Maria Montessori was a scientist and a devout Catholic, and her method of teaching is exceptional because her observations and understanding of the child is profoundly Catholic. It is NOT an easy method to implement, and yet a small Catholic school is an ideal setting. Thankfully, St. Mary’s School has an answer for that!
Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. In Montessori classrooms children make creative choices in their learning, while the classroom and the highly trained teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process.
St. Mary’s School has been able to get many of the pieces in place for Montessori Classrooms—called Children’s Houses. Our preschool and kindergarten teachers and one aid have their Montessori Teaching certificates and we’ve been able to purchase many Montessori materials for our classrooms. We’ve grown so much in this past year and the labor is bearing fruit. If you walk into the preschool, and especially the kindergarten room today, you would be amazed at the peace and quiet while students work independently on their chosen work. And they are thriving academically. This crucial beginning for the 3, 4, and 5-year-old will have an incredibly positive impact on their school years that follow, and we are more convinced than ever that this is absolutely the right road to take.