Silver Bow Montessori School

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History - What is a Montessori School? - SBM Mission Statement - SBM's Goals

History of Silver Bow Montessori School

Silver Bow Montessori School was established in 1988 as a preschool in Butte, Montana. The school moved to its current location at 1800 Sunset in Butte, where the early childhood classroom currently operates in a 2,130 square foot facility on over five acres of landscaped grounds. Since moving to the Sunset Road location, the school has developed an additional 940 square foot classroom building for the Early Elementary (grades 1 through 3) and 670 square foot classroom building for the Upper Elementary (grades 4 through 6), for a total of 3,740 square feet of classroom space. The school received 501(c)3 non-profit organization status on August 29, 2002.

What is a Montessori School?

Montessori education was founded in 1907 by Dr. Maria Montessori, the first woman in Italy to receive the modern medical doctorate. She based her educational methods on scientific observation of children's learning processes. Guided by her discovery that children teach themselves through experiences, Dr. Montessori designed a "prepared environment" in which children could freely choose from a number of developmentally appropriate activities. Now, a century after Maria Montessori's first casa dei bambini ("children's house") in Rome, Montessori education is found in thousands of schools all over the world.

Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups, forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. All Montessori classrooms emphasize the autonomy, independence, and individuality of each student.

Three to six year olds participate in the “early childhood classroom.” Six to nine year olds participate in the “early elementary” classroom. Nine to twelve year olds participate in the “upper elementary” classroom. In addition, there are Montessori infant/toddler, junior high, and high school programs.

Practically speaking, Montessori early childhood classrooms in Montana fulfill two critical functions for families. First they provide early childhood education vital to elementary school readiness. Secondly, they provide child care for single-parent families or families where both parents work outside the home. While SBM makes a distinction between its classroom environments and its child care services, most enrolled families require child care services and benefit from the SBM early childhood classrooms in that way.

Eager to Learn: Educating our Preschoolers, a non-partisan, scientific report by the National Research Council concerning the education of children ages 2 to 5 (National Academy of Sciences, 2000), states:

Historically, there have been two separate and at times conflicting traditions in the United States that can be encapsulated in the terms child care and preschool. A central premise of this report, one that grows directly from the research literature, is that care and education cannot be thought of as separate entities in dealing with young children [emphasis in the original]. Adequate care involves providing quality cognitive stimulation, rich language environments, and the facilitation of social, emotional, and motor development. Likewise, adequate education for young children can occur only in the context of good physical care and of warm affective relationships. Indeed, research suggests that secure attachment improves social and intellectual competence and the ability to exploit learning opportunities. Neither loving children nor teaching them is, in and of itself, sufficient for optimal development; thinking and feeling work in tandem. (Page 2)

The executive summary of the above report can be read at http://books.nap.edu/books/0309068363/html/1.html.

Montessori education represents a growing segment of preschool and childcare services in Montana. There are some 35 Montessori schools in Montana, located in Bigfork, Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Emigrant, Great Falls, Hamilton, Helena, Kalispell, Livingston, Missoula, and Whitefish. Montessori methods are also employed in several public school settings in Montana. Helena School District #1 was the first Montana school district to incorporate a public Montessori program in 1990 with the first classroom operating in the fall of 1991. In Helena, three elementary schools ? Central, Smith and Broadwater ? integrate Montessori programs. In the current school year, the program serves some 170 students in eight classrooms. Montessori classes are open to all students in the district, including those with disabilities. No entrance criteria are established. Since more families desire to have their children participate than the district can serve, selection occurs through a voluntary lottery process every spring. Additional information on this program is available at http://helenamontessori.org/.

SBM Mission Statement

Silver Bow Montessori School, Inc. (“SBM”) is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization dedicated to the development of the “whole” child. The school’s purpose is to nurture independent children capable of joyful learning by providing quality, authentic Montessori education that includes multi-age classrooms and self-directed, hands-on learning. SBM strives to enhance the social infrastructure and human capital of Butte and surrounding areas through its relationships with enrolled families, staff, stakeholders, and the community at large.

Silver Bow Montessori's Goals

Quality and authenticity – SBM will provide high quality and authentic Montessori education while measuring outcomes regularly and maintaining a commitment to continuous improvement.

Organizational health – SBM will provide a well-defined vision and purpose, effective governance and leadership structure, competitive staff compensation, and other organizational infrastructure needed to sustain the school’s mission.

Service to the community– SBM will fully meet community needs for Montessori education services. In doing so, SBM will meet a portion of the community’s need for general early childhood education and related child care services. SBM will establish and maintain a balance of classroom levels and child care services that promotes the sustainability of the school.

Access to services – SBM will maintain tuition rates that are affordable relative to local families’ ability to pay, while also providing opportunities that promote economic diversity in the school community. SBM will maintain a policy of non-discrimination.

Facilities – SBM will develop and maintain facilities that fully support the students’ and teachers’ needs, as well as encourage the economic sustainability of the school.

Communication – SBM will maintain effective communication channels for enrolled families, stakeholders, and the community at large. SBM will advocate for the value of early childhood education community-wide, as well as provide opportunities for life-long learning within the SBM community.