From Mr. David’s Desk
Dear Families,
As we complete our first full month of school, I’m pleased to see classrooms and children in predictable routines. Predictability is vital for children at this stage. Routines build habits, and habits ultimately reflect values.
Our values are reflected in our mission. In 2024, we adopted a new mission statement: Torit fosters curiosity, independence, and an appreciation for knowledge along with the humility and awareness to value the ideas, support, and friendship of others.
Curiosity is part of the human experience, a key driver for many of us. “Why this? Why that?” Many of us were the kids incessantly asking questions. Many, if not all, Torit students are the same way. Even when I visit with the infants, I see them investigating the world, sometimes with hands or feet, (and sometimes with their mouths!). The Montessori sensorial materials support this, too.
Independence is a gift. It can be easy to either want to do everything for a child (they need us!) or want to limit a child (sometimes to make our lives simpler). For example, it’s easier to cut food for a little one. But did you know that toddlers at Torit begin to learn to use utensils at age 2. Ones learn to clear their own table place at meals here. They carry (and yes, sometimes spill) a plate to the trash to dispose of uneaten food. They can do it! And preprimary children make their own beds for nap, fitting sheets and later bagging linens at the end of the week for Mr. Ky, our laundryman from over on West Cedar Street. Independence ultimately frees us, too, as children develop routines and habits that demonstrate to them they have a job, a role in the school community and family.
Knowledge comes with time, exposure, and practice. This week, parents were able to hear from our elementary teachers about the ways we build academic capacity in Torit students. Together, the students and faculty do an excellent job as demonstrated by superior test scores, grades, and ultimately, next school admission. Our oldest alumni are applying to colleges now, and we’re eager to track them to discover if our hypothesis is true: Torit’s program provides an excellent foundation for learning and life.
Finally, our mission focuses on how we act toward and with others. Arguably, this is the most important part of our work. A student might be brilliant and wildly successful, but if they can’t work with peers and make friends in the process, we’re not fully doing our jobs. That’s why teachers spend so much time on social-emotional work.
When we meet all the aspirational requirements of our mission, then we’re doing right by the children and, hopefully, meeting your expectations. If you want to learn more about exactly how we live our values, please join us at an upcoming curriculum presentation.
Thursday, October 15: Toddler/Preprimary Curriculum Presentation: Math, Sensorial, Practical Life
Thursday, October 29: Toddler/Preprimary Curriculum Presentation: Language, Culture, Science
Onward,
David Liebmann
Head of School