Why Montessori?

• Learning to love learning by following personal passions 

• Student-directed learning 

• Uninterrupted work periods

• Development of inner voice/ inner compass

• Continual learning of respect and kindness though community living

• Growth of global awareness

• Willingness to take risks and not fear mistakes

Prepared environment

Each Montessori classroom is carefully prepared and all the materials are displayed on open shelves so the children can choose works that call to their interest. There is a peacefulness and sense of order that appeals to this plane of development and you can see the attention to beauty and wonder as soon as you walk in. The materials are arranged in the areas of curriculum including practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics, and cultural studies that include science and geography. 

Sensitive periods

After many years of observation, Maria Montessori noticed intense periods of brain development and growth that she termed "sensitive periods." It is during these sensitive periods that children have a burning light for a particular interest or skill development that needs to be honored and nurtured. In the classroom the guide (teacher) spends a large part of the day observing her students so she can match the prepared environment with her individual students' needs. 

Community living

We aim to create a living community in the classroom by modeling kindness and respectful behavior and teaching about peace.  Cooperation and collaboration are built into the fabric of the classroom and students are always developing these skills through activities such as the Peace Rose and mindfulness practices. The students choose to work individually or work collaboratively with a friend, use peer teaching and find ways to help each other to be successful.