General Info:
Greenwood Montessori School is committed to guiding children physically, spiritually, academically and socially as they grow in age, wisdom and grace. We encourage an atmosphere of trust, kindness and respect and endeavor to nurture each child’s independence, love of learning, and positive sense of self and others. Greenwood Montessori School is a non-denominational Christian community that aims to foster competent, responsible, adaptive citizens who are life-long learners and problem-solvers. In addition, we seek to help children gain an understanding of God, according to their curiosity and needs and to see their important role both in the classroom and in the world. We welcome children of all racial, cultural, religious and economic backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of such in our admissions, educational, hiring or school policies. We believe in the importance of parental involvement in support of children’s development and learning and are, therefore, open to suggestions, new ideas and continual growth. Greenwood Montessori School was established on the belief that children between birth and age six develop at a rate that will never again be duplicated in their lifetime. Once these precious years have passed, so has an enormous potential for learning. Our educational philosophy is based on the work of Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952), an Italian physician and educator. She was one of the first to see the early years of life as crucial to the future growth and functioning of the individual. In her writings, Dr. Montessori frequently compared the young mind to a sponge, literally absorbing information from their environment. Since children go through “sensitive periods” where they exhibit an inner drive to understand certain concepts, it is the teacher’s role to detect these sensitive periods and prepare the environment for each child’s learning. Children have a natural curiosity and will learn new concepts through concrete, hands-on activities. Play is children’s “work” and one of the most effective teachers. At Greenwood Montessori School, all children are viewed as individuals and are exposed to meaningful learning experiences where they are allowed to educate themselves at their own developmental level. Children in control of their own learning build confidence in themselves and are then willing to take on life’s challenges and become successful in future endeavors.