Montessori Family School

From the Director:

Our Mission: Preparation for Life, Education for Peace, A Community for Children. Preparation for Life: MFS prepares children to thrive. Purposeful activity, multi-age classrooms, adult and peer role models, and an exceptional Montessori curriculum prepare the students to participate meaningfully and skilfully in an ever-changing world. Students leave MFS primed for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in high school, college, and in life. Education for Peace: The classroom is a place of peace at MFS. Children express their innate sense of justice, equality, and goodness within the classroom community. Regular experiences of peaceful conflict resolution, freedom within limits, and social responsibility cultivate a value system our graduates carry out into the greater world to contribute to a more peaceful society. A Community for Children: The Montessori classroom is a loving community within which all members actively support one another while successfully pursuing their own development and interests. This sense of interconnectedness and responsibility is carried by alumni and families into the community at large. MFS is a community of students, teachers, administrators, board members, and parents who are focused on doing that which serves children best.

From the Director:

The Montessori curriculum is designed to meet the individual needs of each child. The program is multi-age and includes materials to address the curricular needs of a broad age range. Children work at their own pace and level. Based on "hands-on" learning, which engages children in multiple ways, our well-equipped classrooms and enriched curriculum are specifically prepared to provide our students with an excellent academic foundation. This foundation fosters a lifelong love of learning, and provides our students with the necessary skills and resources to pursue their interests and passions. Trained to provide an individualized and developmentally appropriate education, our teachers are able to both support and accelerate individual student learning. Each classroom has specific concrete materials, activities, projects and fieldtrips that support student development.

Choosing individual activities

Working with another child

Free outdoor play

Group Lunch followed by quiet time (naps for younger children, quiet stories for older children)

Afternoon work time with individual and group activities along with free choice

Children take responsibility for maintaining environment, participating in clean-up and care of classroom pets

- Open House

- 2 conferences per year to discuss child's progress

- Occasional phone conversations

- Parent education classes when relevant to current issues

- Newsletters with articles written by staff, parents and contributions from students in each class

Separation is generally based on the needs of the child - e.g., starting with shorter days or with a parent present to handle transition. A child may be asked to visit a few times before session begins.