The sky's the limit for MMS students |
|
"An unsurpassable education"
|
|
Since our founding in 1976, more than 1,000 children have gotten their start at Mountaineer Montessori School.
The love of learning ignited during their time at MMS has propelled these students to go far and aim high. No matter where their paths lead, the Montessori magic continues to empower their potential and inspire a bright future for themselves, their communities and our world.
"The journey of a lifetime starts here," the 2022 MMS Annual Appeal, provides essential funding that enables us to sustain this tradition and fuel tomorrows for today's students.
The campaign is now in full swing and we invite you to make your tax-deductible donations today by texting mmsjourney to 76278 or visiting the campaign platform.
|
|
As part of our campaign, students, families, teachers and alumni are sharing their Montessori story to highlight the impact and gift of an MMS education.
|
|
This is the story of Farhan Malik, an MMS alumnus:
I often think about my time at Mountaineer Montessori School. My two brothers and I were lucky enough to be enrolled from primary through elementary. It was an amazing educational journey, so much so that my wife calls me out for telling everyone about it.
I can’t help but relive my experience at this incredible school where we did not sit in neat rows at classroom desks and we were free to explore and learn without the burden of quizzes, tests, homework, or grades, and we called our teachers by their first names. I mention the unforgettable field trips exploring Carnegie museums, witnessing glassblowing at a glass factory, viewing Seneca Rocks, climbing Spruce Knob, touring the White House and the National Archives, visiting the salt marshes in Carolina, and even hiking the Grand Canyon!
We also learned practical life skills while going on camping trips, commuting together from our school to the downtown library using local bus transit, and having breakfast meetings where we learned to prepare food and wash dishes at the end.
|
|
Farhan and his parents during his White Coat Ceremony at the WVU School of Medicine |
|
What impact did your Montessori education have on your subsequent education and career?
I am blessed with three school-aged children, and when I help them with homework, I still remember the beads, pegs, stamps, puzzle pieces and other materials that helped me visualize and conceptualize addition, subtraction, division, fractions, and more.
I am living in Fairfax County in the D.C. suburbs, one of the top school districts in the country - an area that prides itself in having great public and private school opportunities. After experience with my own kids in this area, I feel I was given an unsurpassable world-class education at MMS.
I believe the Montessori method gave my brothers and I the best possible education. You could say it runs in our blood. My grandmother, who lives in Charleston and just celebrated her 99th birthday, was actually a student of Dr. Maria Montessori and learned the method from Madame Montessori herself in Kashmir several decades ago!
Montessori education was hands-on and I loved how I could actually get materials from the shelf and experience a salty, sweet and bitter taste, as an example. I also used the materials to visualize fractions, and touch and feel the bead-sets that showed a 10x10 square equaling "100" or a 10x10x10 cube helping to conceptualize "1000."
I learned... how to learn. I realized learning is through understanding and not just memorization. This helped me excel in math and science, propelling me through these subjects when transitioning to public junior high, high school, college and medical school.
I am fortunate enough to also be hands-on in my career, which includes performing complex and meticulous surgery inside the eye, involving the vitreous and retina, while using my understanding of the science to deliver care to my patients.
|
|
Do you have a favorite MMS memory?
In addition to fond memories of MMS field trips, I still have my gold spray-painted bow, quiver and arrows which I wore when I got to star as Apollo for our school’s Greek Mythology play.
The theme of this year's Annual Appeal campaign is "The journey of a lifetime begins here." What did you take with you from our school on your life journey?
MMS built my confidence and independence, encouraged curiosity and creativity, and taught me responsibility and resilience. These qualities continue to help me as I move forward in my life journey.
|
|
Career/education/personal highlights:
- Graduated Magna Cum Laude and as a University Honors Scholar from West Virginia University
- MD from WVU as well, with my clinical rotation site at CAMC where I worked with learned from some of my former MMS classmates' parents as my attendings (Dr. Kommor and Dr. McJunkin)
- Matched into my first choice: ophthalmology residency at George Washington University in DC, where I served as Chief Resident
- Vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at Boston University/Boston Medical Center
- I went to Tanzania and summitted Mount Kilimanjaro (highest freestanding mountain in the world and Africa’s highest peak)
- I currently work as an attending ophthalmologist subspecializing in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous; I also round on extremely premature babies (often born more than 3 months early and weighing close to 1 pound at birth) in the Neonatal ICU at Virginia Hospital Center and screen them for retinal disease and I have experience treating preemies with laser to prevent retinal detachment.
- I have also served as Chair of the Peer Review Committee at the regional level for the Department of Ophthalmology at Kaiser Permanente (Mid-Atlantic States)
- I am married (wife, Tooba) and have three children (Inaya, 10, Ismail, 7, Sabrina, 4)
We invite you to propel the journey for today's your gift today…. text mmsjourney to 76278 or visit our campaign platform to give now.
|
|
Your tax-deductible donation is an investment in:
-
Facilities: continuing indoor and outdoor learning environment enhancements for all students, including new signage and facade upgrades at Staunton and a climbing structure for our toddler community.
-
Faculty: teacher appreciation and training funds and ongoing accreditation initiatives through the AMS Pathways to Continuous School Improvement process. MMS invested more than $75,000 in out-of-state and local Montessori training and professional development, teacher bonuses and contributions to the staff retirement funds last year--a number we hope to increase in 2022-23.
-
Families: widen community access to our programs by increasing financial aid and scholarships from $56,000 in 2021-22 to $72,000 in 2022-23.
This year's goal is $20,000 and we budget for 100 percent participation.
No gift is too small to make a difference.
It's as easy as texting mmsjourney to 76278
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
