MONTESSORI EDUCATION
Montessori is an established, recognized and proven evidence-based
pedagogical philosophy validated by current research.
MJDS MISSION
EMBRACING THE SPIRITUAL VALUES OF JUDAISM.
NURTURING A NATURAL LOVE OF LEARNING.
FOSTERING A RESPECT FOR SELF, AND THE WORLD THAT LASTS A LIFETIME
The Montessori Jewish Day School will inspire a lifetime love and excitement for learning in an environment that fosters a respect for oneself, for the community and for the world.
Montessori Jewish Day School is an inclusive, pluralistic, egalitarian school dedicated to instilling respect for the individual and for the community. MJDS provides an engaging Jewish educational experience that embraces the diversity of Jewish practice, integrates Hebrew, and responds to a child’s natural search for spiritual and intellectual growth. MJDS educates its students toward becoming knowledgeable and committed Jews and responsible citizens who love Judaism, Jewish culture and Israel.
MONTESSORI EDUCATION
The Montessori approach caters to children’s natural curiosity and has proven that children are capable of self-learning provided they have the right environment. As such, our classrooms and learning materials are designed to foster children’s inherent desire to learn about the world around them.
Our beautifully and carefully prepared child-centered environments support the development of the whole child by providing:
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individualized education in multi-age settings based on respect, freedom, and responsibility
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learning materials that are designed to maximize growth and understanding
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integrated curriculum whose interwoven nature creates a truly holistic education
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space to cultivate an inner discipline free of the need for external reinforcement
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supports to actively pursue their interests at their own pace
MARIA MONTESSORI
Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870. She was a pioneer throughout her life, beginning with her commitment to study science, after which she became Italy’s first female physician. It was in this capacity that she developed her teaching methods. In 1901, she was appointed director of a school for mentally challenged children. By close observation and experimentation, she hit upon methods of teaching these children that redefined our understanding of what children need, and how they learn. Her successes were studied thoroughly by some of Europe’s deepest thinkers, such as Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, Bruno Bettelheim and Anna Freud. Early in the 20th century, two of the greatest creative minds of our times, Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, were exposed to her methods. They quickly embraced the ideas and established Montessori schools.
Now, there are thousands of Montessori schools around the world. Traditional schools are moving toward adopting her methods by introducing initiatives like differentiated instruction and manipulatives, but by and large, these initiatives fail because the real power of her methods lies in the mindset of the adults in a Montessori school.
Among the main principles of the Montessori approach are the following:
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Montessori teachers act as coaches and facilitators for the children.
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Teachers have a deep respect for the children.Children are taught to share that respect among themselves.
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Children are taught to be kind and peaceful.
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Classrooms are diverse and include multiple age groups.
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Students are taught to help younger children.
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Children are able to absorb knowledge and understanding effortlessly in a properly prepared environment.
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Students progress as they master new skills, moving ahead when they are ready
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Work cycles during class, and children’s own desire to excel preclude the need for homework, tests and grades.
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Montessori teachers focus on intrinsic motivation as the primary force, rather than using rewards and punishments as drivers of the learning.
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Failure and mistakes are learning experiences.
JEWISH EDUCATION
MJDS innovates in the area of Jewish experiential education. Our students are surrounded by Judaism throughout their day. We integrate Jewish values into their lives, no matter what life path they may choose. We are driven to create a positive educational environment that fosters spiritual and intellectual growth, pride in Jewish identity, and love of learning.
Our Judaic Studies curriculum integrates and celebrates the study of Jewish holidays and culture, Jewish texts, Hebrew language and the love of Israel.
OUR INTEGRATED APPROACH
UNWAVERING REQUIREMENTS
As educators and parents, we have unwavering requirements for our children’s education. Our needs are two-fold. We seek to combine the ideals of a deep Jewish education with teaching methods that have a track record for academic excellence.
Judaic and Montessori philosophies share many of the same ideas: respect for the individual, love of learning, care for the natural environment, and a desire to live a moral life. Both place much importance on education as a tool we can use to create a better world.
“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future… Let us treat them with all the kindness which we would wish to help to develop in them.”
Maria Montessori
AN IDEAL FOUNDATION
The principles developed by Dr. Maria Montessori are the ideal foundation for the integration of our requirements.
Most importantly is respect for the child. There are three important consequences of this.
First, we must ensure our educators are trained to observe, assess, and respond to the basic fact that children learn differently and at different rates.
Second, we must provide a nurturing environment prepared with multi-sensory, sequential and self-correcting learning materials that support self-directed learning and also maximize growth.
Third, children must have freedom of movement to interact with peers and select activities. They must have uninterrupted time to finish the activities they have selected, for the purpose of building their self-esteem.
INSTILLING RESPECT
Inclusive, pluralistic and egalitarian Montessori Jewish Day School is dedicated to instilling respect for the individual and for the community.
We introduce our children to their rich heritage – providing an engaging Jewish educational experience that embraces the diversity of Jewish practice, integrates Hebrew, and responds to a child’s natural search for spiritual and intellectual growth.
Our children are educated toward becoming knowledgeable and committed citizens who love Judaism, Jewish culture and Israel.
