Chesterfield Montessori School is dedicated to the authentic practice of the
Montessori philosophy of education.
Montessori education is a multi-age, child-oriented method of education designed
to assist children in their natural process of growth and development. Based on
a profound respect for children, Montessori provides a structured environment
for individual learning. The flexibility of self-directed work with the
scientifically developed Montessori materials leads to inner discipline and
provides limitless opportunities for accomplishment. Individual and
collaborative work leads to independence and social development.
There are successive prepared environments tailored to children of
different age groups of three to six, six to nine, and nine to twelve.
Here at CMS, our seven classrooms are designed to be child-centered communities. All of the furniture, kitchen areas, and materials are scaled to the size of the children in the room. Great care is taken to ensure that the spaces are beautiful, simple, and inviting to the children. The children learn to work with and respect each other's work space, and to treat each other with courtesy.
Students at CMS also take an active role in caring for our outdoor classroom - our Children's Garden. All of the children, from toddler through elementary, help prepare the beds, plant, weed, water, and harvest the garden's bounty. The children cut and arrange flowers from the garden, and prepare and eat the vegetables that are grown. The terraced beds of our Children's Garden provide inspiration for countless botany lessons and hands-on experiences with the natural world.
