The Montessori Children's Academy of Chatham, Morristown and Short Hills

The Montessori Children’s Academy is grateful for the enthusiasm of their students and their families, who have participated in a charitable initiative for Girls on the Run NJ East (GOTR) this year.

We are incredibly touched by the generosity of our MCA families who helped raise more than $6,500, including $2,500, which was contributed by MCA, says Camilla Nichols-Uhler, The Director of Montessori Development.

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a nonprofit positive youth-development program for girls in 3rd through 8th grade which utilizes running as a tool to promote physical, social, and emotional growth. GOTR volunteers explore issues important to pre-adolescent girls, such as valuing their unique gifts, dealing with gossip and bullying, eating and exercising for health, working as a team, and performing community service. At the same time, the volunteer coaches help the girls train to complete the end of the season’s 5K run, which allows the girls to see how much they can accomplish through the benefits of hard work. The GOTR curriculum empowers girls to successfully navigate life experiences, and encourages a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness. Studies demonstrate that girls who participate show statistically significant and meaningful improvement in the areas of competence, confidence, character, and caring, as well as increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviors. For more information about Girls on the Run of NJ East, please visit their website at www.girlsontherunnj.org.

As part of the Peace Education curriculum at The Montessori Children’s Academy, our students learned about the Girls on the Run organization to help them gain awareness of needs in our local communities, and they discovered how people are helping to meet those needs. The highlight was when GOTR presented at school-wide assemblies at each of our MCA campuses in Chatham, Morristown, and Short Hills. The children were led through a “visualization” exercise, and learned a lot about the importance of trying to live a healthy and active lifestyle. The GOTR representatives taught the children about “Energy Awards” such as “Superstar”, “The Banana”, and “The Water Melon”. At the conclusion of the assembly, all of the children received small bracelets from GOTR with empowering words, and they left with a better understanding about how the organization helps kids just like them.

Throughout the school year, MCA students raised money for GOTR by selling baked goods, colored shoelaces, and decorated paper shoe cutouts. Through planning and participating in these events, the students learned a great deal. In addition, the Elementary students learned about the history of the first “shoe” and how it evolved from a sandal to a complete shoe. The students read inspirational stories and collected close to 50 pairs of sneakers along with workout clothes to donate to GOTR participants. Through their involvement, they have learned how to plan, organize, and execute events, in addition to learning the importance of helping others.

We would also like to acknowledge the many MCA families who helped to make this year’s charitable initiative such a success. In addition to our current and alumni parents, some of our teachers, also contributed by joining “Charity Miles”, which is an app that tracks your daily workout and partners with companies that in turn donate money based on how many miles participants track. For more information, visit the charitymiles.org website.

This spring, over one thousand girls in NJ East are expected to join GOTR, and our schools’ combined donations will enable a number of these girls to now participate. “Team MCA” will also be invited to participate in the GOTR’s 5K, which will take place on June 10th in Florham Park. Students from MCA will be offered the opportunity to walk/run the 5K race, as well as help at water stations along the course.

We are very thankful for the participation of our students and families to make our community outreach efforts a success. We know all of their contributions will make an enormous impact in the lives of the young girls from Girls on the Run.

To learn more about Montessori education and The Montessori Children’s Academy, please visit our website at TheMontessoriChildrensAcademy.com.