Wondering what to expect in fall?
Council Oak Montessori School (COMS) understands there is quite a bit of uncertainty around re-opening schools this fall. While we work hard behind the scenes, we feel that transparency is important. We want to tell you exactly how we plan to maintain our high-fidelity Montessori curriculum while keeping students and staff safe. Children need social opportunities to grow. They also need the guidance of a trained adult.
As we look towards the next school year, we need to balance health with education and enrichment. We have gathered a panel of experts from various fields to talk about re-opening schools, keeping our students and families safe, and providing a high quality, whole-child education.
We have recorded this event in order to spread this information as far as possible. Whether you decide to send your children to school, enroll in a distance learning program, or take on the challenge of home-school, COMS believes that everyone deserves to have all the information available.
Our panelists speak from their areas of expertise. We hope that their words can provide comfort and help you make your decision with confidence.
Heather Duncan: Director of Early Learning at Collaboration for Early Childhood, and long time COMS parent. Heather will speak on what she has seen in the process of keeping our youngest people safe, both physically and emotionally.
Lila Jokanovic: Our current head of school, parent, and previous Children’s House teacher. Lila has been working hard to prepare for the many changes COVID-19 has brought us while maintaining Council Oak Montessori School’s nurturing, Montessori environment.
Wendy Cole: Wendy is the executive director of Maple Street School, a cooperative preschool in Brooklyn, NY, as well as a member of the planning committee of Little Chairs Big Differences, a collective committed to creating and and cultivating a sense of belonging, exploring race conscious classrooms and communities, presenting, listening to and understanding our voices as caregivers and other marginalized groups, fostering more inclusive environments, advocating for access and affordability, and responding to and preventing violence against people of color, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people living in poverty and other marginalized groups. Wendy most recently co-founded the Brooklyn Coalition of Early Childhood Programs (bcecp.org).
Selvam Mascarenhas: Selvam went to Saint George’s University School of Medicine for Medical School, did residency in internal medicine at Norwalk Hospital Yale University. He has been working as hospitalist for over ten years in Delaware. He also works as physician advisor and Carevio Medical – a care coordination program director with focus on long term facilities.
Reena Mascarenhas: Reena went to Madurai Medical College for medical school, did residency in internal medicine at Christiana Care Hospital, Delaware and fellowship in Infectious Disease at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Currently in private practice for 3 years as an Infectious Disease Consultants and her practice provides consultation at hospitals in Northern Delaware and Northern Maryland.
Lydia Phillips: Lydia has worked with children, families, and individuals at Lipscomb University’s Counseling Center and The Refuge Center for Counseling. In 2016, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Child and Family Studies and obtained her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Play Therapy in 2018. Currently, she offers parent coaching, play therapy, EMDR, solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy and traditional talk therapy to help clients attain the greatest hopes for their lives.