Finding the right school

It’s that time of the year when parents are busy planning for the 2024 academic year and are seeking the elusive perfect school for their child.  It’s certainly a challenge for many families.  One size definitely ‘does not fit all’ particularly in the current educational crisis. Parents have many different questions and ruminate various issues that may impact their child’s learning.   Choices depend on several factors that are important to family values and hopes for their child’s future.

The challenges of finding the right school

When investigating a school, the list of parental concerns can be extensive.  Does the school have a good reputation? How big/small is the school?  Is the range of subjects broad enough? How is student-progress assessed?  How does the school rate on Naplan?  How does the school manage mental health issues relating to work or peers? Should the child select the school or should the parent? Will the child be happy?  How is discipline and behaviour managed? Another area that can become an unwanted challenge for parents is the issue of homework. These are examples of some of the questions that we are asked at Open Days or enrolment interviews.

While answering these questions is important,  at Caboolture Montessori School, we also want to communicate a few further less obvious ‘Montessori’ issues.  At CMS, we believe that the time spent at school should be a time of exploration, excitement, fun.  We want children to have the opportunity to learn how to learn, and be happy!  Sounds a little idealistic? Perhaps!

Perhaps not!  Montessori schools know what to expect when students are empowered with the ability to make choices relating to their own learning.  We know they have the ability to perform highly(academically) and are content.  We see every day what happens when students are given relevant age-appropriate responsibilities and by ensuring they know that they belong to an environment where their opinions are respected, these students – from the age of 15months to 12years – feel valued.  We know this boosts their self-esteem and we know this is a win-win.

However, in providing this environment, we also we have high expectations of our students: expectations of exceptional work ethic, we have social expectations of respectful behaviour for teachers, peers and self.  We want to see self-direction and self management.  We want to hear probing questions, diverse thinking and more.  This is how a cycle of Montessori positivity goes on.

CMS Open Day

During our Open Days, we endeavour to answer as many of your questions as possible and conversely we also ask you, as parents, some questions.  Many parents are relatively unfamiliar with the nuances of the Montessori philosophy and may find the principles of the methodology confusing or even contradictory. Some parents come to our Open Days on the advice of family, friends or health professionals armed with pre-conceptions and myths relating to Montessori. We often spend a lot of time busting this ‘myth-information’!  Therefore, we definitely encourage you to visit Caboolture Montessori School and find out first-hand how Montessori learning is different.

Ask us how Montessori learning deeply engages the students who in turn learns to focus for longer and longer periods.   Ask about the specifically engineered materials that are designed to help students understand concepts better.  We will also explain how these manipulatives support the retention of new understandings.  Ask how the three year age groups in the classrooms impact behaviour and help students self-direct; ask about the work-choices your child can make while adhering to a strong academic rigour that aligns to two curricula; ask about the two highly qualified adults in each class available to guide your child.  We also recommend you ask about parent education at CMS and the involvement of parents in our CMS community.

An opportunity to ask your own questions is fast approaching.  Register for our next Open Day by visiting our Home Page.  We would love to show you around our school so you can see and experience our unique CMS difference.   We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions and bust some ‘Montessori myth-information’.  We can also explain to you why Montessori is not for every family and perhaps guide you to that conclusion yourself.

We welcome the opportunity to help you discover if a Montessori education could be right for your family.

Please also visit our Enrolment Process to find out more.