, who is 29, and Eric, who is 27. Before they worked as a biomedical engineer in Toronto (Glen), and a civil engineer in Chicago (Eric), they attended a Montessori school.

Pg. 6

“The administrative team here, too, I can’t say enough good things.

Everyone just jumps in. Jaci and I have always worked really well together. Dili [Bannockburn’s bookkeeper], Toni [Communications Assistant], and Isabella [School Librarian] are always helping at recess when we need it, and Heather [Administrative Assistant], is always running around to help somebody, and Tanya [School Nurse] is constantly going into classrooms to help out. People wearing many hats, covering off—it’s good to see.”

Part of Sharon’s interest in Montessori is reflective. Even though she had a very happy childhood growing up in Thornhill, she wondered what it would have been like to learn in a Montessori classroom.

“I went to a traditional school and I was a happy elementary student, but I lacked some confidence academically. I think I may have had a stronger foundation had I followed a more intentional pace like the Montessori structure. In Montessori, you go to the next lesson and the next stage when you’re ready for it, not at exactly the same time as the rest of the class whether you’ve understood the concept or not. I think it changes how you reach for goals.”

As for her place within Montessori today, Sharon appreciates [indulge me in one more ship related metaphor, please] the smooth waters of the school.

“When Jaci and I do tours, the parents come in and see a very clean facility full of really happy, settled children. The children are always busy! They’re working, they’re totally engaged, and it’s amazing to see that through the eyes of the parents on the tours we give. It’s a very welcoming place.”

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Meet the Department Heads

Toddler Department Head Naoko Campbell

Primary Department Head Sue Pattni

Elementary Department Head Leigh Ashworth Pg. 8

What are the responsibilities of a department head?

How do you see the teachers in your department connecting with their students?

I’m there to support my teachers so that they can do their best work and care for the children in their classrooms.

How do you build trust with your team so they know you can advocate for them?

Especially in my department, I think it is important for our teachers to be loving, caring, and nurturing to our students because they are so little. All of them have those qualities naturally—they are so loving. They get to know each and every one of the students so well. Unless the students feel safe and loved in their environment, they can’t learn and thrive.

Naoko Campbell

Moose Tracks (vanilla ice cream, peanut butter cups, and fudge)

I try to get to know my teachers very well, both professionally and personally, so that I know how I can best support them. It’s very important to me to have open communication and create an environment that is honest. I like to focus on the collaboration between the two toddler classes and help each other. I try to listen well and respond to their feedback.

Born and raised in Japan

Favourite ice cream flavour:

Editor’s analysis: Adventurous, optimistic, curious

Graduated from McMaster University

Did her Casa training

Met her husband Did a summer program in Lethbridge, AB to learn English in the summer after Grade 10

Loved Canada!

Went to TMI to get certified as a Montessori teacher in 2007

Started at Bannockburn in the Toddler Program

Became head of the Toddler department in 2019

Had her second child, Caelun

Had her first child, Aily

Pg. 9

What are the responsibilities of a department head?

How do you see the teachers in your department connecting with their students?

The department head has a responsibility to the departmental staff, children, and parents. This includes a few things: programming the classes, fostering collaboration between the teachers, and ensuring consistency across the department. We also collaborate to help promote the interests of the school across Toddler, Primary, and Elementary.

How do you build trust with your team so they know you can advocate for them?

The primary age is very special; children are developing their ability to communicate, socialize, and show their personalities. This is the ideal age for the children to form connections with their teachers and peers. I see that connection grow every day in the community that is created in the classroom.

Sue Pattni

Chocolate Chip

These are highly qualified, talented teachers. This team has a collective wealth of experience. It’s important to me that each teacher feels they are respected for their knowledge and contributions. Any requests or suggestions that come from the department are valuable and worthy.

We take a team approach to developing solutions within the department.

Studied sciences and worked in the pharmaceutical and food manufacturing industries Taught college courses Became interested in the wholistic educational method of Montessori

Pg. 10

Favourite ice cream flavour:

Editor’s analysis of ice cream choice: Generous, highly competent, and reliable

Had two children: Niam (23) and Amil (20) Went to TMI to get certified as a Montessori teacher in 2007 Completed the AMI Primary Montessori Teacher Diploma in 2008

Began at Bannockburn in 2009 as a Primary teacher

Became head of the department in 2019

Completed the Elementary Montessori Teacher Diploma in 2021

What are the responsibilities of a department head?

How do you build trust with your team so they know you can advocate for them?

To try to be a liaison between the administration and the teachers—asking for things, sometimes pushing for things on their behalf.

We have weekly meetings and I try to ask the administration straight away for whatever needs come up in the meeting.

I’ll ask questions and get clarification and get back to them. In the past, I’ve asked for things on behalf of the team and we’ve gotten them, so I hope that’s how you build the trust in part. Because I’m so busy as a teacher myself, it can be tricky to do as much as I want as a department head, but I do what I can.

How do you see the teachers in your department connecting with their students?

Leigh Ashworth

PC Candy Cane Editor’s analysis of ice cream choice: Celebratory, festive, fun

You can tell just by looking at them how much they love the kids and how invested they are by their conversations.

Received her Montessori training from TMI Worked at TMS from 1996 1999 Taught at a school in London, UK for a few years

Favourite ice cream flavour:

Returned home and had three children: Finn, Callum, and Violet Began as a supply teacher at Bannockburn in 2013

Worked in Toddler

Moved to Elementary 2014 2016 Assisted in the Art Room for the 2017 school year

Became head of the Elementary department in 2019

UEL teacher and head of the Elementary department from 2022 until the present

Went back to Elementary as an LEL teacher in 2018 - 2019

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TD 1 Pg. 12

Pg. 13

Talking to Naoko Campbell, Katie Altay & Jie Ruan, TD1 Teachers

Naoko Campbell

What’s your classroom?

Katie Altay

day

like

Jie Ruan

in

the

Toddler

Katie:

We start our day outside in the yard, and at 9AM we come inside.

We help them in the bathroom and do lots of hand washing! Then we have a one-hour work cycle from 9:15-10:15. Toddlers thrive on consistency, routine, and structure, so they like to know what to expect. Twice a week in that work cycle is a Specialist class that they love. On Tuesdays we go to the gym, and then on Wednesdays we have music. At 10:15 we sing the tidy-up song and gather together to have community snack, which is a great opportunity to build language, manners, and self-feeding and watch them practice the skills they’re learning. Then we have a Circle Time and read books or sing songs. And then we get ready to go outside again, which we do every day from 11-11:30. Half-day toddlers get picked up and the full-day toddlers come back inside for lunch and nap time.

What makes you smile at work?

Naoko:

Seeing the toddlers so happy and comfortable at school. They don’t judge—they accept their friends for who they are. When I witness their random kindness, it makes me smile. They get so excited when they accomplish something on their own, often shouting, ‘I did it!’ And toddlers really just live in the moment.

Small things don’t matter to them. It helps me to try to live in the moment like they do.

Katie:

When we step back and see the children interact and clearly enjoy being together, it’s so sweet. Seeing a child hug another child or hold hands or play together is just the best. We give them the environment to facilitate interaction and then it’s so nice when they find each other as new friends.

RJ:

When I see their smiles. Their concentration, their development in different areas—I feel very proud of them. Observing them makes me smile. And I feel very lucky to work with so many amazing people.

How do you connect with your students and parents?

Naoko:

For the majority of our students, our program is the first time that they’ve been away from their parents in a group setting. We want to make sure that they feel loved and safe and that they can trust us. We are building a foundation on which they can continue to learn and develop. This foundation also extends to connecting with the parents because for many of them it is scary at the beginning to send their child to school for the first time. It takes time to build that trusting relationship and we take that relationship very seriously. When they see how happy their children are at our school, they feel more connected to Bannockburn because of it.

Pg. 14

What hidden talents have you brought to your job?

What Montessori practice do you find useful in your classroom?

Naoko:

Naoko:

This is the hardest question! Hmm. I think I’m good at being able to multitask? There’s so much going on at the same time every day. It’s not like you can look away with toddlers—we watch them closely all day long. You’re constantly watching everything, making sure everyone is safe and doing the right thing!

Katie:

I’m not sure this is a hidden talent, but I bring a love of books to the classroom and the students really connect with that. I was an English major and children’s lit was one of my favourite courses that I took.

RJ:

I like observations! I like observing them and figuring out the best strategies for each individual. Some children don’t speak that much, so you have to observe them closely to understand their needs. In those cases, I try to emphasize some keywords and eventually they repeat them. The children are good observers as well.

Especially for toddlers, building independence is huge. Maria Montessori said the first three years of a child’s life should be the preparation for their life. It’s amazing when they can put on their shoes and jacket by themselves. Being able to use the toilet and have independence in that way is so important. We incorporate number puzzles and activities and materials that will help them build on future academic skills. There’s so much intention behind it. They can learn using concrete objects and from there they can move on to more abstract thinking. Food preparation is another huge part of the toddler program: slicing bananas, baking together—they love it. It gives them such a sense of accomplishment and we want them to feel those feelings.

Katie:

Following the child is a big one. The level of respect for the children and their work for sure. When the children are busy working, we never interrupt them. We’re role modelling that respect.

RJ (Jie likes to be called RJ):

I like the Montessori practices that help toddlers do things for themselves, the skills that help build independence. Much of Montessori encourages children to do things on their own.

Montessori teachers simplify steps as much as possible. You don’t even need to talk, you just need to show them the steps required for them to follow. And the teachers stay very calm. Even if the student drops something, we stay calm and show them how to clean up themselves with help. We like to show them practical life.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Naoko:

What is special about this age group?

Katie:

That it’s the first of so many things! Their first friend, some of their first words, trying a new food for the first time. The other day, we were outside and one of our students—who is 18-months-old and English is not his first language—he’s emerging with his language every day—well, he saw an airplane and he said, “Airplane!” It was a really big word for him and we told his parents at the teacher conference and they were surprised and happy. It’s so special that we get to hear some of the first words that they speak.

RJ:

When they’re working, we don’t interrupt them because their concentration develops at their own pace. If they are comfortable exploring what they’re doing, we let them finish that. And the way they absorb language is very special. They love to imitate at this age.

I wanted to become a vet. I love animals. When I came to Canada from Japan, I got my dog because I was away from my family and I wanted a companion. Then in university, I studied Anthropology because I was making a bunch of international friends and I was interested in learning about their different cultures. In the end, I did not pursue becoming a vet, but I’ll always love animals.

Katie:

I think I always wanted to be a teacher. I did a read-aloud story time for my stuffed animals! My brother and I both pretended to be teachers. He’s my older brother and we’re really close and he is also a teacher, so maybe part of it was me trying to follow in his footsteps.

RJ:

I always wanted to be a teacher. I was like a little teacher at home!

When I came home I would recall the memories of what I learned at school that day. And I’ve heard from parents of my students now that they do the same thing.

Pg. 15

PR 1 Pg. 16

Pg. 17

Talking to Fani Englezou & Monica Vitantonio, PR1 Teachers What’s your favourite part of working with this age group?

Monica:

That what you see is what you get! They’re so innocent. Because they’re so little and still learning so much, when they do master something I feel so thrilled, and so do they. They feel so proud of what they can accomplish.

Fani: Fani Englezou

Monica Vitantonio

What Montessori practice do you find useful in your classroom?

I think it’s the time they start maturing a bit. They start thinking about their actions more. They really want to learn and do more challenging work. They develop so much during these three primary years.

Monica:

I believe follow the child and take a lead from the child, but we also need to understand that some of them don’t really know what they want to do yet. We need to be aware that in different cultures and different families, the children ask permission for everything from Mom and Dad. Sometimes children need a bit of help or direction to know which way to go, and that’s when we’re there to prompt them. This might be the first time they’ve been given these options to choose for themselves. We can guide them and then follow their lead.

Fani:

I like that a Montessori education lets the children choose freely.

That shows their need. If they need to do a lot of push pinning, for example, they need to learn their pincer grip! Some of them really want to do geography right now, so that’s their need. Montessori is an open shelf. Everything is there for them.

How do you connect with your students?

Monica:

I have a good example that happened today about connecting.

One of my students unintentionally scared another student at recess. The teacher on duty told him to stop and when he came back to the classroom he was out-of-breath crying. I knew if I got down and saw him eye-to-eye he would calm down, so I knelt down and explained to him that he made a mistake and that it was okay. No one was hurt and he wasn’t in trouble. His breathing calmed down and he stopped crying. It’s all about respectfully and lovingly explaining so they understand. I believe I treat my children at school like my own. If they need a hug because they’re crying, I’m giving them a hug. If they’re doing something wrong, they’re going to be told, ‘No, thank you!’

Fani:

What are you most proud of here?

Monica:

Sharing in their learning, but also knowing that they are free to make their own choices. That freedom of choice makes me proud.

Fani:

I’m really proud of the calm environment that the school offers.

When everyone’s in a calm community, everything works out

Pg. 18

Each child is different. You can’t be the same person and say the same thing with everybody. You need to follow each child, not just follow the child! You try to get to know them at first by observing and see how they like to be approached and then make the connection. But they need time and you need time.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Monica:

How do your class parents support your work?

Monica:

For me it’s things like on Orange Shirt Day, every child in the class wore an orange shirt. On Terry Fox Day, they all wore a red or white shirt in support of him. Those little things actually matter a lot. It means the parents read the messages we send home and communicate to their child that this is an important thing.

Fani:

Communicating back and forth with the class parents means that they care about the environment that their child is in. That shows respect for the teachers and the school. Because it’s their choice; it’s not a local public school. It’s a choice that the parents have made for their children in private school.

When I was little, I wanted to be a mermaid! [laughs] Then in my teenage years, I wanted to be a flight attendant. I pursued it and got through several interviews until it was just me and one other person. The interview was in Spanish and they asked me, ‘Someone on the aircraft has lost their glasses. How would you announce that?’ And I forgot how to say, ‘flight attendant’ in Spanish! I got nervous and that was the end of it. Shortly thereafter, a friend was working at a school and there was a teacher’s assistant job open. She asked if I’d be interested in coming by to learn more. I went in for the observation and was blown away. I got the job and was an assistant for two years. I loved it and decided to take the Montessori course and became a teacher. To be a regular teacher in the traditional system wasn’t interesting to me, but when I saw what the kids were capable of in the Montessori program, it spoke to me directly.

Fani:

I wanted to be an archaeologist. I really liked history, so I think that’s how the interest started. But, I was an athlete and really into sports, so I studied physical education. During those years, we had a few lessons in pedagogy that were really interesting.

So from there, I studied in Madrid, London, and Amsterdam and got my Masters in Health and Science and a second Masters in Education. In Amsterdam, I learned about Montessori and then I went back to Greece. I started teaching in a private school and realized that the age group I liked working with was kindergarten up to Grade 2. So then I opened my own daycare. And then I met my husband and we had our daughter [Evgenia, who is in UEL at Bannockburn] and I got my Montessori diploma.

What hidden talent have you brought to your job?

What was the last best gift someone gave you?

Monica:

Monica:

I don’t think I consider it a hidden talent, but I think I have a lot of patience. All I want is for them to be happy. They’re three-yearolds! They should be happy coming to school.

Fani:

[laughs] I can tell you what other people say about me! People say that I only see the positive in everybody. Imagine being three or four years old and you’ve never seen snow in your life because you were living in Florida? They’ve never seen it and we’re saying, ‘C’mon, it’s just snow pants and you have to put them on!’ But that’s not seeing each child and giving them the space to understand.

Everybody deserves a fresh start.

Maya [her daughter, now in high school] got me a necklace two years ago for Mother’s Day with the letter M. Adrian [her son, in UEL at Bannockburn] saw that I was wearing it all the time and wanted to give me something, too. Last year Adrian won a generous gift certificate to a store and used it to buy me another necklace. It’s heart-shaped and says Mom on it, with a small picture of a mother and child. I can wear them together. It’s so beautiful to me.

Fani:

Life itself! I really like what I’m doing and wouldn’t choose any other job. It feels like this is what I was made to do.

Pg. 19

UEL Pg. 20

Pg. 21

Talking to Zoherain Khalfan & Leigh Ashworth, UEL Teachers What Montessori practice do you find the most useful in your classroom?

Leigh:

It seems that might be an easy question, but I started teaching in 1996 and I’ve never not taught Montessori, so it’s hard to differentiate between what is Montessori and what is not! I think it’s probably meeting each child where they are and figuring out what each one needs, which means not expecting the exact same thing for everybody just because they’re the same age.

Zoherain:

Zoherain Khalfan

Leigh Ashworth

The level of independence that we give them. In the UEL room, that independence really helps them figure out their time management. When it clicks, they can figure everything out from there. Even our grads who come back to visit tell us that they barely have homework! They have such a good grasp of their time management that they get it done.

What is your favourite part of working with this group?

Leigh:

They all have a great sense of humour and understand so much!

And it is amazing to me how much they mature. In LEL, they get so much guidance for their responsibilities. And then they come to UEL and in the first few months they can’t believe how much work they have to do. What happens is that they all learn such excellent time management skills and research and are thinking outside the box all the time. They learn to juggle so many things.

Zoherain:

I love the UELs because it’s a whole different interaction compared to the younger ages. The conversations we have are amazing.

What’s a day like in the UEL classroom?

Zoherain:

I get in at 8:15 after dropping my kids off to their rooms. [Both of her children attend Bannockburn: Qais in Primary and Imaan in Toddler.] We collect the students from outdoors and the first thing they do is they come in and greet us. Then we start working on the plan for the day. We’ll review and tweak their plan to help them understand the tasks to prioritize. We have weekly and monthly tasks, so we help them break down monthly tasks to make them more manageable. Part of it is helping them recognize that on some days they have a lot of Specialists and a work cycle in the morning with a lesson, so maybe we just focus on completing two tasks that day. When they have an afternoon work cycle, those are better days to complete more tasks. When I know a student could use extra support, I’ll sit with them to ensure they are on track.

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What inspires you?

Leigh:

When I see resiliency in a kid, my own or my students, you just want to tell them that it will serve them so well, even though it feels like a failure at the time. When Finn [her son, now in university] was four-years-old, he did a Learn to Play Hockey program. Most of the kids had never skated before and spent the entire hour either on their back on the ice or on their face. The coaches would go around, picking them back up. We waited by the door at the end of the lesson and every kid was cold, wet, and crying. Finally, Finn comes out and we take his helmet off and he’s beaming and says, ‘That was great! Can I come back next week?’ He just knew that he wanted to play hockey and he was excited that he was on the road to that.

Zoherain:

My children. Qais is like a little social butterfly and I was always in my shell until I had him. And Imaan is so completely the opposite of Qais and they push me to do things in different ways for each of them. It makes me more aware of how unique children are and how you have to treat every child as an individual. They truly inspire me.

How do you connect with your students?

Zoherain:

I look back at my years in elementary and high school and think about the teachers that made the biggest difference and influenced me and how they did that and I try to connect with my students on a similar level. I give them little stories about my experience, my history, and I think that helps them see that I’m also a person, not just their teacher. The students really have a positive reaction to those little talks. They know they’re not in this alone.

What part of your own educational journey did you enjoy most?

Leigh:

I think it was the training to be a Montessori teacher, to be honest.

I remember thinking that it was so interesting and eye opening and it made so much sense. I thought, ‘Everyone should know this!’ It was really inspiring.

What are you most proud of here?

Zoherain:

I’ll tell you an experience that has stuck with me. In the past, I’ve helped the students prep for MMUN (Montessori Model United Nations), and I hadn’t gone with them, but they would come back and some would tell me all these wonderful stories. But last year I was able to go for the first time and it was so beautiful to see the process from the start all the way through to the end. The students have to go up and read a speech they’ve prepared. One student finished and sat back down and turned around to look at me to get that reassurance that they had done a great job.

Just the fact that they were looking for that from me was so touching. I was very proud of that. I try to treat the students like my own children and to know that we have that relationship, that connection, is so meaningful for me.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Leigh:

A rock star?! [laughing] That was my backup plan. Truthfully, I think I always wanted to do something with children and I think I always will.

Zoherain:

I always wanted to be either a teacher or an optometrist. All of my projects were about the eye when I was in elementary school! [laughs] In high school I loved chemistry, so then it was between teaching and becoming a pharmacist. When I was in university, my focus was on child advocacy. Then I travelled to East Africa for five weeks where I volunteered for an orphanage and taught students how to speak English. Through that experience I realized that I felt like I made such a big difference when working with children.

I wanted to help children feel good about themselves. Through the Montessori program I saw how you could really advocate for children, to teach them how to speak up for themselves and become independent, which connected to my university studies.

What about your classroom makes you proud?

Leigh:

I think it’s when the kids are functioning successfully and being resourceful. And this doesn’t necessarily mean getting it right immediately. It can be when the kids come to us the day before something is due and say that they couldn’t get something done, they had to do this or that, and then we can work it out together. I think that just shows such responsibility.

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Artistic animals found in our Nest, courtesy of our UEL students

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19851986 Adalove Gorrie begins teaching at 12 Bannockburn Avenue

1993 TMS closes 12 Bannockburn location

10 Canadian provinces and 3 territories issue educational ministerial declaration

Founders negotiate a lease with TDSB

1990 Dr. Montessori is put on the 1000 Lire paper note

1995

1994

1996

CMIS aquires not-for-profit status

Bannockburn joins the CCMA

Bannockburn reaches 85 students

1985 - 1986: Adalove Gorrie begins teaching at the satellite location of TMS (Toronto Montessori Schools) at 12 Bannockburn Avenue 1990: The Italian government honours Dr. Maria Montessori by putting her on the 1000 Lire paper currency note 1993: June: TMS closes the satellite location. Several TMS Bannockburn campus parents ask Adalove if she is willing to head a new Montessori school that they are starting up in the area September: Founders Terry and Adalove Gorrie* negotiate a lease with the Toronto District School Board to continue at 12 Bannockburn Avenue. They open the Children’s Montessori Independent School (CMIS) with 67 students in four classrooms: one Toddler, two Primary, and one Elementary.

1997 Upper Elementary program is added

1998 A second Lower Elementary class is added

1995: Ten Canadian provinces and three territories issue a joint ministerial declaration: “We believe that education is a lifelong learning process and that we must continue to strive to create a learning society in which the acquisition, renewal, and use of knowledge are cherished. We also believe that the future of our society depends on informed and educated citizens who, while fulfilling their own goals of personal and professional development, also contribute to social and economic progress. On the international scene, our activities should reflect these values and our priorities, while contributing to strengthening our role globally.

Above all, we want all citizens to have a fair and equitable opportunity in whatever educational and training endeavours they may pursue.”

1996: Bannockburn joins the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA), a membership organization 1997: Upper Elementary program is introduced 1998: A second Lower Elementary class is added 1998 - 1999: CCMA’s accreditation protocol is introduced and Bannockburn is amongst the first schools to be accredited

1994: March: CMIS acquires not-for-profit status and changes its name to Bannockburn School—a board of three directors is established September: students

Bannockburn

enrolment

reaches

85

Bannockburn Sc Pg. 26

19981999 Bannockburn is amongst the first schools to be accredited

2001 Bannockburn is accredited by CIS and CESI (now CAIS)

2000 Bannockburn introduces its new mission statement

2003 There are 7000+ Montessori schools worldwide

2000: Bannockburn School’s Mission Statement: “Bannockburn develops responsible, nurturing, peaceful young people with self-esteem and respect for others.

Bannockburn graduates are self-motivated, intellectually curious students who love learning and who achieve academic success.”

2005 UN adopts the Millennium Development Goals

2018 Bannockburn celebrates 25 years

2014

2019

Montessori learning structure deemed successful

Study shows greater creativity outcomes for Montessori

2023

2022

60,000+ schools use the Montessori method worldwide

Bannockburn relocates after 28 years

2001: Bannockburn is accredited by the Conference of Independent Schools (CIS) and the CESI: Canadian Education Standards Institute, (now the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools—CAIS) 2003: There are more than 7000 Montessori schools around the world

2022: After 28 years at the Bannockburn Avenue location, Bannockburn School moves to its current location at 3080 Bayview Avenue

2005: The United Nations’ adopts the Millennium Development Goals with a focus on universal primary education

2023: Sixty thousand schools around the world use the Montessori method in over 150 countries

2014: A study conducted by the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder concludes that “the more time that children spent in lessstructured activities [a foundation of Montessori], the better their self-directed executive functioning,” which is an important predictor of successful outcomes in adulthood

*Thank you to Terry and Adalove Gorrie, Bannockburn School founders, for their essential contributions to this timeline.

2018: Bannockburn celebrates its 25th anniversary with a gala 2019: A study by the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Switzerland states that children who study in the Montessori method have greater creativity than their peers who attend more traditional schools

chool Timeline Pg. 27

An Interview with Isabella Foster Fostering a Safe and Joyful Love of Reading “I think it was the overall Montessori program, but also, how they let the child lead. The teachers will watch and say, ‘This is a good time for a lesson on this.’ The way the classroom is set-up means the child can pick what they want to work on independently. In a public school, you can’t do that because there are no materials to work with and the students sit in rows with the teacher at the front, as it really is teacher directed.”

With all of the roles she plays, she still has a lot to smile about during the workday.

Isabella Foster remembers being a child and what she wanted to be when she grew up: a mother. She is, in fact, a mother to two exceptional young people, both of whom attended Bannockburn, but she also plays a hugely important and maternal role at the school. In the similar way that if mothers listed the duties of their day we would wonder how they do it all, the same can be said for Isabella.

Her list looks like this: head librarian, manager of school policy handbooks and procedures (ensuring all staff are up-to-date on health and safety), licensing planner for child care with the City of Toronto, liaison for Toronto Public Health, scheduling coordinator for bus and duty coverage, and Forest of Reading® school program administrator.

When pressed about the challenges in her day, she thought for several moments. “Trying to get everything done that needs to get done,” she shared. For everyone who works in her orbit, that answer wouldn’t have taken any time at all because “Ms. Foster!”— as she is affectionately called out by Primary students as they try to hug her leg—does so much.

How did Bannockburn get so lucky to have Ms. Foster helming all these different roles? It started with her own children. Her son, Luke, began in Primary in 2000, and her daughter, Selena, began in 2002.

“Ed [her husband] and I walked in and we never walked out,” she said with a laugh.

From there, Luke went to St. Michael’s School and Selena went to De La Salle into academic programs for which they felt totally prepared. When Selena started in Grade 7, she began with Grade 8 classes and stayed a year ahead the entire time. As Isabella said with a laugh, “She would come home from school and say, ‘I did this already!’”Luke also excelled in an accelerated program.

Both Luke and Selena graduated from the University of Toronto in Engineering programs, Aerospace Engineering and Civil Engineering, respectively.

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“It’s the kids, it’s the teachers, it’s the people. The elementary students come in and have free range of everything to borrow the library materials they want. Kids walk out with picture books and chapter books and non-fiction books—everything. And they’re happy.”

Speaking of books, if Bannockburn were a novel, Ms. Foster would be an aptly named character. Per the definition of foster, she encourages and promotes the development of everyone in the school community on a daily basis. She does it with an air of quiet and stable diplomacy that keeps the community humming along.

Perhaps her early, fond memories as a child borrowing books contributed to her career choice.

“I remember going to the bookmobile that came to the school. It would come every two weeks and class by class we would be sent in. It was a really long trailer with books all along both sides. I even remember the smell of the place! It was so good. It went to all the schools because most school buildings didn’t have a library inside.

Then you got to keep your book for two weeks.”

What does she wish everyone knew about Bannockburn?

“That the adults at Bannockburn are so caring and that helps the kids to go a long way. Even watching my own kids go through, everybody knew who they were, everybody cared about them, everybody helped them out. And at the end when they’re graduating, everyone is rejoicing. It’s beautiful.”

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An Interview with Lisa Russell, Chair of the Board “The growth and longevity of Bannockburn”

“When I had my kids [Edward is in UEL and Nicholas is in PR3], we looked at a couple of Montessori schools and then we saw Bannockburn and I thought, ‘This is where I want my kids to go to school for sure.’”

Schools are, by nature, incredibly busy buildings. As such, it can be difficult to know how the different parts function within the whole. Each teacher is focused on their own students, and each employee is focused on their own set of duties. This is also true for the board. What does the board do? What are their goals? I spoke to Lisa Russell, Chair of the Board, to find out more about her role and the board in general.

“I’m Chair of the Bannockburn Board of Directors—this is my first year. We have monthly meetings to discuss important matters pertaining to the school. It is the board’s responsibility to oversee the governance and strategic direction of the school, including monitoring the fiscal health of Bannockburn. Part of my role is to make sure that everyone has a voice and has the time to contribute to our discussion, which means keeping everything on track with our agenda,” she said.

She was definitive about the goals of the board: “We’re all working to make the best decisions for the growth and longevity of Bannockburn. Some of us on the board are parents, some are teachers, some are from outside the community but they have skills that are valuable to our board. What this means is that we have a diverse group of people who come together to help make these decisions. Sometimes it can be hard to put your parent hat aside and make decisions for the good of the entire school, but that’s what we must keep in mind at all times.”

When she mentions the growth and longevity of Bannockburn, she knows of what she speaks. Her husband actually attended Bannockburn as a child, before going to Upper Canada College and Queen’s Business. Her own credentials are education based: first she graduated from the University of Toronto with a Chemical Engineering degree, and then went on to get a teaching degree and taught high school math and science before her children were born.

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Being on a volunteer board, especially for a school, is not an easy job. The combination of planning for the future, overseeing the financial health of the institution, and ensuring its continued success while recognizing the personal aspect of it because it’s a community of our children can make for a complicated recipe.

Most certainly, it’s easier to not be involved than it is to be involved, especially in a leadership role. So, why does Lisa do it?

“From the beginning, I’ve been very impressed with Edward’s level of academics in the school and how it’s built up his confidence.

I’m starting to see it, too, with Nicholas, even though he’s only four-and-a-half. I really love the principles of Montessori. Also, Bannockburn is a very special place. I’ve always felt part of the community and that sense of community is what I love as well as the academics. That’s what I’m working for, that’s what I’m hoping to keep going for other people—to share in this experience.”

Even though the goals of the board are clear, measuring its success can be tricky, especially after the challenges of COVID and moving school locations. Still, Lisa sees the board in partnership with the administration and is proud of everyone’s combined efforts. “The board is in charge of more overarching things like maintaining the mission and the vision of the school. We support the head of the school, but the day-to-day running is under the purview of the head. The advice I got from a friend and former Bannockburn board member was ‘Find the two or three things that are definitely priorities and do them well. Because you can’t do everything. Put everything you can into doing the things that are most critical for the school right now.’ It’s a good reminder for all of us, I think, with things coming at us all the time, to manage our resources and our time. Everybody works very hard and has the best interests of Bannockburn at heart.”

In the end, Lisa’s hard work, and the dedicated work of the board, is both for its current students and for the students of the future.

She is optimistic about both.

“Bannockburn graduates are very well prepared to go anywhere they want. I’ve spoken to a number of parents personally whose children have gone on to many different independent schools and certainly our graduates are well prepared with not just their academic level, because they’re often ahead of wherever they end up, but in their confidence, and the fact that they’ve been given so many opportunities for public speaking from the time they are very young. I remember Edward, I think he was five, and he told me, ‘I want to do magic at the talent show.’ I said, ‘Okay, we need to figure out whatever three tricks you’re doing and we need to practice it a couple of times.’ He was adamant that he was doing this! And then he got up and he did it. Just the opportunities for them to do these things and that he even wanted to do it and then did it is so great. They go for leadership opportunities later because it’s not intimidating for them. It’s really something special.”

Lisa Russell Chair of the Board boardchair@bannockburn.ca

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ALUMNI

An Interview with Emma George,

Bannockburn Class of 2012, Current PhD Student at Princeton University “The Intellectual Freedom to Explore” Upper Elementary classroom and see what they were doing and participate.

PhD at Princeton University in Russian Literature and Cultural History of the 18th and 19th centuries.

“That was really valuable.”

There were certain Montessori roots that Emma looks back on now and truly appreciates. Freedom of choice in an academic program was a major one.

If you were casting a movie and needed someone who could play the part of Interesting Alumni, Emma George would get the role.

She attended Bannockburn from 20062012, starting in Primary and finishing as a Grade 6 grad. She generously spent some time with me recounting her Bannockburn years in an interview in which we discussed, among other things, Russian literature, freedom of choice, and Diane James.

“I remember Donna Paul, who was my Upper Elementary teacher,” Emma said.

“She was fantastic—I remember really liking her. Chad Pollard was my Lower Elementary teacher and he made a huge impact.”

Her elementary teachers knew that Emma was very smart. As such, they facilitated an accelerated curriculum that allowed her to have more challenging work. In part because of the three-year age grouping, it was easy for her to do this without drawing too much unwanted attention to it. She simply got more difficult assignments, which she appreciated.

“Without those LEL teachers, I don’t think that would’ve been able to happen. The deconstructed approach to learning at times meant that as a second grader, if I had free time, I could wander into the

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“I remember being given the freedom to explore. I think this worked well, too, for kids who maybe weren’t as self-directed.

Obviously, there were still set lesson times and everyone had to do their homework!

But there was the freedom if you wanted to do a research project on a period in history that you’re really interested in— they’d say, ‘Go right ahead!’ ‘You want to do a project on how computers are built?

Sure!’ The idea that we were welcome to expand our learning on areas that inspired us was fundamental to my experience.

The other freedom of choice aspect that I remember really enjoying was the amount of time I was given to read. I think that’s been important in the development of my academic interests. It was when I had done everything I needed to do and I had the ability to go to the classroom library or the school library and read about whatever I wanted.”

When Emma talks about reading and language being important to her academic pursuits, she’s not kidding!

After graduating from Bannockburn, she went to Havergal College where she remembers getting more interested in language when she studied Latin. She started reading 19th century Russian literature out of interest in high school.

Her mother had studied Russian when she was in college and had a collection of books about the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union in the house that Emma would occasionally flip through. When she got to Brown University, she started studying Russian and received her degree in Slavic Studies, History, and Comparative Literature. She is currently pursuing a

Despite this impressive educational pedigree, Emma remains a humble and thoughtful person. When asked about offering advice to Bannockburn students today, she remembers the rite-of-passage anxiety that accompanies starting a new school.

“I remember being an anxious 11-year-old girl getting ready to go to middle school at Havergal where it felt like every other girl had been there since they were little.

I remember thinking, ‘Oh, I’m considered smart in this tiny little pond. What happens when I get to a regular high school? Are my skills not going to be sufficient in some way?’ If I were to give advice to my 11-year-old self, I would say, ‘Absolutely don’t worry about anything. In fact, the intellectual freedom you had to explore what you wanted to explore is going to make your future academically easier, or at least a lot more fun.’”

There’s a teacher still working at Bannockburn today that Emma fondly remembers making a big impression.

Since we don’t always know which lessons will create lasting legacies in our lives, it’s especially touching when we can recall those origins.

“Classical music is a huge part of my life,” Emma said. “I play the harp and I’ve been doing classical singing for about 10 years. I love everything about classical music and opera. I’ve been in a choir every year of my life since being in Diane James’ music class when I was six.”

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Bannockburn Mission Statement Bannockburn develops responsible, nurturing, peaceful young people with self-esteem and respect for others. Bannockburn graduates are self-motivated, intellectually curious students who love learning and who achieve academic success.

3080 Bayview Avenue, North York, M2N 5L3 416-789-7855 | reception@bannockburn.ca www.bannockburn.ca