And we’re off! Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! Teachers have been busy preparing for what we expect will be a great year, Torit’s 16th.

We start the school year with an updated mission statement: Torit fosters curiosity, independence, and an appreciation for knowledge along with the humility and awareness to value the ideas, support, and friendship of others.

Our mission statement captures the spirit of Torit and will guide us moving forward. It spans infants to upper elementary and balances the abstract and the concrete, the arc of Montessori philosophy. It centers the individual and the community, foundations in Montessori schools, which “follow the child” while building the group. I’m excited to hear your thoughts and feedback about our mission statement, and the faculty are eager to engage your children in this work.

Exactly that happened today as Upper Elementary students AJ Wu, Joanna Chen, and Henry Johnson, teacher Ms. Masiah, and I walked to the Boston Public Library for a broadcast of WGBH’s “Ask the Governor” segment, part of its regular Radio Boston show. Taking advantage of the resources of Boston is a Torit hallmark, and Torit students got a front row seat to hear Governor Healey respond to questions from the WGBH hosts and callers. During a break, the Governor joined the students for a photo op and examined the notes they were taking about her conversation. Torit got not one but two on-air shout-outs as the hosts recognized the kids for being diligent note takers and engaged citizens. That’s the kind of educational opportunity that only Torit offers, one very much in line with our updated mission statement.