Renaissance School
purpose, passion, vision
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The word educate derives from the Latin word, educere, which means to lead forth. At the Renaissance School we believe that all children carry within themselves unique gifts. With these gifts each child, in a very real sense, creates the adult that is to be. We feel honored to guide children in their natural creative process of education; to help them bring forth their gifts and realize the unlimited potential that is all their own. Our chosen educational framework is based on the Montessori approach to education as well as current educational research. Montessori recognized that the only valid impulse to learning is the self- motivation of the child. Children naturally move toward learning. The Montessori method thus, provides rich, carefully “prepared environments” based on the needs and interests of the children at a given stage of development. In these environments, with teacher guidance, children are free to explore, discover, interact, and learn. Dr. Montessori believed this freedom crucial in order for the child to develop his or her physical, intellectual, and spiritual potential to the fullest. With every freedom comes responsibility. The child’s freedom in the Montessori environment is a freedom to be achieved through order and self-discipline. The children learn to respect themselves, others, and the environment as they become responsible members of the peaceful and cooperative culture that is cultivated in the Renaissance Montessori learning community. Each classroom at the Renaissance school is guided by a certified Montessori teacher who is trained to understand the developmental needs for that specific age group. The Montessori teacher prepares the environment and then connects each child with appropriate learning opportunities within that environment. The order and structure built into the prepared environment allows children to learn at their own pace, according to their capacities, in a non-competitive atmosphere. The learning environment cultivates individuality, concentration, independence, problem solving abilities, social interaction, interdisciplinary breadth, and competency in basic skills. Montessori children are free to learn because they acquire an “inner discipline” from their exposure to both physical and mental order. Patterns of concentration, persistence, and thoroughness, established in childhood, produce confident, competent learners and successful members of society in later years. At Renaissance School, we introduce children to the joy of learning and provide a framework in which intellectual and social discipline go hand-in-hand. Our objective is to provide a safe, nurturing environment, which will help children develop the habits, attitudes, skills, and ideas, which are essential for a lifetime of joy, creativity, independence, and learning. Our philosophy, adapted from Montessori principles and tailored to the developmental needs of children, is evident in all of our programs, and is characterized by: ~A responsive environment prepared with multisensory, sequential, and self-correcting materials to support self-directed learning ~Multi-age classrooms which provide older children with opportunities to become teachers and leaders, while younger children are inspired by and learn from older mentors ~Nurturing and observant educators trained to understand children and to assess learning styles, paces, and goals ~Concentration on purposeful and meaningful work as the engine of whole person development ~Freedom of movement to interact with peers and select activities ~Uninterrupted time to complete an activity successfully, thus building self-confidence and self-esteem ~A culture of mutual respect and a commitment to peaceful and cooperative environments ~A “personal best” approach, eliminating peer-competition in favor of self-motivation |