| What Others Say About Khalsa Montessori School |
Graduation
Graduate Speaker
Hannah Love
I remember the first day that I was allowed to touch the sandpaper letters in Susan’s primary classroom. I had this feeling like I was being introduced to a whole new world to which only the most privileged kids were allowed. I was so young that my memory is a bit blurry, but I do recall feeling a bit overwhelmed knowing that soon I would be able to understand language and how words work. And I remember the day not long after that I sat on the floor with my good friend and we read a book together for the first time. Given, it was just a few laminated pieces of paper stapled together, but getting through it was quite an accomplishment. Still today, when I learn something new and exciting I get that same rush as when I was first introduced to the sandpaper letters, or the pink tower, or the golden beads. So although my schooling at Khalsa taught me how to read, perform arithmetic, all the states and their capitals, all the former U.S. presidents, and more, it also taught me much more.
My Montessori education taught me the importance of being self-motivated and truly wanting to learn. I knew that gaining more knowledge and slowly expanding my mind was a fun and enlightening experience even at a young age, not a long and tedious one like those described by some of my peers the last four years at North High. Some say that knowledge is power, but I say it is much more than that. Wanting to learn is the will to thrive.
Going into high school four years ago, I think I had a foot up on many of my classmates. I already understood the best way for me to learn and study and get my work done as a result of all the freedom Khalsa students are given. In middle school, I learned that studying from flashcards does not help me as much as dictating or writing everything I know on a subject to get my intellectual juices flowing. I already knew that it was a good idea to start working on a project far earlier than the night before it was due. Participating in weekly yoga classes, something that the majority of my peers had never had the chance to experience, taught me that sometimes your mind and body need a bit of rest before they can keep working. But I also had a foot up on everyone else in terms of mediation.
At most schools, students don’t have the opportunity to work through issues with their peers in a way that is conducive to maintaining close bonds. Some of my most vivid memories of my time at Khalsa are from class meetings. How could I forget many of those seemingly endless discussions on what we as students deemed important? Whether it was who was dominating the choice of what game everyone was to play during P.E. each day, issues of sustainability like asking teachers to print things double-sided to save paper, or the most important, what to name classroom pets. Conflict resolution is an important skill to have in all stages of life and attending Khalsa for 10 years of my youth certainly instilled this vital skill in me. Not only do I know how to handle conflicts with my peers, but I think my Montessori education also helps me deal with angry customers in the restaurant where I’ve worked for two years and helps me know how to approach teachers and other authorities with questions and concerns in a respectful manner.
All of this is important, but by far the most amazing thing about Khalsa is the community formed here. I’m proud to say that I am still friends with many of the kids I met with I was just 3, 4, and 5 years old, including the little girl that I read my first book with. We have very literally grown from toddlers to young adults together and we have Khalsa to thank for that. I will always remember our annual traditions of the vegetarian Thanksgivings, Halloween fairs where we’d stick our hands in vats of spaghetti and crawl screaming through haunted houses, playing dodgeball before lunch, sharing multiple cakes that were won collectively from the cake walk, and riding Razor scooters around the park at the End-of-the-Year Potluck. Leaving Khalsa, it was strange entering a world where I couldn’t call my teachers by their first names and students actually sat in desks rather than in circles on the ground – as a young child I remember thinking that these things were only things that happened on TV shows. The community at this school is something that will continue to be comforting for many years to come. I know that in upcoming years when I’m home on break from school in Portland, I can return to Khalsa and be welcomed by a warm embrace from Satwant and my past teachers. I will be able to watch kids play and learn and be treated with respect and I will get a warm comforting feeling in my heart.
My advice to those of you who are graduating from Upper Elementary today and will be attending a different school next year, is to not forget all of the learning tools that you have been given at Khalsa. Continue to do what interests you, do your own research, read the books that you want to read, and find something that you love to learn about. Remember that learning isn’t limited to the classroom – learning includes how you interact with others in your community and making your own path through life. Your Khalsa education has given you a head start, so don’t loose it. Make the most of your education where ever you go because every student here has so much potential.
