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Health & Wellness

 

The health and safety of our children and our staff is of our utmost priority. As a young, independent Montessori school in Delaware County, NY, we are continually assessing data and analyzing risks vs. benefits, put forward by the medical community, the Montessori community, as well as state, national, and international public health organizations, to make our decisions around health and wellness for our school families and community members.

 

Our foremost intention will always be to design and implement long-term strategies for healthy behaviors, which support and develop healthy immune systems, physical health, as well as sound, mental and emotional well-being.

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We therefore encourage families to focus on these areas with us:

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Nutrition - ensure meals and snacks are primarily based on whole, healthy foods, which nourish and support the building and resiliency of your child. Expose your child to a variety of foods, especially different vegetables and fruits, to build their microbial biodiversity and tastebuds. Also, adequate hydration during the day is vital for both mental and physical health.

In addition, we recommend supplementing with a multivitamin to ensure your child is replenished in micronutrients, as well as supplement with vitamin D3+K2 in the months between October and March, where there is lower sun exposure.

 

Sleep - ensure your child gets age-appropriate, adequate and consistent rest, to support your child in building and repairing their bodies, recover quickly from illness, and to feel mentally and emotionally ready and fresh to take on the day's challenges.

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Movement - ensure your child gets lots of movement during the day, to build strength and resiliency, and their sense of bodily freedom as well as healthy assessment of risk in the environment. We particularly promote outdoor activities and social physical activities, if possible.

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Personal Hygiene - make sure that your child practices basic hygiene, such as regularly washing hands, particularly after a bathroom visit or before eating. Taking a bath, washing hair, combing hair, washing a face, brushing teeth, and other hygiene practices are very useful for limiting exposure and infection, and we will be covering these in the Montessori curriculum.

 

Community - socialization, community, and friendship building is vital for the health and happiness of our children. We encourage all families to continually engage and initiate social events with friends and family, to establish in our children a sense of connectivity, recognition, and belonging.

Technology - we recognize that technology, especially digital/screen technology, is widespread and can be used for good in our environments. However, we also understand that we can do better at balancing our approach and exposure to it, to ensure we do not diminish the natural (cognitive) developments of the child and their overall mental health. Our school focuses on limiting exposure to screens until students are in the adolescent program. For more information on our policy on this, we recommend visiting the resource EverySchool.org. 

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