Four years ago, when my wife and I thought about sending our almost 3 year old to school, we looked at a number of alternatives. We sought to do the best we could to help our daughter develop a life-long love of learning. We also hoped that she would learn core skills that would help her throughout her life. These skills could include confidence in mathematical problem solving or "sounding out" tough words that she had never seen. It could also be the type of life skill that makes you a good roommate, a trusted partner, a life-long friend, or an effective colleague.
We concluded quickly that schools that were heavily weighted towards "rules and requirements" would be less likely to meet our needs than a school whose focus was weighted more towards a "principals-driven education."
Then we met the dedicated family and staff of Countryside Montessori School in Northbrook, Illinois. When we drove into the parking lot the tag-line of the school was painted boldly above the front door: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness. My heart jumped and I felt an enthusiasm I had not felt about other schools. Did they really mean to run a school based on these principals? How many wars or time wasting arguments and vendettas could be avoided by those who took the time to understand the importance of respect in human relationships? How many people and businesses and governments would perform better if they took responsibility for their own actions? There are so many bright people that we meet in our day to day lives, but so few are resourceful. Could a kindergarten and elementary school really focus on this concept? Could they teach people to "find a way" to solve difficult problems? Could it teach children to execute well and to be effective by being resourceful? If so, it would be an extraordinary opportunity for our daughter to establish a firm foundation in life skills from an early age.
After four years in Countryside Montessori we see that our hopes for our daughter are being fulfilled and that the quality of her education has surpassed our high expectations.
Our daughter is respectful of animals, friends and adults. She swallows her pride when she makes an error and knows how to take responsibility for her mistakes. She also shows great confidence when leading peers and adults. We often tell her to "show us the way," and she gladly takes that responsibility. She became a learning machine when she discovered that her reading and writing skills would allow her to communicate on the internet. She has cousins, friends, siblings and traveling parents that she communicates with all over the world. She figured out how to download software, open attachments and paint funny things on photographs because she has little fear of failure and a strong desire to be resourceful. She has sung and danced in a 2 hour opera, she is learning piano and Spanish. Outside of school she plays soccer and is learning Mandarin with a fearless attitude.
As parents we offer our deepest gratitude to the principals-driven, effective and warm hearted staff at Countryside Montessori School. Our only regret is that we did not attend CMS ourselves.
