DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Michigan – The halls and classrooms of Dearborn Heights Montessori (DHMC) recently came alive with artwork, colorful displays and interesting presentations about ancient India.
Fourth grader Lydia Mills presents her research about ancient India culture to classroom visitors.
Students from preschool through middle school spent several weeks learning about what the people of ancient India wore, what kind of houses they lived in, what kind of stories they told and what the country looked like. Their work was then showcased at the school’s annual cultural festival that is held each May for students, teachers and families.
An almost life-size elephant was made by DHMC’s middle school students to serve as a backdrop for photo opportunities during the Cultural Festival.
“Each year our students learn about a different culture. This was the first time to study ancient India,” said Kay Neff, DHMC’s founder. By the end of their sixth grade year at DHMC, children will have completed in-depth studies of six ancient civilizations that are introduced on a rotation basis. These include the Mesoamericans (Inca, Aztec, Maya), India, Greece, China, Egypt, and the Vikings.
Third grade students dressing as India gods and goddesses are, from left to right, Diksha Iyer, Devan Dhruna, Gordon Washington, Ben Johns, Maggie Watts, Emilio Cascardo and William Stephens.
“Our students receive a deeper understanding of each culture and learn what each civilization has contributed to our present way of life,” added Neff. “As children study the needs of people in different cultures, they learn that people are truly more alike than different. This is an important insight for children who are growing up in an ever-shrinking and contentious world. They are the ones who will need to create peace, and this is our way of helping in the process.”
About Dearborn Heights Montessori Center
Dearborn Heights Montessori Center (DHMC) is a non-profit educational community founded in 1972. Celebrating its 40th anniversary year, DHMC is the largest and longest-established Montessori school in western Wayne County. Programs include toddler, preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school as well as summer programs and academic tutoring. Day care and latchkey are also available for enrolled children. DHMC has received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and is affiliated with the American Montessori Society, Michigan Montessori Society, and the Association of Independent Michigan Schools (AIMS). DHMC toddler, preschool, day care, and latchkey programs, along with its satellites Livonia Montessori School and Plymouth-Canton Montessori School, are licensed by the Michigan Department of Human Services. More information is available at www.dhmontessori.org and by calling 313-359-3000.