At Magnolia Montessori For All, we believe that children are like seeds that contain enormous potential for growth within them. Our job as educators is to provide the right environment that nurtures those seeds and helps them grow into their fullest potential. We believe that our choice about where to send our children to school is one of the most important decisions we can make. At Magnolia Montessori For All, we are creating a school that we want to send our own children to.
We commit to helping the whole child reach their enormous potential:
- Academically & Intellectually
- Socially & Emotionally
- Creatively
- and Physically
We do this by implementing the following pillars:
- Focus on Leadership: We teach by example and constantly model living with integrity, eagerly learning, acting courageously, demonstrating persistence, excelling, and respecting and helping others and the environment.
- Education for the Whole Child: We prepare the leaders of tomorrow by providing an authentic Montessori education that includes multi-age classrooms, engaging hands-on materials, an emphasis on intrinsic motivation, student-led projects, dual-language development, rigor, and learning beyond the classroom that prepares children for high school, college, and lives as leaders in their families and communities.
- Teachers as Leaders and Innovators: Our teachers are empowered to shape curriculum and school culture and contribute to ongoing developments in the field of education through research and the dissemination of knowledge.
- Families as Partners: We partner with families to provide the most nurturing environment to help children grow into their fullest potential intellectually, emotionally, socially, creatively, and physically, so that they can pursue lives full of meaning and joy.
- Continuous Improvement: We strive for continuous growth through a process of Assessing–>Analyzing–>Acting. We hold ourselves and others to high expectations, engage in self-reflection, and take personal responsibility for ensuring success for each and every child.
- Diversity and Teamwork: We believe that children learn best in racially, culturally, and socio-economically diverse environments, so that they are prepared to act as global citizens and leaders. As such, we commit to working together to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our diverse community. Read more about our commitment in our statement, Creating a Welcoming & Inclusive Community For All.
Our school is divided into the following multi-age groups:
- Children’s House = Pre-K3, Pre-K4, and Kindergarten
- Early Elementary = 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade
- Upper Elementary = 4th, 5th, and 6th grade
- Adolescent Community = 7th and 8th grade
Multi-age classrooms are a hallmark of Montessori education. All children get the opportunity to have mentors and the opportunity to be mentors. They also allow children, their families, and their teachers an opportunity to develop deep and meaningful relationships that span at least three years together.
If we want children to be truly prepared to master the demands of college, to exceed the expectations of the workplace, and to positively impact their families and communities, we have to educate their minds, bodies, and hearts. They need to practice—day in and day out—independence, self-management, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, conflict resolution, and innovation—all while mastering an accelerated academic curriculum. They need to cultivate their confidence and respect for themselves, others, and the environment.
As Howard Fuller says, “Our job is not to prepare children for the 21st century; our job is to prepare children to transform the 21st century.”