Riverbend School

In the Riverbend Middle School, Fridays are mainly dedicated to community service. Being involved in the community has always been a large part of Montessori education; there are two main community service events on Fridays that middle school students are required to participate in. Firstly, each middle school student is required to help out in a classroom somewhere in the school for 45 minutes. Secondly, after lunch they walk to the Natick Community Organic Farm to volunteer for three hours. In this way the Middle School is involved in both the Riverbend and Natick communities.Helping others and being involved in the community is a large part of Montessori education. Maria Montessori once said that "The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a new direction" (Maria Montessori). This quote is the essence of community service at Riverbend. Loving your surroundings and working to make life better for people around you is the reason we do community service. Seeing everyone working together to teach younger children or feed animals is heartwarming. I can`t help but think Maria Montessori would be proud.Every Friday, we go to different classrooms including D-Lab, Upper Elementary, Art, Lower Elementary and the Children`s House. Most people go in pairs, although some work individually. I asked Luke (a current 7th grade student) about how it feels to help out in your school community and he said "It feels great to know that you`re helping people and building a stronger community" (Luke H). Luke works in the art room with Mr. Jacob, and he says that "It`s a really great bonding experience. You spend a lot of time with [the teacher you are working with] and your partner, if you`re working with a partner" (Luke). The Community Outreach program is a great opportunity to be a part of the larger Riverbend community; working with your peers and adults is satisfying, educational and empowering. After lunch we go to farm, which is hard work, but fun because you get to work with your classmates. Luke says he enjoys farm, and working with his peers. "I hear people say they don`t like farms and I`m like, why? Farming is amazing!" (Luke). Farm is definitely one of the most exciting activities in the week; getting outside for three hours and working with animals is a peaceful time in an often busy schedule, and it is no wonder most people enjoy it. The farmer says he is grateful for our help and loves being able to teach us about what he loves to do. "There is always more work that has to be done on a farm- extremely helpful to have volunteers to do some of it" (Farmer Dan). Working with someone who is excited to educate us makes the experience even more pleasant. Many of the tasks we are given at farm are difficult, but working as a team with our peers makes them extremely enjoyable. Middle school Fridays are extremely satisfying, because you can participate in two community service events. Maria Montessori would love to see how well Middle schoolers work with their peers to enhance the community. Helping out teachers around the school gives you a feeling of empowerment and helpfulness, and working at farm gives students an unforgettable experience: being part of a team. Doing both in one day makes it so that when you go home, you feel that you actually made a difference in your community. I hope it continues to be that way, students working together in the community, because that really is what Montessori learning is about.