On Thursday, I walked to the New England Aquarium with the students of Lower Elementary. Instead of going inside, we boarded the water taxi to the Navy Yard. As the ferry pulled away from the dock and backed into the sunlit harbor, the students and I watched as the buildings of Downtown, the North End, Beacon Hill, and the Seaport came into view. That’s how Boston should be seen. After all, it was first view four centuries ago of what would become our city on a hill.

It’s easy to overlook all the American history around us, but the USS Constitution was moored before us as we disembarked after our morning passage across Boston Harbor. The oldest commissioned ship in the US Navy, the students would go aboard to learn about “Old Ironsides” and the document that the ship is named after. I’m a fan of “a more perfect Union,” “Justice,” “domestic Tranquility,” and “the Blessings of Liberty,” not to mention “the general Welfare.” As students learn about the constitution, both the ship and the document, it was good to be reminded of the fresh eyes they bring to their studies, and our hopes as embodied in the next generation.

The next few weeks for adults will be an exercise in practicing our civic duty. At Torit, we want teachers to model “curiosity, independence, and an appreciation for knowledge along with the humility and awareness to value the ideas, support, and friendship of others.” That’s our mission. As we work toward that mission, we’ll keep ourselves focused on embodying civility and peace, timeless values for Montessori students everywhere.

Onward,

David Liebmann

Head of School