Giving Back To The Community
Ronald McDonald House & The Montessori Academy Of Chapel Hill Giving Back To The Community
The “Ronald McDonald House” is a national organization funded by the McDonald’s Corporation. The House provides a low or no cost home away from home for families to stay while their children are undergoing lengthy medical procedures. The Montessori Academy, of Chapel Hill has a strong commitment to the local community. For that purpose, the School offers FREE care (100%) to the children or siblings of families undergoing medical treatment at North Carolina Children’s Hospital. A portion of the New Family Fee is allocated to assist in underwriting; we thank you in advance.
Category: Giving Back In The Community
December 11, 2012
There is nothing easy about having a sick child, even more so when the child has to be hospitalized. One
of the hardest issues to deal with when this happens is how to handle your other children. Almost
immediately all your attention shifts to the sick child and almost as quickly the other children start
competing for your attention, usually in the form of atrocious behavior.
You are at a loss because you want to be with your sick child but you also want to be with your healthy
children. You know they need your attention; you just can’t give it right now. That is when you have to
trust that others will step in to give your healthy children the attention they need. And that is exactly
what the Montessori Academy of Chapel Hill did for my family.
We were far from home, I had a very sick baby and two young children that needed me also and I
needed help. MACH graciously stepped in and offered to care for them in the mornings, five days a
week. We were all a bit nervous about it, the kids going to a new place, and I had to trust people I didn’t
know to care for my kids. But at the end of the first day, it was all the kids could talk about. “When do
we go back to school?” “I got to be the line leader today!” and so on. Their behavior improved, their
attitudes improved and it truly made my days so much easier, knowing that they were being well taken
care of and that they were having fun to boot.
To Tom and all of Devin’s and Malia’s teachers, we cannot say ‘thank you’ enough. The calmness of the
Montessori classroom is just what the kids needed to start their day, and it helped them to stay calm in
their afternoon play with us. It reinforced the lessons we were trying to teach at home. It gave us the
time we needed to be with our sick baby. We knew they were safe, we knew they were learning, we
knew they were having fun and not worrying about their sick sister. This is a great program, and I’m so
glad our paths crossed. Chapel Hill is a wonderful town, and the folks at the Montessori Academy of
Chapel Hill are setting a great example in compassion and giving.
I’m happy to report that Ree is doing very well at home. Her life threatening issues have resolved
themselves and all she has to do now is grow and be loved. Devin and Malia have settled in to their new
school but they miss the friends they made at MACH.
Thank you,
The Salas Family
Melan, Erica, Devin, Malia and Baby Ree
Ft. Bragg, NC