Bani Mamata Mittra

I attended the Meadowbrook Montessori School for two years – preschool and kindergarten - in the mid 1970s. The school used two large multipurpose rooms in a church on Auburn Road between Crooks and Livernois. The building is now being used by the Detroit Chinese Alliance Church North; at the time I believe it was a Lutheran church. The school was run by Bani Mittra. 

From Wikipedia: “The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills, such as problem solving and helping and teaching each other. It emphasizes independence and it views children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a sufficiently supportive and well-prepared learning environment. It also discourages some conventional methods of measuring achievement, such as grades and tests. The method was started in the early 20th century by Italian physician Maria Montessori, who developed her theories through scientific experimentation with children in many different situations. The method has since been used in many parts of the world, in public and private schools. A range of practices, schools, [and] materials exist under the name "Montessori", which is not trademarked. Popular elements include mixed-age classrooms, student autonomy (including their choice of learning topics), long blocks of uninterrupted work time, specially trained teachers, and a prepared environment. Scientific studies regarding the Montessori method report generally favorable outcomes for students.”

 

My parents came from rural Indiana to suburban Michigan and settled near my dad’s work. Neither of them attended preschool. I have no idea what inspired them to put me in school at three years of age, and I can’t remember whether it was an everyday program or a different schedule. I thrived there. I can clearly remember a few things from my two years there – doing math activities with the counting beads (in ones, tens, hundreds and thousands); counting aloud at circle time; doing reading and early language activities in a workbook; having a snack at the little snack table; making butter by taking turns shaking a mason jar full of cream; playing with the little frame that had buttons, zippers, snaps and ties; singing, playing duck-duck-goose in the play yard outside. I also can recall my dad taking me to school on his bike one time. Though I have long misremembered that time as being after our car was crashed when my brother was born, it couldn’t have been – I was not old enough to be in preschool then. Anyway, the car was out of commission for some reason and Dad (probably no older than my son is now) wouldn’t ride my mom’s bike with the baby seat on the back. So, I climbed on his back like a baby monkey, and he took me to school like that! I can remember it like it was yesterday. No helmets, no safety gear at all, on a men’s road bike with super narrow tires and curly handlebars, on Auburn Road at a heavy traffic time.

 

Mrs. Mittra (and the other Indian women who taught and assisted at the Meadowbrook Montessori School) always wore a sari and sandals, even in the dead of the Michigan winter. At the time, a completely self-absorbed preschooler and kindergartener, I didn’t know or wonder much about Mrs. Mittra. Because it was never presented to me as anything but normal, I didn’t have any big realization that their Indian culture was really any different from my own. I never had any trouble understanding Mrs. Mittra’s slightly accented English, and neither did any of the other children, who came from many different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Now, because of the Internet, I have been able to find out more about Bani Mittra.

 

Detroit Free Press, 19 May 2016: “Bani Mittra, a long-time resident of Rochester, passed away on May 14, 2016 in her sleep. In life she played multiple roles with distinction. She was the owner and directress of the noted Meadowbrook Montessori School. She achieved distinction in the community as a fine singer, a leading member of the popular musical group, Navrang, a fundraiser for numerous charitable activates, a counselor, and a role model for the younger generation. Bani is survived by her loving husband Sid and her two children, Rita and Robert. Funeral Service Sunday, May 22, 2016, 10:00 am at the Potere-Modetz Funeral Home, 339 Walnut Blvd, Rochester. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Sunday, 9:00 am until time of service.” Mrs. Mittra was 80 years old when she passed away.

 

Rochester [New York, not Michigan] Museum and Science Center Connections, Summer 2020: “REMEMBERING BANI MITTRA: Bani Mittra was a selfless and dedicated educator of children for the whole of her career. When she passed, her husband Sid, son Ajit, and daughter Rita, as well as the extended family, honored her by creating the Mittra

Family Foundation, which makes donations to non-profits around the world. Each year, each member of the Mittra family selects a charity of their choice for their portion of the donation. In 2020, the family decided to select common charities that embodied the goal of supporting children with STEM education. Although Bani Mittra was not from Rochester, NY, her daughter Rita’s family lived here for many years, and she told the extended family

about the wonderful STEM related programs that the RMSC offers. In fact, Rita’s children benefited from visiting this organization and participating in summer camps many times over the years. The family voted and the RMSC Transportation and Admissions Fund was selected as it offered the opportunity for the most people to enjoy all that the RMSC has to offer. The RMSC Transportation and Admissions Fund provides scholarship opportunities for school groups, enabling students from throughout our region, many of whom would not otherwise be able to take advantage of the powerful and engaging learning experiences and resources that the RMSC offers, to visit the RMSC and Cumming Nature Center free of charge. The RMSC is grateful for the Mittra Family Foundation’s support of this fund, as well as their support of our team as we work through ensuring school group experiences remain

available, whether students can travel to the RMSC or not.”

 

A little more information gleaned from Bani’s husband Sid’s obituary: Sid was born in Benares, India and came to the United States in 1957. He and Bani were married in 1961, so it is still unconfirmed that Bani was born in India, though I suspect she probably was. Sid’s obituary solicited donations to the Bani Mittra Cancer Centre in Vrindavan, India (between New Delhi and Agra in northern India). I found a news article and photographs of the inauguration of the Centre, where Sid and his son Dr. Ajit Mittra participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony. Sid Mittra, also an educator, was for more than 30 years a professor of economics at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.