Mission Statement

The Island Montessori Academy strives to create an educational community of families that inspire children to develop inner discipline, self-assurance, and a love of learning.

Our program provides a nurturing, balanced learning environment that fosters responsibility and cooperation through academic and social development. We understand the uniqueness of every child and strive towards helping each child to develop skills at periods of their greatest readiness and sensitivity, in order to reach their full potential in all aspects of their development.

Our students learn to view themselves as contributing members of a diverse global community. We endeavor to being open to all members of the community, and seeking to understand and value them for whom they are. The guiding principle for the IMA community is to treat one another with honesty and mutual respect.



The IMA Diversity Statement

At the Island Montessori Academy, we are enriched, challenged and inspired by the diversity in our community and in the larger world. We recognize that building a multicultural school requires an ongoing commitment of time, energy and resources in both our curriculum and our school practices.

Our Montessori curriculum respects the individuality of each child, creates a cooperative community, and nurtures a sense of wonder about the interconnectedness of life. Implicit within the Montessori philosophy is the concept of a multicultural school. Through our curriculum, we work to acknowledge and explore differences among us and in the world. We want children to learn to understand and value multiple perspectives, identify and reject stereotypes and prejudices, and work for equity and justice within the school.

Our goal at IMA is to create an environment where each person freely brings his or her whole self to school each day, comfortable that every individual will be honored and protected. We hope our children will go on to their next educational experience feeling rooted in their individual identities, with a profound appreciation for both difference and interconnection.



Why Montessori?

Montessori Education is child-centered. Montessori teachers study their students, listen for questions that most children urgently ask, and discover the learning activities that most motivate the children in their classroom. They continually adapt the learning environment to provide optimal conditions for children's self-motivated learning.

Montessori fosters independence and self-discipline. The IMA experience helps children grow into autonomous, self-confident individuals. Young children learn to take care of themselves and their environment and to choose their work independently. As they grow older, they learn to manage their time and focus on projects that they design.

Montessori creates a nurturing environment. IMA gives children an environment in which they feel loved by friends and teachers. Children learn to ask for help when they need it, and to give help when they can.

Montessori builds a strong foundation of conceptual understanding. Children work with carefully designed materials at increasingly abstract levels. They develop a firm understanding of concepts at a concrete level, and later build on those concepts as they mature into abstract thought.

Montessori cultivates respect and compassion. IMA teachers share a commitment to multicultural, anti-racist education. Teachers encourage cooperative work and teach conflict resolution skills. Children learn to identify and challenge bias, and to see themselves as part of the rich fabric of society.

Montessori inspires curious, lifelong learners. IMA encourages children to bring their curiosity to school. Whether they are inspired to learn tying their shoes or about reptile behavior, IMA students receive encouragement for exploration, along with the skills they need to become independent in their learning.



Programs

Island Montessori Academy is a joyful community of learners. In our school program, dynamic, reflective teachers carefully design environments and curriculum materials that respond to the changing needs of children. Our interdisciplinary curriculum spirals from sensory and everyday living activities of early childhood through our elementary studies of sophisticated concepts and cultures. Mixed age classrooms provide a sense of family among children, and encourage collaboration and peer teaching.

Click here to meet our staff and weekly volunteers.

Absorbent Minds Summer Camp Information


Curriculum

Consistent at all levels of IMA's curriculum is our over-arching goal to help each child become a self-aware, responsible citizen and a curious, life long learner. At each level, the curriculum and classroom are designed to respond to the developmental characteristics of the particular age group, while spiraling to build on knowledge acquired at previous program levels. The curriculum helps children gain mastery over appropriate skills while encouraging exploration.

On Wednesdays, our children enjoy a Related Arts rotation including physical education, cooking and nutrition, art, music, Spanish, interactive reading, science experiments, creative play, and community building. These areas are important in complementing our curriculum while maintaining a well-balanced menu of activities for our students.



Island Montessori Academy Board of Directors

Click here for short member bios.