We had a great lunch meeting with Matthew Virgil and Jackie Burdette from Hudson Montessori School. Here are the notes and pre-lunch announcements compiled by Kathleen Cybulski.
January 15, 2025 Meeting Notes
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Gloria was congratulated by all for being appointed to the State Board of Education.
We need two volunteers to be part of the yearly Grants Management Committee. John Murphy already signed up for the session and Cathy Cook may volunteer.
Dale Smith is requesting volunteers for a disaster response committee for Northeast Ohio. For more information, contact John Murphy.
There is a Rotary Relief fund for the California Wildfires. Details at Rotary.org.
February 1 is the Chili Open at Hale Farm and Village.
March 5 is Cavs night with the youth group. Price is $80.36. Learn more here.
The Rotary District Conference is April 25-26 at the Cleveland Marriott East on Harvard in Warrensville Heights. Save the date. More info to come.
Cheryl has our application for the AZ Baker Award ready to go if it appears that we will qualify.
The Rotary International Conference is in Calgary this year.
OUR SPEAKERS
We were happy to welcome Head of School Matt Virgil and Jackie Burdette, two graduates of Leadership Hudson. Through a series of slides the gave us background on the school and Montessori philosophy and teaching methods as well as what they and their students are doing in the community. It was very interesting and informative. Q&A followed. They ended with giving all of us jars of jam which the students made after growing the produce.
My take-aways include the following:
- School founded in 1962 and is one of the oldest in the nation, In 1968 they moved to their current location and are at capacity with 263 students, grades infants to gr. 8 They are a progressive school with students driving their own learning.
- They have multi-age classrooms where students move at their own pace.
- There is a lot of freedom of movement and choice that stresses independence and responsibility.
- They are an accredited independent school with graduating classes of single digits to 15. They are hoping to start graduating 16-20 students.
- 70% of graduates go on to independent high schools with the rest going to public schools, mostly Hudson High
- They are governed by a Board of Trustees and raise funding through tuition (@
- $17,000/yr, fund raising, grants, rentals (they own 5 homes in the neighborhood), and state funding,
- Special programs include a Conservatory of Music, a student business called North House Specialties, gardens, and maple syrup making.
- There are 52 regular staff members including specialists in reading, psychology, occupational therapy and IEP student needs.
- Hudson Montessori pays for the Montessori training for all lead teachers
Matt and Jackie took questions after lunch. Gloria thanked them and gave them a Clocktower Rotary pin. The meeting ended at 1:05 p.m.