It is often said that what is past is prologue. William Shakespeare coined the phrase. In challenging times it is important to keep an eye on the horizon, but there is often great value to be found in our history. On our 20th anniversary, it only makes sense to remember how our past has prepared us for our future.
Our first day of school was Monday, September 10th, 2001. As we awaited delayed construction of our new school building in Ashburn, Virginia, our classrooms and teachers were spread among four separate locations stretching from Reston to Leesburg. Needless to say, we were not prepared for the next day. Of course, no one was.
In our first weeks together, though we barely knew each other, we persevered through last minute adaptations and adjustments, put aside our fears and overcame unprecedented challenges as the entire world changed in one terrible moment.
As the MAB community began to pull together, it was clear that our country also needed to unite under a common goal: to be better humans and create a better world. No easy task, and acceptance of this goal was by no means unanimous. However, this was not a new idea for us, since Montessori has long been considered an education for a new world.
20 years later, our story is one of family, hard work, patience, courage and forward thinking. Once again, we find our country in need. To us, that need has never diminished. We’ve been here all along doing our part by focusing upon children and loving what we do. Not just teaching, but sharing the world broadly and concretely. Helping them to understand themselves and their responsibilities to each other and that everyone deserves a life well-lived.
It has been nearly two weeks since we re-opened MAB. Once again, we find ourselves in a new world that changed almost overnight, but we are not strangers to the unknown. Just as we did 20 years ago, we have adapted, adjusted, persevered and found opportunity in adversity. We also still hold firmly to the same guiding light that led us here. Indeed, our history has prepared us well.
Now, as we look toward our next 20 years, we do so with the confidence of experience through extraordinary times. We remain fiercely committed to the MAB community and to our part in improving the world. We also want you to know just how much we value your commitment to us. It is, quite literally, the reason we are here.