| ALFRED G ZANETTI | |||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Welcome to Alfred G Zanetti! |
|||||||||||||||||||
| About Us "The child is truly a miraculous being, and this should be felt deeply by the educator." Maria Montessori. The Absorbent Mind :: Clio Press Limited, 1994 :: p. 121. The Zanetti Montessori School offers an integrated program from PreK to 8th grade. The classrooms are multi-grade, thus forming a family grouping, which encourages peer learning experiences where the children learn from each other and which fosters an individualized curriculum in which students learn at their own level and pace. The groupings are Early Childhood/Children’s House (two years of Preschool and Kindergarten), Lower Elementary (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade), upper Elementary (4th, 5th, and 6th, grade), and middle school (7th and 8th grade). What Is a Magnet School? The Magnet Schools Assistance Program was established to help school districts increase diversity in elementary or secondary schools. This is accomplished through designing programs that will attract families– who will make an active choice to send their children to our schools. In Springfield, our magnet themes were designed based on substantial input from parents and community members who were interested in unique approaches (such as Expeditionary Learning or Montessori) or highly focused areas of study (such as the STEM academies at Sci-Tech or our new STEM Middle Academy). Our Magnet programs support and supplement the curriculum by providing a common lens through which children master knowledge, while interdisciplinary teaching enables students to make connections across content areas. The Montessori curriculum is a continuum, each year building on the skills and knowledge acquired in the year before. Therefore children who have Montessori preschool experience have developed a maturity that enables them to grow academically in the kindergarten year with the result that our kindergarten students tend to achieve at an academically high level. In addition children first beginning the Montessori program at higher grade levels may find it challenging to be as successful as those entering early. Specific hands on Montessori materials are used to teach in all subject areas and the continuity of the curriculum can be seen in these materials. Children who have been consistently in the program have the advantage of being prepared for the advanced work by already being familiar with the materials. Parents are important partners in their children's education and our curriculum expects a high level of parental involvement. We are looking for families who are willing to make a long term commitment to the program. As the program is different from other elementary programs, we encourage parents to come and observe at the school so that they can make an educated decision for their children. To summarize, to get the full benefit of the program it is advantageous for children to start the program as early as possible and to stay through 8th grade. For more about Montessori: American Montessori Society - www.amshq.org Association Montessori Internationale - www.montessori-ami.org VISION Excellence in a Peaceful Environment MISSION The mission of the Alfred G. Zanetti Montessori School is to provide and sustain an academically rigorous and integrated Montessori curriculum based on peace education and global awareness, fully aligned with the state and district academic standards and learning goals. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES • Empowerment of students as self-motivated, lifelong learners and agents of social change in a 21st Century global community • High academic achievement meeting both Montessori curricular outcomes and state learning standards • Safe, respectful, and responsive school and classroom environment • Ongoing implementation of Montessori grace and courtesy curriculum, and training in conflict mediation and non-violent communication for students and staff, focused on respect for self, others and the environment • Purposeful cultivation of the love and joy of learning • Careful creation and maintenance of a prepared Montessori environment which fosters self-reliance, order, concentration, cooperation, problem-solving and responsibility • Understanding of contemporary global issues and effective use of current technology • Successful school, parent, and community partnerships focused on the connection, communication, and collaboration of all parties • Academically focused instructional leadership teams guiding school improvement through staff collaboration, curriculum development, and data analysis CORE VALUES • Relevant, meaningful, and rigorous learning activities adhering to Montessori and district and state standards, informed by school-based data inquiry and current thinking and research on child development and learning • Ongoing and effective school wide communication and collaboration dedicated to fostering high student academic achievement via curriculum development and data analysis • Staff commitment to increasing student attendance and partnership with families and caretakers • Trauma sensitive, child-centered teaching practices and language at every level of school |
|||||||||||||||||||
