A Bit About Us

The Children’s Montessori School is a non-profit school accepting up to 25 students, between the ages of three (by the first day of school) and 5 years of age.  The class meets from 9 AM – 12 PM, Monday through Friday.  We follow the public school calendar closely, except our parent-teacher conferences are held while the students attend school.  Our C.M.S. board of directors establishes safety standards, school policies, and tuition fees.  Tuition is due at the beginning of each month.  Three-year-olds attend a minimum of three days a week. Four-year-olds attend a minimum of four days a week. All kindergarten students are required to attend five days a week and participate in an exclusive Geography and Science class two days a week. Our Kindergarten Science and Geography lessons are shared with all students in order to introduce everyone to other cultures and experiences, so that we can learn from each other and broaden our worldview.  

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Our school is guided by the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori.  Her work in the fields of education, psychiatry, and anthropology revealed unique insights into the way young minds absorb knowledge.  The Montessori philosophy is used in schools throughout the world today.  She emphasized a carefully planned supportive environment that nurtures the individual interests and needs of each child.  

 

Parent involvement helps enrich the learning experience for the children.  Throughout the year we encourage parents to come in and help with an art/science project, read a story, repair materials, share a cultural experience/holiday/family tradition, etc. 

 

Our child-sized furniture, housekeeping equipment, and self-correcting educational materials help the student care for and explore the environment with minimal adult assistance.  Our younger children begin working in the Practical Life and Sensorial areas.  This helps develop the concentration and coordination they need for the more complex areas: reading, math, geography, and science.  

 

The unique environment of our school helps a child learn to be independent and responsible.  There is a strong sense of community – we encourage the children to help one another and solve problems together.

 

We emphasize kindness and respect for each other, our community and the world.  We collect Pennies for Peace each morning. The children earn coins for doing helpful things at home or in the community. Students vote on Election Day which local charity they will donate the Pennies for Peace to at the end of the year.  

 

We try to schedule a field trip or an in school visitor every month.  We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful place, with Olympic National Park nearby.  We love to explore and learn about the natural world that surrounds us!