Vision, Core Assumptions and Life Skill Objectives

Vision
A place for learning and inspiration.
Core Assumptions
The activities of any school take place in an environment that is inspired by a particular vision of the world, the family, the child, the parent, the teacher and the role of education. Aldea Montessori School is animated by the vision that:
•    Universal peace and unity is the state towards which we strive.
•    The Family is the bedrock of human society. The peace and unity of society is dependent upon the peace and unity of the family.
•    The Child is the promise and guarantee of the future. Children bear the seeds of the character of future society and are in need of guidance, education and training.
•    The Parent is the primary educator of the child. Parents exercise indispensable influence through the home environment they consciously create.
•    The Teacher is a model and a guide. The role of the teacher is to bring forth from the child whatever perfections and capacities are within, assisting the child to reach their highest level of achievement.
•    Learning is the foundation of all human excellence. Learning is crucial to the realization of true human potential and to enable the individual to render service to the world of humanity.

Life Skill Objectives
In addition to the traditional academic pursuits, Aldea Montessori School strives to help children develop:
•    Global understanding. We recognize that the world of the 21st century is one of increasing interdependence among peoples and nations of the world. Our children will be comfortable as “world citizens”, with a global awareness and understanding of issues. They will be free from prejudices of race, national origin, ethnicity, language, economic status and religion. They will recognize the equality of the sexes, and will celebrate the diversity of the world’s peoples and cultures.
•    Service to humanity. We recognize that meaning and happiness come from selfless service to others. Our children will strive to find ways to serve others – their families, their communities, and humanity as a whole.
•    Exemplary character. We recognize that ultimately, the strength of ones character is the essence of ones self. Character is that set of virtues that are developed in an individual. Our children will develop, foremost amongst their virtues, truthfulness, trustworthiness, kindness, courtesy, compassion, confidence, joyfulness and humility.
•    Creative minds. The creative mind is one that can bring knowledge to bear on new situations and challenges. To this end, our children will be well versed in the branches of knowledge, with emphasis on mathematics, literature, science, history and arts. They will learn to independently investigate reality, to seek intelligently, to discover things for themselves, and to depend upon their own reason and judgment. They will practice applying this body of knowledge and this set of skills to the challenges around them, and to use their minds to become agents of meaningful change in their communities.

Principles
We set our priorities and make decisions based on the needs of the following people, in this order:
1.  The needs of the children in the classroom, as a whole
2.  The needs of an individual child
3.  The needs of the parents
4.  The needs of the staff
5.  The needs of the administration
It is our intention and our belief that the children must always be our first consideration.