In Celebration of Women’s History Month, host of It’s A Women’s World Carolyn Bruna invites Christina Thomas, the Founder and Head of The Journey School in Spencerville, Maryland.
Carolyn read a letter one parent wrote, telling about the path Christina has been on, sharing the positive effect it has had on the community, and the difference it has made to the graduates lives. Thomas shares her journey to open the first free standing Montessori Middle School in Montgomery County. It has welcomed students from 1st-8th grades since 2015, adding the elementary program in 2019.
Christina’s friend told her that the difference between you and someone opening a school is that they are doing it, so are you going to do it? That is a great friend, one who helps you see your path.
When she was figuring out where her daughters would go to middle school her friends encouraged her to start a Montessori Middle School since she was the educator in the group. Also, it was a family affair in opening this school with everyone helping.
Opening The Journey School was a Family Affair with tons of Family Support!
Tips On Making A Dream A Reality
Christina’s dream was flexible. It’s important to be flexible with your dream. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how you get to the goal as long as you get there. It may take longer and be harder than you anticipated. It may lead you in a different direction that could be bigger and better than your original dream.
She also knew had to ASK! Big ASKs, Little ASKs, just ASK!
People are willing to jump on if you are passionate and believe in something. People are excited to be a part of something and come in on the process if you are excited to talk about it!
As a woman Christina believes it is important to model what you want and how you want to be treated. It is good for young girls and women to see women going after their dreams. It is good to practice life out loud, so you have those tools in your toolbelt…Fake It Till You Make It.
As a woman Christina, also thinks it was good for her girls to see what the process was to do something that their mother believes in and to see that it is all possible.
Full Circle Moment. Dreams Can Come True!
The Journey School
This school has a hands on curriculum. Maria Montessori believed children need to work with their hands and the mind will follow. Montessori schools follow a child’s own developmental abilities, where they are, and where they want to be in their education, not just based on their age and grades alone. Yes, Montessori takes in to account the child’s opinion on the matter of their education placement.
Montessori also believed in a micro economy where children create opportunities for themselves to make money and validate work in fields of adults.
There are chickens, they sell chicks and eggs, make bake goods and sell them, the bee keep and sell honey and make things with wax to sell, and there is an organic garden that they plan, plant, and sell the produce.
Learn to be a bee keeper and sell honey and wax products.
To learn more visit TheJourneySchool.net, email Christina Thomas at CThomas@TheJourneySchool.net or call 240.324.6160.
Watch this episode of It’s A Women’s World below, or on MMC’s YouTube channel and subscribe!
