I remember that my first Thanksgiving in this country was celebrated in agas station in New Jersey, eating a turkey sandwich with a can of ginger ale.Of course, that didn’t mean anything to me – neither the food nor theholiday. I was not from this country, this culture, this history. Later on, Iunderstood that Thanksgiving...Read More

Last Friday, during our In-Service Day, faculty and staff participated in the zoomworkshop “Capoeira as Cultural Competence Builder” with the Brazilian CapoeiraMestre, Fuá Nascimento. Mestre Fuá and the Hilltop staff discussed the history andphysical movement of capoeira, considered one of the largest Black resistancemovements. Capoeira is a cultural ritual practice that involves fighting, dancing, singing,rhythm,...Read More

Seeing our own biases can be a difficult and uncomfortable experience. When talkingabout biases we mean beliefs, ideologies, social patterns, and social structures thhave been directly or indirectly institutionalized as part of who “we” are and how webehave in society.The construction of individuals in society has long been determined by institutionswhich have developed laws to...Read More

A land acknowledgment is an act of conciliation, a statement that recognizes indigenouspeople as the traditional stewards of the lands. “When approached humbly, in authentic consultation with indigenouspeople as equals, land acknowledgments can help pave the way to honouringthose with whom we share this land” -Selena Mills Hilltop Montessori School, in the work for understanding...Read More

The debates about what we should call or celebrate on October 12th are vast andhappen in different degrees. The request to eliminate “Columbus Day” from thecalendar and replace it with “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” (a more appropriate term, bustill not used everywhere) is not recent. In Vermont, governor Peter Shumlin signed in2016 a proclamation that rebranded...Read More

At Hilltop Montessori School, understanding diversity with all of its social and culturalintersections is necessary to reveal and confront all forms of discrimination. Thecreation of an equitable, just, and inclusive community is only possible with thecommitment and awareness of all. The teachers and staff are working on educatingourselves on our biases and how they show...Read More