A Principal’s Reflection: When Summer Becomes an Opportunity of Growth

Written by Veronica Chen

As a principal—and as a parent—I’ve come to see summer a little differently over the years.

Like many families, I once thought of summer as a time to pause learning. A time to rest, reset, and step away from structure. But watching my own children grow, especially through their Montessori summers, shifted that perspective completely.

I saw firsthand that children don’t need a break from learning—they need the right kind of learning.

Watching Growth Happen in Real Time

I remember my children’s early summers so clearly.

Their first summer in Primary, they cried during Water Day. The experience felt unfamiliar, maybe even overwhelming.

The second summer, something changed. They didn’t jump right in—but they were curious. They touched the water squirters. They painted with water. They observed.

By the third summer, they were fully participating—laughing, playing, squirting water alongside their friends.

No one forced them. No one rushed them.

They grew at their own pace.

That is what meaningful learning looks like.

And that is what summer can offer when it’s done right—a space for children to build confidence, try new things, and become more of who they are.

Ms. Chen's children enjoying Summer water days!

When Learning Feels Natural

At Arborland Montessori, our summer program is intentionally designed to feel different from the traditional idea of “summer school.”

Our mornings are focused, where students continue building their math and language skills in a calm, supportive environment. This consistency helps children retain what they’ve learned and continue progressing—without pressure.

Our afternoons are where imagination and exploration take the lead, with themes like:

• Mission: Problem Solve

• Global Sports: More than a Game

• From Independence to Innovation: America’s 250-Year Story

• Broadway Bound! Writers’ Workshop

  
  

Children aren’t just learning—they are experiencing, creating, and discovering.

Learning That Extends Beyond the Classroom

One of the highlights for our 1st–8th grade students is that each session includes field trips that connect directly to what they are learning.

These experiences bring meaning and context to their work.

For example, during our Global Sports: More than a Game session, students will visit Dodger Stadium. It’s one thing to talk about teamwork and sports culture—it’s another to step into that environment and feel it.

These are the moments that stay with children.

A Thought for Parents

Summer is valuable time for growth—no matter how it is spent.

For some families, that growth happens through travel, new environments, and time together exploring different places. For others, it happens in a familiar setting where children continue building skills, confidence, and independence.

Multiple paths are meaningful.

Whether your child is discovering a new place on vacation or continuing their journey here with us, they are learning, adapting, and growing in ways that shape who they are becoming.

In Montessori, we trust that growth doesn’t stop when the school year ends.

It simply continues—sometimes in new places, sometimes in familiar ones—but always moving forward.

If you would like to learn more about our summer program, we invite you to visit our website at www.arborland.com for more information.

I have seen what a Montessori summer can do—not just in our classrooms, but in my own children.

And it is something truly special.