Montessori School At PGA National

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". . . education is not what the teacher gives; education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment."

The objects surrounding the child should look solid and attractive to him and the house of the child should be lovely and pleasant in all its particulars. It is almost possible to say that there is a mathematical relationship between the beauty of his surrounding and the activity of the child. He will make discoveries rather more voluntarily in a gracious setting than in an ugly one

The Montessori School at PGA National is committed to providing a complete Montessori education with an excellent learning environment. We specialize in individualized education, allowing children freedom to develop at their own pace. Our curriculum, combined with Montessori philosophy, is used to develop the intellectual, physical, artistic and academic excellence inherent in each child.

Montessori is a method of education named after Dr. Maria Montessori. It is both a philosophy of child growth and development and a rationale for guiding such development. Dr. Maria Montessori was the first woman in Italy to obtain the degree of Doctorate of Medicine. The Montessori Philosophy is based on a profound respect for each child as a unique human being. Our approach assumes that children are born intelligent, curious and creative, and are ripe to develop a sense of wonder and imagination. The goal is not to control, but to inspire our children to learn voluntarily. In its essence, Montessori is designed to teach children to think deeply, to think for themselves and to think about others. We believe that while learning the right answers will get a child past exams and eventually through school, learning to think for themselves will get a child through both school and life.
The formative period from birth to age six is the most crucial. During this time, the child is constructing his personality through experiences on the environment which should be scaled to his physical needs and responsive to his unique absorbent mentality. It was this unique mentality of the child that actually inspired Dr. Maria Montessori to devote her life to the study of childhood learning and made possible the development of her remarkable novel approach to education.
Montessori recognizes the importance of such elements as programmed in preparation, practice, imitation and repetition in the young childs learning.
In addition to the Montessori curriculum, the school provides classes in:

The school also conducts a summer school/camp program during June, July and part of August. The school offers half day and full day programs that are available during the academic year and summer school/camp (year-round school).
The Role of the Teacher
The role of the teacher in the classroom is to show each child the proper way to work with the specially designed developmental materials. The child then teaches himself through his own repeated activity, observation and discovery. The teacher is always ready to support and encourage the child, while at the same time respecting the childs need for independent functioning. The children are guided towards constructive activities according to their individual abilities thus fostering the unfolding of their unique potentialities and creative nature.

Our school is the first Green School in the Palm Beach County. For those of you who may not be familiar with the term Green School, it is a chemical-free, pesticide-free and herbicide-free environment. We decided to make this change for the benefit of our children and staff.
Over the years, medical research has proven the dangers of cleaning chemicals and especially pesticides to childrens health. Unhealthy fumes can irritate childrens eyes, nose and lungs. These same chemicals are also suspected of causing cancer. Scientists have linked such health problems as Asthma, Kawasaki Syndrome and Attention Deficit Disorder to the use of chemicals.
The Role of the Parent
The parent is the most important teacher for the child. No one knows or cares for your child as you do. The School is an extension from home.

Montessori School at PGA National was established in 1990 to provide pre-school/school education for children 12 months to grade 3. We are certified by the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitation Services and are an affiliate of the International Montessori Society. In addition to the Montessori curriculum, the school provides classes in:

“The most important period of life is not the age of university studies but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six…At no other age has the child greater need of intelligent help.”

Science is an important part of our curriculum. Our School has a unique Science Lab dedicated to our Science Program. Throughout the year children will explore Outer Space, Dinosaurs, Ocean Life, and many other themes. The Students will feel like they’re at a Children’s Museum right in their own school.