About Us
Montessori's philosophy's five principles:
1. Respect for the child
2. The absorbent mind: the child’s ability to absorb information.
3. Sensitive periods: from 0 to six years of age, a child goes through phases when he learns faster than at some times.
4. The prepared environment: the classroom is organized along different areas of knowledge with materials specific to those areas.
5. Auto education: the child's ability to self-teach and self-learn through the use of
materials provided in the prepared classroom.
It is our goal to foster children’s natural curiosity and love of learning as well as to help them develop a sense of self, self-respect, and respect for others. An experienced staff assists in achieving those goals with age-appropriate curricula, activities, and materials. The preschool program ( 3 to 5 and a half years old) is Montessori based. (See Montessori tab.)
A child-centric environment is a sensorial one that reflects beauty, simplicity, and order. Everything is carefully chosen by the Montessori teacher to best facilitate the child's learning and foster the child’s innate curiosity.
Parents are a big part of who we are: the diversity of their backgrounds contributes to the cultural richness of the school, while their active participation (parents’ meetings, workdays, classroom involvement, etc.) provide invaluable support.
Dr. Haneefah Peters has taken over as the executive director. Haneefah Peters, Ed.D., has worked in the field of early education for over 18 years. She holds a Masters's in Early Childhood Education and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University. Her extensive background in leading early learning programs, parent education, and college instruction gives her a wide breadth of knowledge and experience in the field. As an educator, she focuses on building teachers’ confidence and critical thinking skills as they relate to understanding the needs of young children.
The founder of The Model School, Dr. Daisy L. Rivers-Mante, a renowned educator and champion of early childhood education for thirty years, is now retired.