Millhopper Montessori School is committed to continually improving and upholding the highest standards of a quality Montessori School. Recently, we embarked on a process of self-study and reflection, in partnership with the American Montessori Society (AMS) to demonstrate this commitment. MMS is proud to announce that we are an AMS Pathway School and will display the official AMS School Quality seal.
"The AMS Pathway is a school-quality initiative available to AMS-member schools that supports them in incorporating and sustaining core components of Montessori School into their programs. Once a school has integrated the core components, the Pathway supports it in aligning itself with AMS School Accreditation Standards & Criteria. The standards are considered best practices for all AMS member schools, and participation in the Pathway is voluntary. There are 10 steps on the Pathway. Step 1 is the entry point for member schools that commit to engaging in continuous improvement. Step 10 is School Accreditation, a goal for some of our member schools." (amshq.org)
While many components are integral to quality Montessori implementation, the American Montessori Society recognizes 5 core components as essential in Montessori schools:
- Properly trained Montessori teachers - all of MMS' lead teachers are Montessori trained for the age level they teach
- Multi-age classrooms - MMS implements multi-age classes at all levels
- Specially designed Montessori learning materials - MMS classrooms are equipped with more than 98% of the suggested Montessori materials
- Child-directed work - at MMS, children are free to explore, finding independence, self-discipline and delight within a carefully created environment.
- Uninterrupted work periods - all MMS classrooms offer extended Work Cycles that allow children to investigate the way to understanding, naturally and joyfully.
