Wvc Seniors Enjoy Mixed Success In Indoor All-star Games

2 Men Hurt In Attack At W-b Group Home

By JENNIFER LEARN; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Sunday, February 08, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1 





HAZLETON- Frustrated with the choice of local schools, a Hazle Township
mother of three intends to start her own. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A few things you won't find there: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rows and rows of desks. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tedious written math problems. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Grouping by grade level. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Paragraphs of material that must be memorized. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ellen Hauck plans to open the Mountain City Learning Center on the top
floor of the Jewish Community Center on Laurel Street. The school will follow
the Montessori teaching method, an untraditional style used nationally that
gives students more freedom to learn at their own pace. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ten to 12 students have signed, and Hauck hopes to get enough for at least
two classes, one for ages 3 to 6 and the other for ages 6 to 9. Each class
will hold up to 24 children. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Reusable Montessori materials cost $20,000 per class, and Hauck expects to
dish out another $80,000 on other supplies, building expenses and salaries for
a teacher and aide per class. She plans to apply for a business loan and to
seek donations from private foundations. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tuition will range from $1,700 for a half-day of classes to $2,500
annually, Hauck said. She opted for a reasonable tuition- some similar schools
charge more than $4,000 a year- even though it won't cover the start-up costs.
Hauck expects to open the school in August or September. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hauck said the public school in her area was too crowded and inadequately
staffed, and the private elementary schools were tied to some type of
religion. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I just don't think religion and education belong together," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A Massachusetts native with a doctorate in molecular biology, Hauck started
researching Montessori schools because she had a friend who raved about the
way they foster a love of learning. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The roughly 4,000 Montessori schools in the United States use lots of
hands-on materials such as puzzles, buckets of rice, sand and even scrub
brushes to teach tangible lessons in math, language, sensory perception and
life skills. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Italian pediatrician Dr. Maria Montessori designed the teaching method in
the early 1900s because she believed people develop in unique stages instead
of in a uniform fashion. For example, a toddler who is starting to walk is
often only interested in practicing that skill until he or she masters it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Montessori students get customized "work contracts" with assignments they
can complete in the order they want. After they finish the assignments,
students help teachers correct their work and spot skills that need more
practice. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "These schools give students a strong sense of self," said Hauck. "Students
learn independence, how to respect others and how to achieve to their full
potential." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hauck thought about driving to the Wyoming Valley Montessori School in
Kingston, but she didn't want to make her 1-year-old sit in the car for almost
two hours a day. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Wyoming Valley school was started in 1970 by a mother who experienced
similar frustrations. Now it has 220 students and a waiting list, said school
Director Jean Warrington. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hauck also considered home schooling but wants her children to reap the
benefits of socializing with peers and working with the guidance of a trained
educator. Hauck also thought other parents might be interested in a Montessori
school, and she has rounded up 30 for her mailing list so far. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She had toyed with the idea of starting a charter school, but the concept
is new and might not get approval from the local Hazleton Area School Board,
which must give up some funding to pay for charter schools. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hauck soon plans to advertise for teachers who have four-year teaching
degrees and meet other requirements of the state Board of Private Academic
Schools, which will oversee Mountain City. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Despite the unfinished plans and expense, Hauck is confident the new school
will materialize. "I am just a concerned mother who wants the best education
for my children," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Conyngham-Butler Valley resident Suzette Wolk plans to enroll her son, who
is almost 3. &amp;n

Woman Endeavors To Open New Montessori School About A Dozen Students Have Signed Up For The Mountain City Learning Center