About the Academy
Midwest Christian Montessori Academy is a school serving children in Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st through 6th Elementary. Our goal is to provide a Christian environment coupled with the Montessori philosophy of learning allowing for the spiritual, educational, physical and developmental growth of our students.
Midwest Christian Montessori Academy is a not-for-profit, board-run school bringing over 20 years of experience. We are registered as a private school with the Illinois State Board of Education and meet all state and local regulations. MCMA is nondenominational, with our staff and students coming from a variety of different Christian churches in the area.
Mission
Statement
To empower children:
-
To grow in their understanding of the Christian faith
-
To strive for academic excellence through the Montessori Method
-
To reach out and serve the community as Christ has called us to do
Education Philosophy
Our school offers a unique combination of a Christian education partnered with the Montessori philosophy and process of learning. As Christian teachers, we strive to give the children a firm foundation in the Bible, familiarizing them with God’s word through scripture memorization, stories, songs, signing and drama. We do not teach any particular denominational doctrine but rather foundational Christian essentials are interwoven into the fabric of the children’s daily experience.
As Montessori teachers we strive to give the children a firm academic foundation. The Montessori philosophy of education, which was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 1900’s, is based on the theory that the young child’s mind is like a sponge absorbing and learning from the surrounding environment. This approach builds upon the fact that the years from 3 to 6 are foundational years of learning. Children of all ages learn best through individual, hands-on learning experiences in an environment where they are free to learn and develop at their own pace. This promotes a love of learning and establishes a platform for further study of language, math, and the sciences in the elementary years.
Montessori students develop a sense of inner discipline and order enabling them to become independent learners. They learn respect for their environment, the materials and each other. The students in each classroom experience freedom within the structure of well understood guidelines, maintaining a peaceful learning environment. Children develop an understanding of what is morally and socially acceptable, based on Christian values, and learn to make wise choices.
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was born on August 31, 1870 in Italy. She was a physician, educator, philosopher, humanitarian and devout Catholic. Best known for her philosophy and the Montessori method of education of children from birth to adolescence, her educational method is in use today in thousands of Montessori schools and dozens of teacher education programs in a number of public as well as private schools throughout the world. As the first woman physician to graduate from the University of Rome, Dr. Maria Montessori became involved with education as a doctor treating children labeled as retarded. Then in 1907 she was invited to open a childcare center for the children of desperately poor families in the San Lorenzo slums of Rome. She called it the Casa dei Bambini or "A Children's House," and based the program on her observations that young children learn best in a homelike setting, filled with developmentally appropriate materials that provide experiences contributing to the growth of self-motivated, independent learners. As the first woman physician in Italy, Dr. Montessori was unprepared to teach children, but found herself in the position to do just that, and with poor children who were thought of by most as ‘idiots’. As any good scientist, she spent time observing her subjects, and discovered, that not only were they not ‘idiots, but were actually extraordinary individuals. She went on to revolutionize the educational world with her observations. Contrary to popular opinion, she discovered that children were not simply small adults with empty brains that needed to be filled, but were in fact, uniquely designed to absorb knowledge and imitate language and culture. She found that given the proper environment, with furnishings and tools that were appropriately sized, her ‘idiots’ exhibited ‘normal’ behavior and she wondered why normal children were not more advanced. She believed her calling was from God and it was her mission to free children from the tyranny of the misguided educational notions of her day. She trained other adults to observe children and use the materials she developed. Soon there were dozens of Montessori Schools in Europe. By the time of her death in May of 1952, her understanding of how children learn had become the model for educational classrooms throughout the world.