ABC Preschool and Kindergarten Philosophy

Self Esteem

Self-esteem is the critical ingredient for the full expression of a person's potential. We consistently encourage our students to not be afraid of taking risks, but to use their countless positive and negative experiences that everyone inevitably has as a non-threatening feedback for their personal growth. We try to carefully build a supportive environment for the unhurried mind to move steadily toward the pursuit of excellence. We cultivate the ability to accept success with grace, and failure or loss with dignity, and resolve to build on the experience. We recognize that our emotions are complex and powerful, and it is very important that we learn to feel them fully and without fear, identify them correctly (in ourselves and others), respect them, and accept and deal appropriately with them.

Active Learning and Academic Success

We believe that true wisdom is the ability to listen to your heart and know how best to put your intelligence to work for you. We encourage all children to pursue studies in all areas of their personal interests using hands-on experimental learning. We believe in bringing the student to a sense of closure and recognition of having reached a pre-established goal for learning. We encourage skills that support independent and successful learning; respectfully questioning things, thinking critically, cooperating with others, problem solving. We encourage children to build on their strengths and personal learning styles and to learn from their mistakes. We make a concerted effort to empower children, helping them to learn how to make responsible choices for themselves. We strive for a balance between freedom, order, and responsibility. We attempt to "follow the child" as much as possible. However, if a child needs more direction at certain times or is not internally motivated in a given area, we feel it is our responsibility to acknowledge the personal preference but to still require that the necessary work be done. We recognize that the first six years are critical to the development of one's life.

Practical Life

Practical life facilitates and encourages a sense of self and independence. We deliberately teach a wide range of practical life skills appropriate to the child's development. These include:

1. Grace and Courtesy
2. Eye-hand coordination and the use of tools.
3. Household engineering. This is our home away from home. We need to keep it clean by picking up after ourselves, cleaning the floors if we make a mess, cleaning our shoes before coming in from outside,
4. Our brains, like any other organ are dependent on a clean, healthy bloodstream. Wash when our hands are dirty, clean our lunch places, eat healthy food, and don't put our hands in inappropriate places.

Discipline

We believe that every member of our school community has a fundamental right to be treated with respect, regardless of age. We believe in keeping with the true meaning of discipline, which is to teach. We prefer to model and encourage appropriate, kind, and considerate ways to behave in various situations. We believe in positive reinforcement, and we encourage and model ways to negotiate in conflict situations. As necessary we cue and remind people of appropriate behavior before they forget. When behavior is inappropriate, and a reminder is not enough, we intervene and respectfully, but firmly stop the behavior. We recognize that misbehavior comes from discouragement. We don't label the child as "bad", but instead try to recognize the mistaken goals of the misbehavior that usually involve an attempt at searching for a place in the family or community, even if it is an undesirable place. We then look to find appropriate ways to encourage the individual.

Summary

We believe that the experiences a child has both at home and at school in the first six years are the most important of his/her lifetime; because here his/her self concept and concept of the world and his/her place in it are set in stone. What a child (and later as an adult) will attempt and whether or not he/she will succeed at it are profoundly influenced by these beliefs about him/herself. Although we as parents and teachers are living proof that changes can happen after this critical period, the changes are accomplished with a chisel and hammer on stone rather than with gentle fingers on clay. As a school, we at ABC use the Montessori approach, along with additional approaches and materials from the larger non-Montessori educational community. We hope you have been happy with the results of our efforts this year.