What parents want

– The decision of selecting the right school for your child is certainly a challenge.  In an enrolment interview at any school, the enrolment officer or Principal may hear many sentiments: ‘I want a school that will provide my child experiences to allow their potential to flourish’.  ‘I want my child to be happy coming to school’.   ‘I would love to know that the adults in the environment care for my child and highlight their very best qualities’.  …And in Montessori schools: ‘Will my child cope in a traditional High School’. The results of a 2021 survey from Independent Schools Queensland revealed key findings of what some Queensland parents want, including Caboolture Montessori School.

Of course these ‘wants’ do not remain static. One or two years may pass and the parent may consciously realise that what they want for their child has changed slightly; they want more. Their child is now in their early primary years dealing with many academic tasks and is very interested in the social aspect of school life. The parent may now suggest: ‘I want my child to be able to achieve with their writing, spelling, and mathematics’.   ‘I would also like for my child to have positive friendships and experience extra-curricula activities’.   ‘I would like to understand better what they are doing daily’?

A few more years may pass and the child could be about eight or nine.  Again parents’ doubts may arise about the value of education being provided to the precious little person. ‘I would really love my child to be able to have a canteen in the school’, ‘ will they be able to compete with other schools and understand the world ‘out there’; ‘I would love my child to have a lap-top as all other children in traditional schools’;  ‘Is my child missing out on vital education’?,  ‘What does my child want’?

Parents and Montessori

These are all valid thoughts and genuine concerns. When a parent enrolls their child into a Montessori school in most circumstances the parents themselves have not experienced the benefits of Montessori, they have to accept and trust our school.  How do they know that the content delivered will meet the national requirements? How can they trust that their child is getting the very best for the money they pay year after year? How do they know that attending a small school will provide their child with an education that can stand up 21^st Century requirements? Why would their child need to be educated differently from their own schooling experiences? Or maybe they know that they definitely want their child educated differently, but are not sure how or what is best. What about the academic achievement of the student? How can our school tell their progress without comparisons with other children of the same age?

Parents gradually recognise how we measure success

At CMS, we tell parents that students’ achievements are measured in many ways;  Naplan is just one way of these many ways and by no means the most important.  There are various assessments done by class teachers showing the level the child has reached in given subjects; we value the contentment of the child; we look at how they behave towards their fellow students; we continuously see and hear about the amazing achievements of our former students and the high level attained in all academic subjects. Most importantly from local secondary schools, we receive feedback about the attributes our former students bring to the new environment. Comments from local secondary principals about our students include: ‘Please send more of them to our school’; ‘Your children stand out for their beautiful behaviours and willingness to work with the adults’;  ‘What do you do to produce such high standards?’  These are just some of the comments we hear.

Why do Parents want a Montessori environment?

Parents want a Montessori environment because they value a true wholistic, well-rounded education for their child. They love our purpose built classrooms and the bush setting so familiar to Australians. They realise that they want what they announced many years ago, when their child was only three: ‘I want my child to be happy and achieve the best they can achieve.’  Your loyalty to Montessori will fulfil this aim. Many of the learnings gained are additional to what parents are accustomed to as traditional outcomes; A Montessori child will possess innate qualities and values that are relevant to whom they as individuals will become.

The true difference between Montessori and traditional education is the way each child is nurtured and encouraged and the method adopted to reach personal outstanding outcomes. Honesty, confidence, independence, creativity and responsibility are the qualities that developed at CMS through the years of exposure to the Montessori Philosophy.

Yvonne Rinaldi

Principal

Caboolture Montessori School