Pictured above: Aidan children planting pinwheels for peace on the International Day of Peace in September, 2017.
Directing our action toward mankind means, first and foremost, doing so with regard to the child. The child, that 'forgotten citizen', must be appreciated in accordance with his true value. His rights as a human being who shapes all of mankind must become sacred, and the secret laws of his normal psychic development must light the way for civilization. Maria Montessori, Education and Peace
The below is a letter organized by AIMS and AISGW, two organizations of independent schools to which Aidan belongs. As you can see, Aidan is a signatory, in keeping with our Montessori mission and our utmost desire to keep all children safe.
The letter will be and has also been published as a full-page ad in the "A" sections of the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun on Sunday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 14, respectively.
Independent School Heads in the Greater Washington, D.C. Area and Maryland Speak Out Against Gun Violence
The horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida, has led students, teachers, and school leaders to speak out forcefully against gun violence. Students - children - who have experienced this trauma and loss first-hand are showing the way. As adults and as educators, it is our time to lead. With those student activists and with their grieving families, we too say, "Never Again!"
For years now, citizens of the United States have endured mass shootings, in public venues, neighborhoods and communities, houses of worship, colleges and universities, and our schools. Children, our most vulnerable citizens and our hope for the future, are dying from gun violence, again and again.
Statistics from countries around the globe show that it is possible to minimize gun deaths through common-sense legislation. Here in the United States, we see that easy access to weapons, particularly those of military-style design, results in significantly higher levels of gun violence.
We urge our President, our Congress, and our state leaders to enact specific, vigorous measures to reduce gun violence in our society, particularly in our schools. We need a robust system of registration and background checks, with a particular eye toward weapons capable of rapidly firing a vast number of deadly shots. We need stronger mental health services and more effective communication among agencies responsible for the well-being of children, adults, and families. What we do not need is to arm our teachers with guns, which is dangerous and antithetical to our profession as educators.
As school leaders, we call upon everyone who cares about the education and the welfare of children to urge our government to act. We need our teachers to be able to teach. We need our students to be able to learn. And we need everyone in every school around the country to feel safe.
Our school communities represent multiple political parties and occupy different positions on the spectrum from liberal to conservative. Our schools are secular and religious, small and large, urban, rural, and suburban. We serve a range of children, from nursery through grade twelve. Our calling is to serve and to educate children, to ensure their safety and well-being, and to help them grow into thoughtful and responsible citizens. Please let us do our work. Please act now with vigor, determination, and urgency, on behalf of our nation's children.
Respectfully,
Heads of Schools (listed alphabetically by school)
The Academy of the Holy Cross | Kathleen Prebble | ||
Aidan Montessori School | Kevin Clark | ||
Alef Bet Montessori School | Ellie Lichtash | ||
Alpert Family Aleph Bet Jewish Day School | Sarah White | ||
Archbishop Spalding High School | Kathleen K. Mahar | ||
Baltimore Lab School | Dr. Steven Buettner | ||
Barrie School | Dr. Jonathan Kidder | ||
Beauvoir, The National Cathedral Elementary School | Michael Eanes | ||
Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School | Dr. Zipora Schorr | ||
Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys | James R. Woody | ||
Bishop McNamara High School | Dr. Marco J. Clark | ||
The Boys' Latin School of Maryland | Christopher Post | ||
Browne Academy | Peggy Otey | ||
The Bryn Mawr School | Sue Sadler | ||
Bullis School | Dr. Gerald L. Boarman | ||
Burgundy Farm Country Day School | Jeff Sindler | ||
Butler Montessori | Laura Manack | ||
Calvert Hall College High School | Br. John Kane, FSC, Ed.D. | ||
Calvert School | Andrew Holmgren | ||
Capitol Hill Day School | Jason Gray | ||
The Catholic High School of Baltimore | Dr. Barbara D. Nazelrod | ||
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School | Rabbi Mitchel Malkus | ||
Christ Episcopal School | Dr. Caroline Chapin | ||
Commonwealth Academy | Matt Johns | ||
Concord Hill School | James Carroll | ||
Congressional School | Janet Marsh | ||
Connelly School of the Holy Child | Dr. Shannon Gomez | ||
The Country School | Neil Mufson | ||
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School | Dr. William Heiser | ||
The Diener School | Dr. Noreen Buchanan | ||
Edmund Burke School | Damian Jones | ||
Episcopal High School | Charley Stillwell | ||
Evergreen School | John DeMarchi | ||
The Field School | Dale Johnson | ||
Flint Hill School | John M. Thomas | ||
Foxcroft School | Cathy McGehee | ||
Friends Community School | Larry Clements | ||
Friends Meeting School | Mara Nicastro | ||
Friends School of Baltimore | Matthew Micciche | ||
Garrison Forest School | Lila Boyce Lohr | ||
Georgetown Day School | Russell Shaw | ||
Georgetown Preparatory School | Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. | ||
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School | Daniel Kerns | ||
Gilman School | Henry Smyth | ||
Glenelg Country School | Gregory Ventre | ||
Gonzaga College High School | Rev. Stephen W. Planning, S.J. | ||
Grace Episcopal Day School | Jennifer Danish | ||
Green Acres School | Dr. Neal M. Brown | ||
Green Hedges School | Robert Gregg | ||
The GreenMount School | Liz Baker | ||
Greenspring Montessori School | Tamara Sheesley Balis | ||
The Gunston School | John Lewis, IV | ||
The Harbor School | Andrea Zuraf | ||
Harford Day School | Dr. Gray Smith | ||
The Heights School | Alvaro de Vincente | ||
The Highlands School | Dr. Philip Piercy | ||
Holton-Arms School | Susanna Jones | ||
Holy Trinity Episcopal Day School | Michael Mullin | ||
Indian Creek School | Dr. Rick Branson | ||
Institute of Notre Dame | Christine Szala | ||
Jemicy School | Ben Shifrin | ||
Kent School | Nancy Mugele | ||
The Key School | Matthew Nespole | ||
The Kingsbury Center | Dr. Dennis Campbell | ||
Krieger Schechter Day School | Rabbi Moshe Schwartz | ||
The Lab School of Washington | Katherine Schantz | ||
Landon School | Jim Neill | ||
The Langley School | Elinor Scully | ||
Little Folks School | James Gilroy | ||
Loudoun Country Day School | E. Randall Hollister, Ph.D. | ||
Lowell School | Debbie Gibbs | ||
Loyola Blakefield | Anthony Day | ||
The Madeira School Pilar | Cabeza de Vaca | ||
Maret School | Marjo Talbott | ||
Maryvale Preparatory School | Tracey H. Ford | ||
Mater Dei School | William McMurtrie | ||
McDonogh School | Charles Britton | ||
McLean School | Michael Saxenian | ||
Mercersburg Academy | Katherine Titus | ||
Mercy High School | Mary Beth Lennon | ||
Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation's Capital | Naomi Reem | ||
Montessori School of Westminster | Jodi Lupco | ||
Mount Saint Joseph High School | George Andrews, Jr. | ||
National Cathedral School | Kathleen O'Neill Jamieson | ||
National Presbyterian School | Malcolm Lester | ||
The Nora School | Dave Mullen | ||
Norwood School | Matthew Gould | ||
Notre Dame Preparatory School | Patricia McCarron, SSND, Ph.D. | ||
The Odyssey School | Marty Sweeney | ||
Oldfields School | Ansley Smithwick | ||
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School | Dr. Paul Barker | ||
The Park School of Baltimore | Daniel Paradis | ||
The Potomac School | John Kowalik | ||
The Primary Day School | Scott Lawrence | ||
Radcliffe Creek School | Molly Judge | ||
The River School | Nancy Mellon | ||
Roland Park Country School | Caroline Blatti | ||
Saint Andrew's United Methodist Day School | Mark Wagner | ||
Saint James School | Rev. Dr. D. Stuart Dunnan | ||
Sandy Spring Friends School | Thomas Gibian | ||
Severn School | Doug Lagarde | ||
Sheridan School | Jessica Donovan | ||
Sidwell Friends School | Bryan Garman, Ph.D. | ||
Sisters Academy of Baltimore | Delia M. Dowling, SSND | ||
St. Albans School | Vance Wilson | ||
St. Andrew's Episcopal School | Robert Kosasky | ||
St. Anne's School of Annapolis | Lisa Nagel | ||
St. Anselm's Abbey School | William T. Crittenberger | ||
St. Columba's Nursery School | Julia Berry | ||
St. Ignatius Loyola Academy | John Ciccone | ||
St. James Academy | Maureen Walsh | ||
St. John's Episcopal School | Thomas R. Stevens | ||
St. John's College High School | Jeffrey Mancabelli | ||
St. Martin's-in-the-Field Episcopal School | Jamey Hein | ||
St. Martin's Lutheran School | James Moorhead | ||
St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School | Peter Barrett | ||
St. Paul's School | David Faus | ||
St. Paul's School for Girls | Penny B. Evins | ||
St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School | Kirsten Prettyman Adams | ||
St. Timothy's School | Randy Stevens | ||
Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart | Catherine Karrels | ||
Trinity School, Inc. | Sister Catherine Phelps | ||
Waldorf School of Baltimore | Pat Whitehead | ||
Washington Episcopal School | Danny Vogelman | ||
Washington International School | Clayton Lewis | ||
Washington Jesuit Academy | William Whitaker | ||
The Washington School for Girls | Beth Reaves | ||
Washington Waldorf School | Jennifer Page | ||
West Nottingham Academy | Dr. Thomas J. Banks | ||
Westminster School | Ellis Glover | ||
The Wilkes School at Grace & St. Peter's | Patricia Barry | ||
The Woods Academy | Joseph Powers | ||
Wye River Upper School | Chrissy M. Aull |