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JULY 2014

A Day in the Life at Morning Glory Farm

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MAINSTREETNews and Views from the Valley

STUDY ABROADMissionvale Garden ClubBy Emily Gould

GIVING BACKThe Kids Are AlrightBy Sidney Kuball

CORNER TABLEA Friendly Conversation with Rob Bach, Stillwater Area High School’s New Principal

WWW.STILLWATERLIVING.NET 3

July 2014

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FeaturesTEACH YOUR CHILDRENBY ANGELO GENTILE16

FARM KID, WILL PELFREYA Day’s Work on Morning Glory FarmBY WILL PELFREY20

contentscontents

Cover Photo by Laurie Schneider

Kids are everywhere this time of year and they bring piles of positive energy with them. Main Street sidewalks are frequented by clusters of tweens just walking around and being super self aware; the lil ruggers are in the parks and at the beaches – it is very possibly the best time of the year.

We celebrate the young people of our neighborhood each July with a focus on what the kids are up to. This year we have a handful of “in their own words” type pieces to share with you.

Study Abroad concludes this issue with a final entry from Emily Gould. She is now back on U.S. soil and off to a camp counseling gig. We intend to share the “studying abroad” chapter of her life’s journey in a feature story later this year. For now, please enjoy her take on gardening.

Giving Back brings us an update from the leadership of Youth United Way. Rest assured this community will be led by quality people in the future; this group of community conscious kids are focused on what really matters in life. Read on to learn more about them.

We’ve covered St. Croix Montessori School in the past and we’re at it again because they are just so darn impressive. The level of parent involvement is inspiring; the children look out for one another and listen to each other, demonstrating a maturity well beyond their years. The fact that they are expanding should come as no surprise to those who know and understand the nurturing environment of that school community.

So many kids in this area live a rural life and we’ve not covered that lifestyle very well in the past. Will Pelfrey was kind enough to let the intrepid photojournalist Laurie Schneider tag along with him for a day of chores and fun on his family’s farm. Will more or less narrates the piece for us.

Stillwater Area High School has a new Principal in Mr. Rob Bach. He joined us for a spirited conversation in Corner Table to close out this issue. He is clearly the right man for the job.

Every summer we are reminded of how wonderfully diverse this community is by spending time with the young people that comprise it. While we didn’t get to every corner of every age group, the representative sample of kids that we did spend time with for this issue gave us reason to believe that this community will be in good hands going forward.

Enjoy the season & real good then.


VOLUME 10, NUMBER 7 JULY 2014

Peter McNiffPublisher and Editor [email protected]

Copy EditorMaureen McDonough

ANGELO GENTILEEMILY GOULD

SYDNEY KUBALLWILL PELFREY

LAURIE SCHNEIDERLaurie Schneider Photograpy

STEVE (SHOWCASE) SKALMAN

HAWK

JEFF BAGGOT

editor’s note

Copyright 2014Watershed Publishing, Inc. all rights reserved.

Stillwater Living is published byWatershed Publishing, Inc.

P.O. Box 2302 Stillwater, MN 55082651-430-3143 [email protected]

Julie Bourman

Peter McNiff

Curtis Dale

Flooded...with KidsJULY 2014

A Day in the Life at Morning Glory Farm


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letters to the editor

The Pole Barn Studio??? Really?

What in the world could have possibly possessed you to write about the pole dancing classes? I am not convinced that it is anything more than a place for floozies. Michelle did a grand job of masking the truth about these places, but I am not sold.

There is no reason to strip off our clothes to exercise and there is no excuse for that kind of business to be operating here in Stillwater. You should be ashamed.

Judy K.Stillwater

Give Me More Terra Firma

I absolutely love the Terra Firma series, please don’t stop at four. When I read the first installment of Terra Firma I was shocked to learn that I have been part of the problem… We used to get our plants from the big box retailers in the area – I did that because they have great selection and low prices, or so I thought. I am now on a personal campaign to keep all of the neonicotinoids out of the neighborhood. We talk to all of our neighbors as we take our daily walks and we now talk about where we get our plants and where they came from.

When I read that clean, nutrient rich soil is the foundation to good health I was shocked. For years we used the lawn fertilizers and weed killers that made things look so good without understanding the problems those chemicals were causing the soil. No more. We’ve turned over a new leaf in our gardening and lawn care – keep those Terra firma articles coming.

Jane B.Stillwater

Higher Brain Living

I was fascinated by the Higher Brain Living article in your last issue. It caught my eye, in part, because we have a friend in Mpls that gave this a try and she is a new person. We have known her for over forty years and I noticed a real difference in her attitude, her posture, her outlook, etc. a while back and I asked her “what’s new in your life” because she just seemed reinvigorated. She was happy that I noticed a difference in her and told me about HBL.

I appreciate seeing the simplistic diagram which I though really made clear the functions of lower brain and the upper brain. Our friend who adopted this process tells me that using one portion of the brain seems to block usage of the other portion – meaning that if she is in “higher brain” mode, she doesn’t stress out about things or get all anxious.

It might seem like I’m doing a commercial for this High Brain Living concept – I promise that I am not affiliated with the organization, I just wanted to take a minute to tell you about the happy coincidence of us knowing someone that went through the very process that you just wrote about. Seems you are on the cutting edge with your editorial.

Happy Days,Bert J.Afton

16 STILLWATER LIVING MAY 2014

terra firma

hat is completely familiar yet largely unknown,

but sustains virtually every life form on earth?

If you guessed soil, give yourself a star!

Another fun fact: There are more living organisms in one

tablespoon of soil than there are human beings on earth!

We treat it like dirt, but there are some very good reasons

to give our precious soil a lot more respect—like the fact

that everything we eat can be traced back to soil. Or that

healthy soil equals healthy water and both sustain life.

We would not exist without either water or soil. It stores

carbon, purifies water and regulates atmosphere: it provides

the ultimate ecosystem service.

It all goes back several millennia when this “living skin”

of our planet was in another form. Soil began as rock,

and through eons of wind and water, it slowly transformed,

creating what we know today as soil.

As we know from our history lessons, the dust storms that

removed so much topsoil from the Great Plains all the way

to the east coast were a result of opening up wide swaths

of land without using buffer strips or wind blocks. These

storms resulted in the loss of tons of valuable soil from some

of the best farmland in the country. Franklin D. Roosevelt,

our president during some of these events, was quoted as

saying, “A nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself.”

Unfortunately, some of those lessons have not been learned.

According to soil scientists, as much as one third of our soil

has been lost from arable land since 1960.

The good news is that soil is resilient and can be rebuilt,

but it is a process that takes several years. The big chemical

companies have used synthetic fertilizers to add nutrients

to the soil, but this use of heavy metals in our soil has

lowered the nutritional value of the nation’s food supply.

In contrast, a sustainable approach creates “living soils,”

which make for food with higher nutrient content.

In other words, the foundation of good health is really the

soil in which our food is grown. Respecting this valuable

part of our earth and treating it with care can be a big part

of the solution to some of the most pressing environmental

problems we face today.

We are all stewards of the land. It is up to us to know and

consider the far-reaching effects of the biology of our soils

By Claudia Morgan, Photo by Laurie Schneider


so that we can grow healthy plants without ever resorting

to chemical warfare. Maximizing the good microorganisms

in soil helps strengthen plants so they can resist disease and

insect infestations.

Five tips for home gardeners:

1. Follow the rules of organic gardening. Build your soils

by rotating your crops from season to season. Make sure

that certain plant families are not planted in the same

location more than every three years to help maintain

a healthy balance of nutrients, organic matter and soil

microorganisms. Break the disease cycle and prevent the

loss of nutrients in the soil.

2. Avoid synthetic fertilizers. M

any healthy alternatives such

as Espoma organic products can be found at most good

garden centers.

3. Get back to basics. Compost your yard and kitchen waste

in bins or piles in your yard and create a steady supply of

organic matter to add to your gardens every season. If that

is not an option where you live, consider buying organic

manure and compost and adding some every season to

your gardens and pots.

4. Support organic farming. Buy a share or partial share

in an organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

and buy locally grown vegetables and meats from reliable

farmers who understand and practice good soil conservation

methods.

5. Share your knowledge. Help your children and neighbors

to perpetuate these positive steps toward protecting our

already- endangered planet. And above all, enjoy the

process of growing and sharing food that comes from

nutrient-rich soil. You will taste the difference!

Claudia Morgan has been in the green industry for over 20 years

and is a certified Nursery and Landscape Professional. She co-owns

Gardenside Landscaping.

Resources:

A Garden Primer by Eliot Coleman, a well-respected

organic gardener who devised a foolproof rotation method

after decades of research and trials. His books are readily

available at libraries and bookstores.

www.localharvest.org

www.mda.state.mn.us/food/minnnesotagrown

W

Sustainability- Part 2 of 4

It's Alive! The Scoop On Soil

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Realize Your Full PotentialHigher Brain Living in the ValleyBy Michelle Keiper

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NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE VALLEY


ast month the ladies of the Friday Study Club gathered for their annual picnic and to celebrate a significant milestone - the club’s

90th birthday. Initially, this group of progressive women gathered to study something other than housekeeping and diapers as a chapter of the Delphian Society which is a national women’s club. Our local group of roughly 30 women aged 25 to 30 maintained membership in the national association for sixteen years before venturing out on their own.

In 1930 the group broke formal ties to the national association and formed the Friday Study Club. They drafted a Constitution, By-Laws, formed standing committees, elected officers and they were off – on their own. 90 years later many topics have been studied and many ways have been found to help

this community. These are curious women who want to learn more about the history of their world and what is happening now and to have an impact on their community.

As a group, they’re a little older, have more formal education than their founders, and they still come from the Stillwater area. It’s great to see that they have a number of second and third generation members whom are treasure greatly. Like the earliest members, these women love our city and they have a strong desire to learn new things.

So here is to the ladies of the Friday Study Club, many thanks for all that you’ve done to improve this community.

LFriday Study Club Hits Milestone

mainstreet

The Elks Invasion


Mid-summer of 2016 will bring a cavalcade of Elks to the greater Stillwater area. Please don’t run out and apply for an Elk hunting permit, these Elks are some of the best community leaders in Minnesota. The cavalcade is comprised of Elk’s Lodges from all corners of the state, in Stillwater for the 2016 Elk’s State Convention.

We tell you about this future event to explain why our local Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk’s Lodge #179 is hosting a Grand Opening of their new digs. The lodge has closed their Greeley Street location and moved into The Heights Hall & Club building (formerly the VFW) on Omaha Ave, just south of Hwy 36.

The Grand Opening promises to be a grand time with a pig roast, indoor and outdoor games, giveaways, raffles (one of the big prizes is a 40” flat screen LCD HD TV) and a band playing the afternoon and evening away. Bring the family, bring neighbors and friends and experience the joy of the Elks on what is expected to be a beautiful August day. Get your tickets in advance to avoid the long lines.

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It’s pretty typical that sometime during the month of July parents accross the country collectively wish school would start again, primarily on rainy or foul weather days. The real shame in this scenario is that the kids could be happily engaged in some sort of creative endeavor that does not include cutting holes in your best linens.

Even if you didn’t plan ahead this summer in an effort to avoid seeing your kids sitting around the house complaining about nothing to do, it’s not too late to find a great program. This could be the summer to get those creative little people involved in art camps or art classes – it’ll be super fun, for both parent and child.

Local artists spend time sharing what they know about being creative with little people at a number of nearby studios. These folks have the space and the materials kids need to really dive into playing with paint or clay or fabrics or any number of other mediums. They know how to make it fun and the mess, at least the mess that the kids aren’t wearing, stays in their studio.

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Stencil Graffitti

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Explorer’s Art Camp

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Masterpieces

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Painting & Drawing

Mosaic Flower Pot

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Jewelry Beading 101

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Here is a list of some of the classes offered at Thunder Willow in Hudson & Off The Wall in Stillwater.

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The Good Stuff


study abroad

This is the fourth entry of Emily Gould’s journal while studying in South Africa.

used to see my parents work for hours in our home garden for hours and think that nothing could be more tedious or pointless. Little did I know that one day I

would be working in a garden and would even develop a passion for gardening. During my time in South Africa I volunteered at the care center in the Missionvale township, working alongside other members of my group every Monday and Tuesday morning. Some of us worked in the health clinic, some in the nutrition center and some in the school. As for me, I spent my mornings in the community garden.

I had no gardening experience before working at Missionvale, which is part of the reason the garden intrigued me. I figured since I like manual labor and being outside, the garden would be a perfect fit. I also appreciated the sustainability aspect of the garden project. Although I didn’t know what to expect coming into Missionvale, it ended up being my favorite part of my study abroad experience. With the guidance of Rosa, Fanie and Mandizi, the Missionvale garden crew, I learned how to garden, witnessed people follow their passion and developed close relationships with the staff I worked with.

Our first day at Missionvale, we were faced with the task of digging up the hard, sun-cracked soil and making rows for the seeds to be planted. It was a hot summer day with an

intense sun beating down on us as we dripped sweat from our hard labor. Shovels, pickaxe and rakes in hand, we struck the thick ground and churned up the soil as much as we could. Then we proceeded to the slightly easier task of shoveling the dirt into rows for the seeds to be planted in. That day we planted peas and beetroot, but in days to come, we would also plant mealies (corn) and mustard leaves.

After that first day, we spent much of our time watering our section of the garden along with Rosa’s tunnels of PVC pipes and netting, which were home to a variety of vegetables from cabbage to onion and even pumpkin. Everything in the tunnels was planted in open sacks full of sand, which retained the water better, and the tunnel provided extra protection from too much sun and too many bugs. The tunnels were Rosa’s pride and joy. One time an agriculture student from University told Rosa that she couldn’t plant carrots and onions next to each other. She simply responded: “Maybe they are brother and sister. Maybe they love each other!” And sure enough, the carrots and onions prospered, along with all the other vegetables.

Sometimes we had the opportunity to venture out into the township and help residents start their own vegetable gardens. Oftentimes the residents were incapable of developing their own garden because of old age or illness, but there were also times when they were right there beside us, digging up the ground. The main factor determining the success of the garden is whether people are motivated

By Emily Gould

IMissionvale Garden Club part four


enough to water it everyday. It was rewarding to stop by homes in the community where we had made gardens a week before and already see little sprouts coming up, because we knew the owners were taking care of their garden.

One time we went to a house set on cement and rock, and it looked like it would be impossible to dig up the ground for a garden there. We were hesitant to start digging and expressed our doubts to Rosa, but she exclaimed: “No. If this lady wants a garden, we will give her a garden!” So we ended up making the garden and it turned out better than expected. I felt ashamed at how quickly I was ready to give up on this particular home, but was glad for Rosa’s motivation.

Another challenge we faced was the amount of garbage piled up and strewn about in the community. One lot we planted had enough garbage to fill up two wheelbarrows, not only on the surface but as we dug up the ground. There is nowhere to put all the trash that cumulates in the township, so we had to dump it in the field across the street. Even the gardens that had plants beginning to grow often also had small pieces of trash that had found their way back to the lot.

Despite the challenges of manual labor, the sometimes tedious tasks of watering and weeding and the obstacles we faced in the community, I walked away from my experience in the gardens with a new perspective on the value of gardening as a sustainable practice, providing a healthy source of food with little cost and creating opportunities for work.

After spending four months gardening, I finally came to understand why my parents continue to garden year after year. It may not always be the most exciting activity, but they have a passion for it, even if it is just a hobby. Rosa truly exemplified someone who has a passion for her work. She puts her heart and soul into the gardens at Missionvale. She looks forward to working in the garden every day, even in the heat of the summer, because she knows that her hard work will pay off. And it certainly did.

At the end of the four months, we were able to harvest a variety of vegetables to package and distribute to members of the community who receive food parcels from the nutrition unit. Harvesting was an incredible experience; especially tasting fresh peas from the plant that we had watched grow. While I developed a small passion for gardening, more importantly, I developed a hope and an aspiration to follow my own passions, just as Rosa did and continues to do every day in the Missionvale garden.

Emily Gould is a graduate of Stillwater High School and a Communication major at the College of St. Benedict.


giving back

veryday someone faces a challenge. People are left without a meal; some have no place to call home; others are simply going through a difficult time. Life

can change at the drop of a hat for anyone, and that is why organizations like Youth United Way exist.

Youth United Way is built off the major association, United Way, and is created to make a change in our community - more specifically the youth portions of it. We are a group of 8-12th graders who work together to raise money for youth and hunger programs, making a difference one step at a time. Throughout the course of a year, our group gets together and plans various events and ideas on how we are going to earn these funds.

The largest and most substantial event is our annual Empty Bowls, which is geared more towards the hunger side of the program. The goal of this event, which takes place every March, is to raise awareness that hunger can exist in places

outside of third-world countries and the places that you hear about more often. Hunger can exist right here in your hometown, you just may not notice it.

Empty Bowls is well known across the community and the event has an increasingly large turn out. Each year, Youth United Way works to find donors of soup and bread, and to gather donated pottery from local artists; boxes filled with beautifully handcrafted bowls. These bowls are then either placed in a silent auction among other pieces of art or given out with the purchase of a ticket. When a person buys a ticket, they will receive a small bowl of soup, meant to leave you feeling slightly hungry, and an empty bowl to take home as a reminder of the hunger in our community. It puts meaning to the reason Empty Bowls occurs.

This is just one of the many ways our group uses to raise their funds. Throughout the year, we bag groceries at local stores; we host dinners at restaurants and we come up with

By Sydney Kuball, photo by Aimee Christenson

The Kids Are All RightDevelopment Through Service to Others

E


our own unique ideas on how we can make a difference. As co-president of the program, I strongly believe that we really do make a difference, at least in the small, but important world around us.

Each time the group meets, I see the excitement in their eyes and the energy that they are ready to put forth. Each and every volunteer is there because they are ready to see a change; they are ready to plan that change and they are ready to make that change happen. It is because of their drive and their willingness to achieve our goals that we strive for, that we are able to succeed.

Youth United Way is everything you want to be involved in and more. We are a family, working together to achieve greatness; we are learning together and we are making an impact. The skills and bonds we receive from participating in something like this are exceptional and necessary for everyday life.

An important thing in life that needs to be stressed is the idea of leadership. No, that does not mean you need to

be at the top of every chart; it means that you yourself are able to be a leader. You are able to voice your opinions and share your ideas; you are able to step in if needed. You are able to be someone that people can come to. Leadership doesn’t always require a fancy title, but it does require strength and courage.

That is a lesson you are able to find by being a part of Youth United Way; everyone can be a leader, and everyone is able to play a part. You learn life skills in communication, and you learn to not be afraid to take a stand for what you want or need. You are able to create bonds with people that will help you later in life. Most of all, you learn how to give back and that is the best feeling you will ever experience. Youth United Way is an unforgettable opportunity for all, and one you don’t want to miss out on.

Sydney Kuball, a SAHS student, is actively involved with Youth United Way

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he warm afternoon sun is heating up a festive last day of school in early June at the St. Croix Montessori School

in rural Stillwater. Even the donkeys, chickens and those awkwardly cute alpacas that live on the 15 gorgeous acres of the school’s grounds sense the celebratory mood and are playful.

The faculty and staff at this land- and farm-based school, which educates children from 16 months through Grade 6, are indeed celebrating, along with their students, the end of another successful school year. Everyone is outside with the animals, enjoying the inviting, natural, pastoral setting. The fixings for a giant picnic and open house are coming together at the school’s nature pavilion. A brief program gets underway

at the pavilion, recognizing students’ accomplishments. Children are respectful with one another and attentive to the program. Parents are beaming.

Beyond the nurturing sentiment of celebrating the students’ work, another topic of conversation this day has teachers, staff, parents and the school’s board members excited. Plans are solidifying for the school to expand, beginning in the fall of 2015, by offering a Montessori Junior High program, for 7th, 8th, and 9th grades.

It will be the only farm-based junior high Montessori school in the Twin Cities, says Sheri Rylicki, St. Croix’s Head of School, and, in fact, one of only a handful nationally.

Teach Your ChildrenArea Montessori school to extend nurturing approach to junior high-age students.


TBy Angelo GentilePhotos by Laurie Schneider


Rylicki says everyone connected with the school has been eager to extend the nurturing spirit of the Montessori experience to adolescents, those of junior-high age.

“Looking at the needs of our children, and looking at what is offered in the area, we don’t feel that there’s any model in the region that is small and nurturing, hands-on, that meets the needs of the junior high student,” says Rylicki. “They have individualized needs.”

Those elements—small and nurturing environment, hands-on teaching techniques, individualized approach—are at the core of the Montessori model.

The Montessori MethodAn Italian physician and educator, Dr. Maria Montessori developed, in the early 1900s, what would become known as the Montessori Method or Montessori education.

It is an educational approach characterized by an emphasis on independence; freedom within limits, including freedom of movement within the classroom; a respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical and social development; an individualized approach for each child; mixed-age classrooms; and uninterrupted blocks of work time.

As the American Montessori Society (AMS) describes on its website, the teacher, child, and environment create a learning triangle. The classroom is prepared by the teacher to encourage independence, freedom within limits and a sense of order. The child, through individual choice, makes use of what the environment offers to develop himself or herself, interacting with the teacher when support and/or guidance is needed.

As Rylicki likes to say, the educational approach is, “Meet children where they are.”

Multi-age groupings are a hallmark of the Montessori method, according to AMS, in which younger children learn

from older children and older children reinforce their own learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered. This arrangement parallels the “real” or work world, where, as the website states “Individuals work and socialize with people of all ages and dispositions.”

Another major component of Montessori is the environment—that third piece of the aforementioned triangle. In the case of the St. Croix school, the environment is an uncommon and natural one: outside and focused on the land, animals and farm-related elements.

Montessori schools are popular. The North American Montessori Teachers Association estimates that there are about 4,500 Montessori schools in the United States and about 20,000 worldwide. Privateschoolreview.com reports that Minnesota hosts 61 private Montessori schools. Additionally, there are a number of charter Montessori schools and a few magnet Montessori schools in the state.

St. Croix Montessori School opened in 1994, and currently enrolls about 100 children. A non-profit school, St. Croix is funded mostly from tuition dollars. The school attracts students from all over the metro, though most come from area cities such as Stillwater, Woodbury, Lake Elmo, Afton, St. Paul, and Hudson, Wisconsin.

The Junior High PlanSt. Croix Montessori School will remain small, says Rydicki, and would cap its junior high enrollment at a certain, as-yet-undetermined level. The school’s total enrollment would not exceed 150, Rydicki says.

Curriculum plans for the junior high include a “hands on, purposeful academic program [that] is interdisciplinary, with a strong emphasis on science, math, humanities, and the arts,” writes Jodi Kent, who is a board member and parent, in a letter that has been sent to area foundations seeking funds for building renovations. She also is the chairperson of the school’s Adolescent Expansion Task Force.


In addition, a unique entrepreneurial element will be incorporated into the curriculum. As a planning document for the program explains, “The adolescent thrives in an environment rich in purposeful work, where the academics, though challenging, are practical to their daily lives, where they’re not just acquiring knowledge but developing skills. Running a business and offering their products to the community at large is an important aspect of this practical application of knowledge gained.”

As Kent explains, adolescents “are ready to be entrepreneurs…to learn about starting a business and learn about a mini micro-economy.” Along these lines, plans call for students to potentially create a business centered around activities including selling items such as eggs from the school’s chickens, the fleece from the alpacas, honey and apple cider, hosting a pumpkin patch attraction, and so forth.

As Rylicki adds, the approach will be “hands-on and experiential.”

Beyond curriculum planning, school administrators and volunteers are working on a $250,000 rehab and renovation of an existing farmhouse on the property, which would be a separate learning facility for the junior high group. “The farmhouse is perfect for the junior high,” says Kent. “They can have their own space, care for the farm animals and be in nature; this will all be a part of their experience.”

A current fundraising campaign is garnering the needed dollars for the farmhouse renovation, which, according to Dan Rylicki, Sheri’s husband and a school volunteer, has not been without its own set of unusual challenges. For example, the school has had to meet with and gain approval from the West Lakeland Township Board for certain code and compliance issues such as installing fire suppression systems and adding a second bathroom. “There are challenges when changing a building from a home, a residential house, to a school,” says Dan Rylicki.

Ultimately, supporters are confident that the academic and the building plans will all come together to continue the Montessori model that will welcome a new set of students: 7th through 9th graders.

Montessori: It WorksBack at that sun-splashed last day of school in June, amid the chatter of parents and the laughter and squeals of young children, Andy Stadheim, a parent and board member, is explaining to a visitor what a firm believer he is in the Montessori approach. “True leadership comes from being able to make decisions where you don’t know all of the answers. And that ability comes from having a different type of learning environment than the classic ‘test to one answer’ or ‘common core’ educational approaches.”


A national list of famous Montessori school alumni bears out Stadheim’s point. The Wall Street Journal reports that several well-known, successful individuals attended Montessori schools, including Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon; Julia Child; Sean “P. Diddy” Combs; and Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin.

In fact, when Barbara Walters, who interviewed Google founders Page and Brin in 2004, asked if having parents who were college professors was a major factor behind their success, they instead credited their early Montessori education. “We both went to Montessori school,” Page said, “and I think it was part of that training of not following rules and orders, and being self-motivated, questioning what’s going on in the world, doing things a little bit differently.”

Intriguing to think about how the more traditional public schools could potentially learn from the Montessori model. In fact, thinking back to that idyllic, countryside setting on that last day of school, wouldn’t it be great if the publics could somehow bottle the essence of that joyful feeling, and a simpler yet more nurturing and innovative approach to teaching children?

Angelo Gentile is a Minneapolis editor and writer.

• An emphasis on independence• Freedom within limits, including freedom of movement within the classroom• A respect for a child’s natural physical, psychological and social development• An individualized approach for each child, and individual choice for each child• Multi-age classrooms: younger children learn from older children and older children reinforce their own learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered• Uninterrupted blocks of work time• A sense of order

In Brief: The Montessori WayThe St. Croix Montessori School in rural Stillwater, which teaches children 16 months through Grade 6, will add a junior high component for 7th, 8th, and 9th grades beginning fall of 2015. It will be the only farm-based junior high Montessori school in the Twin Cities, says Sheri Rylicki, St. Croix’s Head of School, and, in fact, one of only several nationwide.

The school, which opened its doors in1994, teaches students using the Montessori education method or model, developed in the early 1900s by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. This education model includes the following key fundamentals:

For more information about the St. Croix Montessori School, and about Montessori education in general, visit these websites:

St. Croix Montessori School

www.stcroixmontessori.orgAmerican Montessori Society

www.amshq.org


"Scarlet is our smallest horse, I am going to learn to ride her this summer!"

A Day's Work on Morning Glory FarmFarm Kid-Will Pelfrey

Photos by Laurie Schneider

ine year old Will Pelfrey recently completed the third grade and he couldn’t be happier that summer is finally here. Like most kids at his school Will was attentive and participative in class, he enjoyed the heck out of recess and

gym class – a normal kid.

One thing that sets Will apart from many other nine year olds in the Stillwater area is his daily walk. Will doesn’t sit on his sofa playing video games all day or sleep-in most summer days, he enjoys a healthy balance of work and play on the family farm.

We asked Will to walk us around for a day and show us what life on the farm is all about. Come along for a tour...

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"One of my chores is to help take care of our three horses. Part of that job is cleaning out stalls and re-bedding them with fresh straw. I also keep the outside horse shed and the sheep shed filled with dry straw. It helps keep the animals dry and warm in the winter and cuts down on flies in the summer!"

"My dog George helps with chores too! He is very alert to any strange noises near the barn and protects our free ranging hens from coyotes."

"I help my Mom move our sheep around to different pastures for rota-tional grazing. This reduces the parasite exposure for the animals and manages the grazing areas more intensively. The fencing is portable electric netting with a solar energizer."

"The horses come into the barn each morning and night to have their grain. This gives us a chance to check on them and make sure they haven’t been hurt in the pasture. In the winter I also have to give them hay, but during the summer they have plenty of grass to eat."

"I gather eggs in the evening and box them up for sale. Our meat customers come to the farm to pick up the organic eggs. The shells are all different colors, (except white) and the yolks are dark yellow from the hens being outside eating lots of different plants and bugs."

"When the small pigs arrive at the farm they are very skeptical of people. I like to sit on the edge of their shed and wait for their curiousity to get the better of them. Eventually they will come over and sniff me."

"The pigs like to be scratched on their back, they feel very rough when you pet them. These are Berkshire hogs, a heritage breed that has darker, more flavorful meat. We move the pigs around to fresh pasture so that they can root up plants and find tasty roots and bugs to eat. They also get any dirty or broken eggs from the hen house, one of their favorite treats!"


"Our four barn cats are eager for dinner. They stay in the barn at night to keep mice away from the grain."

"I am never far from my bike! While the horses are finishing their dinner I take a ride around the chicken house."

"I like to practice target shooting with my BB gun. When I turn 11 I will be able to get my Firearms Safety Certification and go hunting with my Dad."

"I love riding my dirt bike. We have trails all through our property and a few small jumps. I really like to ride with my dad and my big brother."

"We are bottle feeding two Jersey bull calves, Mike and Ike. They will start eating grass in a couple of months, but need their bottles morning and night until then."


corner table

PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY.

I grew up in St. Paul, but my family moved around a little, and we ended up in southern California where I went to junior high and high school. I came back to Minnesota to attend St. Olaf College and knew upon graduating that I wanted to remain in Minnesota—my experience was such that I found people here to be simply more genuine and caring than in other places. That decision turned out to be one of the best I ever made, as shortly thereafter I met my wife, Tracy. Together we have two children, Michael (age 12 going into 7th grade) and Kelly (age 10 going into 4th grade) and we spend a lot of time during the summer (when it’s not raining!) on youth soccer fields.

I started teaching physical science, chemistry, and physics at Park High School in Cottage Grove, MN in 1992 immediately after I graduated from St. Olaf. I spent 15 years teaching science there, where I was also the Head Volleyball Coach for 12 years. I became an assistant principal at Park in 2007, and have spent the past two years serving as an assistant principal at Woodbury High School.

WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO BECOME AN EDUCATOR?

I think teaching has always been in my blood. Even as a kid, whether it was helping coach my younger brother’s T-ball team, teaching Marching Band technique to underclassmen at school, or tutoring other students in math, the opportunity to teach was something that I always looked forward to.

While at St. Olaf, I learned that I could make my avocation my vocation, and I feel fortunate to have been in an environment that allowed me the opportunity to learn and experiment in ways that prepared me to be a professional.

DID YOU MISS THE CLASSROOM ONCE YOU MOVED INTO ADMINISTRATION?

Honestly, I still do miss the classroom to some extent. I mentioned in my interview process that I still consider myself a teacher at heart. There is an opportunity for connection there that is special and simply can’t be replicated through other means because of the every-day interaction that takes place.

Photos by Aimee Christenson

A Friendly Conversation with Rob Bach, Stillwater Area High School's New Principal


With that said, there is still an opportunity to teach in administration—I think in this line of work that we are always educating others. Now, I look forward to teaching students in areas other than A. P. Chemistry; like how to be a good representative of your school or how to demonstrate school pride in positive ways. I also feel like I have an opportunity to help teachers improve their instructional technique, which allows me to “teach” the art of teaching.

WHAT DID YOU SEE THE PRINCIPAL DOING THAT YOU PLAN TO EMULATE?

I have observed some principals who did a great job of helping to create an environment that embraces the comprehensive nature of school and the feeling of community within a school. I have observed others who did an amazing job raising the level of academic awareness and proficiency within the school. What I will try to do will be to take the best of both of these worlds and merge them so that we are proud of who we are as well as what we are accomplishing. My sense is that Stillwater Area High School already has a great combination of these traits, which is one of the reasons I was so drawn to this school.

One way to do this is to be visible in classrooms. It’s important for students to know who the leader of their

school is in order to feel like they are a part of a community and also for them to know that the leader of their school takes their education very seriously. I think both of these ideas can be impressed upon students when they see me in their classes.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THE POSITION HERE AT SAHS THAT CAUGHT YOUR EYE?

One thing that stands out about SAHS is that it provides the combination of factors that I just mentioned--our students demonstrate very impressive academic proficiency rates, and there is also a deep sense of pride within the community with regard to the school. In a district where there is only one high school, that high school has a chance to be one of the crown jewels of the community and that idea excites me a lot.

SAHS is also an amazingly comprehensive high school. The amount of programming that our school offers means that our students have unique opportunities that don’t exist in every other school including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) classes, a wide array of Advanced Placement courses, and online opportunities. We have nationally renowned athletic and arts programs! Who wouldn’t want to be part of such a dynamic culture?

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CAN WE COUNT ON YOU TO GET THEM PREPARED TO GO INTO THE WORLD?

I have no doubt that all of the children in this community are above average, and yes, they will be prepared!

As I see it, our goal should be not just to get students prepared to “go into the world”, but to prepare students to lead the world. The world is filled with complex problems that will not be solved without people who are prepared and able to think in diverse and creative ways. It is our responsibility to begin to train students in ways to do this. I hope that the personalized learning pathways that our district promotes allow our students to develop and cultivate the kind of curiosity that they need in order to be the kinds of leaders that this ideal demands. Based on my brief experience so far with SAHS, I think this is a realistic vision.

HOW CAN WE INCREASE ALUMNI PARTICIPATION?

I’m not sure what’s already in place in this regard, but it would be great to see an alumni coordinator who can put together events using social media, data bases, and other tools. The Distinguished Alumni program, which honors past graduates at commencement, is a fantastic program and involves several members of our community in the

selection process. I could see these announcements also being tied to other events like Homecoming, Hall of Fame inductions, or fund-raisers. Maybe Stillwater Living could put together a publication for us as a community service!

ACADEMICS, ARTS, ATHLETICS—WHAT IS YOUR VIEW?

I mentioned earlier the comprehensive nature of SAHS, and these are three of the biggest components that we have in order to meet our mission of developing curious individuals who are active and engaged. I also see these areas as being interconnected. Research indicates that students do better academically when they are involved in extra-curricular activities. Even if that were not true, students are still going to learn things through their experience in any arena, which is why it is important for us to offer as many first-class opportunities as possible.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS—CAN YOU GET US THERE?

As a former head coach, I know that we don’t spend hours every day practicing to lose. I love to be part of successful teams and organizations and will work to see us recognized as the best in the state. With that said, state championships are not the only measuring stick. Process is important, along with the results, and in order to make sure that the process is solid, you need to have talented and committed

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people in place who are preaching and teaching the right messages. If the correct process is in place with good people leading the charge, the desired results usually follow.

HOW WILL THE BUDGET REDUCTIONS IMPACT YOUR WORK?

That remains to be seen. In a typical school district, approximately 80% of the budget is devoted toward the people in the organization as opposed to its programs, so it’s hard to talk about budget cuts without talking about the people affected. I believe in the power of the people behind programs, so budget cuts always have an adverse effect on what we would like to accomplish, but we function at the behest of our community and will work within the constraints that we need to.

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT TO BE READING ABOUT READING ABOUT PRINCIPAL BACH IN FIVE YEARS?

Hopefully what people will be reading about is the success of the students and graduates of Stillwater Area High School. If we do well, there should be more than enough good material there!


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