Our Community

Our goal at Casa di Mir is to maintain our tradition of a close, nurturing environment. Our teachers are interested in each child's development. We seek families who are interested in "hands-on" participation in their child's school. Building an environment conducive to learning is the goal of Montessori education. A key component of this environment is a spirit of involvement and the close interaction of parents with students, teachers and other parents.

Building a School Community

Research shows that students learn more effectively and are more actively interested in education when their parents are involved in their school. Parent participation is important to the team approach in education — a team of students, teachers and parents working together.

Students at Casa di Mir get to know each other well. They are in a classroom with the same teachers and students for 3 years. They also get to know other parents who come to help in the classroom, at lunch, with community service projects and at school activities. We all work together to assure maximum growth for our students — academically, intellectually, emotionally and physically. With the modeling of good value systems and an emphasis on the excitement and importance of learning, our students become well-rounded citizens of their school and larger community.

Forty hours of parent participation is required from each family per academic year. Parents may chair committees, drive field trips, help in the classroom, supervise lunch and recess, organize community service projects for the students, assist teachers with preparation of materials, teach enrichment classes, organize fundraisers, help with school clean-up, and participate with their children throughout the year.

A Parent Participation Contract must be signed by the parent(s) or guardian(s). A $400 deposit for Participation is payable with the annual fees upon enrollment of a new student. Timecards are provided for documentation of participation.

Benefits of a Casa di Mir Education

• Strong academic program with excellent teacher-student ratios.
• Highly qualified staff, each teacher holds a Montessori Credential.
• Professional affiliation with American Montessori Society (AMS) using standard AMS Montessori curriculum.
• Students learn in a carefully prepared environment with the full spectrum of Montessori materials for multi-sensory learning.
• Curriculum encourages active, self-directed learning and creative problem solving skills.
• Group collaboration and teamwork take place in a positive, non-competitive environment.
• Students develop a positive attitude toward learning.
• Students develop strong organizational and study skills.
• School-wide focus on communication skills, including Non-Violent Communication.
• Emphasis on respect, problem solving and conflict resolution.
• Focus on individual responsibility and independence.
• Respect for individual differences and the uniqueness of each child.
• Emphasis on Montessori Peace Education.
• Students are introduced to the world's cultures through projects, dance and international celebrations.

Philosophy

Casa di Mir’s core philosophy is to encourage and nurture the whole child, true to Dr. Maria Montessori’s educational vision. Within each child is the innate joy in learning and the tremendous desire to grow healthy and strong—intellectually, emotionally, physically.

Each child learns and expresses him or herself in an individual way. Montessori’s highly structured academic program and hands-on materials enable children to be free to work at their own pace in a non-competitive environment, either alone or with others.

The Casa di Mir ground rules are the core Montessori beliefs, including respect for each other and the classroom environment. We operate on the principle of freedom within limits. Creativity and learning flourish in this atmosphere of acceptance and trust.

Our Montessori learning environment fosters self-esteem, enables the child to master academic skills, entices curiosity, creativity, and the love of learning. It also encourages positive social skills such as effective communication and problem solving, and acknowledges the uniqueness of each child.