The rating is a way for parents to be guaranteed the highest standards of Montessori principles are being practiced at the school. The school opened in 1994. The Montessori system is child-centered. Multi-age classrooms provide opportunities for collaborative learning, fostering cooperation and a strong sense of community. The teacher is rarely the center of attention, but instead facilitates learning.
Students plan their own projects and field trips.
They participate in rhythm and movement exercises, writing and producing plays and doing reports. Maria Montessori believed that children learn best through experience. She designed a collection of sequential materials that allow children to experience concepts in a concrete way, beginning at a very sensorial level and becoming increasingly abstract as the child's understanding grows. When presented with the appropriate materials, Montessori found that children will often choose work that stimulates further learning. Her methods are used throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.