Our Community

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. Our culture of a parent participation school 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.

Parent Participation - Building a Spirit of Involvement

Forty hours of parent participation is required from each family per academic year. There are many opportunities for parents to fulfill their participation hours. Parents may chair committees, serve on the parent board of directors, 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 both parents or guardians. A $400 deposit for Participation is payable with the annual fees upon enrollment of a new student. Timecards are provided for documentation of participation.

Acceptance Policy

Casa di Mir is a non-profit, non-sectarian, multi-cultural school dedicated to nurturing the academic, creative and developmental growth of children. Casa di Mir does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex or religious affiliation. Casa di Mir reserves the right to select students based on educational compatibility with the Montessori program.

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
• Program encourages creativity and active, self-directed learning
• Promotes group collaboration and teamwork in a positive, non-competitive environment
• Students develop a positive attitude toward learning
• Focus on communication skills, including Non-Violent Communication
• Emphasis on respect, problem solving, conflict resolution
• Program fosters love of learning and nurtures self esteem
• Focus on individual responsibility and independence
• Respect for individual differences and the uniqueness of each child
• Emphasis on Montessori Peace Education

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 himself 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.