Montpelier Montessori School Takes Home Blue Ribbon and Gold Best in Show at the Tunbridge Fair.

The elementary classroom at the Montpelier Montessori School has brought home the gold: a Best in Show ribbon for its ancient civilizations display at the Tunbridge Fair. The display garnered a blue ribbon as well, placing first in the Junior Division.

The display of Greek and Roman helmets and shields, canopic jars, masks, and a sarcophagus portrayed tools and ceremonial objects from ancient civilizations, which the class created to study and retell history on parents' night at the close of the school year in June.

Kristen Martin, the lead teacher in the elementary classroom, stated, "We studied the life and times of Prehistoric Man, Ancient Egyptians, Greek, and Romans. As we researched ancient times, we found lots of interesting facts and stories for our presentation boards and timelines. We made plans to create models and costumes for each of the four civilizations and gathered recycled materials to create them all."

Orsi Callnan, a parent who was instrumental in the development of the project, noted, "I introduced the concept and the children took it from there. I was amazed as the project kept growing and growing. The children even asked if they could work on it, on weekends. It's not often a sarcophagus is assembled in my basement."

Martin mentioned that the class is continuing to bring history to life as part of the ongoing curriculum, "Paper-mache is a perennial favorite because with a little flour, salt, and water, one may make anything out of newspaper strips."

Montessori School of Central Vermont offers private education for children ages 3 - 9 in mixed age classrooms based upon an educational theory developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian teacher and physician. Montessori programs inspire children through special direction, educational materials, and the natural world, fostering lifelong creativity and a passion for independence and learning.