Mission Statement

Children’s House at Holly Hill Montessori is dedicated to offering a wealth of learning opportunities that will awaken and nurture the child’s curious spirit within a warm and peaceful family environment, as an extension of the child’s home life. Our ratio of 1:6 encourages an intimate atmosphere with a class size of 12 children. Our Directress has successfully completed Montessori training and has passed the certification exam, qualifying her to work with children ages 2 1/2 - 6.  She feels deeply that the child is truly a miraculous being and encourages each child to explore the wonders around him, helping him make discoveries with his hands, his head, and his heart. We provide care that helps children build social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and creative skills, while cultivating the whole child.

A place where children

· Are treated and respected as individuals

· Set their own pace of learning

· Gain self-confidence and self-respect

· Achieve independence, self-motivation, and inner-discipline

· Develop attention, concentration, and a love of order

· Are given freedom within limits

· Foster a sense of awe and wonder

· Raise their curiosity, creativity, and interests

· Evolve into a community

Setting

The Montessori environment is a community of children, much like a real family, encompassing children of two or three age levels into a family group. As children grow older and more capable, they assume a great role in helping to care for the environment and meet the needs of younger children. The community of children and adults develop a strong bond since they remain together for several years.

Indoor environment

The environment is designed to meet the needs, interests, abilities, and development of the children. The environment has been carefully designed with the community of children in mind, to best fit the ever-changing needs of the children.

Montessori Method:

The Directress is certified to work with children ages 2 1/2 - 6. She is a trained observer of children’s learning and behavior, and uses her knowledge of child development and teaching skills to help the child’s learning with a new lesson, a fresh challenge, or a reinforcement of basic ground rules. Whenever a child makes a mistake, the Directress refrains, if possible, from intervening and allows him to discover his own error through further manipulation of the self-correcting material. This practice agrees with Dr. Montessori's principle that a child learns through experience. The focus of activity in the Montessori setting is on children’s learning. Children work individually or in small, self-directed groups. There are very few whole group lessons.

The Montessori Directress is trained to identify the best response to the changing interests and needs of each child as a unique individual. She organizes appropriate social settings and learning opportunities for the children at their own level of development. This is done through the design of the classroom, selection and organization of learning activities, and structure of the day.