Through the past 36 years, Joseph Bruno Montessori Academy has transformed and established a long lasting legacy in the way children are educated. Building upon the foundations of Maria Montessori, and with consistent encouragement of a child’s self-discovery, JBMA has kept one mission throughout its three decades of existence: to provide the opportunity for all students to grow to their fullest potential cognitively, socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and aesthetically.
The Joseph Bruno Montessori Academy was founded in 1982 by Joseph Bruno and Theresa B. Sprain. It began as Whispering Pines School and accepted children 3-6 years old. The original campus included ten acres of beautiful wooded land, meadows, and a small house, eventually used as a classroom. A small building was erected for the first classroom of four children.
In 1983, Theresa Sprain received Montessori Certification and the school became Whispering Pines Montessori School. By 1989, the number of children attending the preschool increased to ninety. In 1984, Ms. Sue Richards joined her as a preschool teacher. Ms. Margaret Lewis, already a certified Montessori teacher from New Orleans, became our third preschool teacher in 1985. After Sue Richards took Montessori Training she became the first certified teacher of the 6-9 year olds. The lower elementary/office building was constructed in 1989, and the first classroom for children 6-9 years opened with Sue Richards as the first teacher. Our first 6-9 classroom enrolled twenty-two children. The school was renamed The Joseph Bruno Montessori Academy.
Major expansion occurred again in 1992. In 2002, the middle school building was opened and additional land was purchased. The increased acreage allowed space for a running track, two tennis courts, beach volleyball, and an outside basketball court. In 2007, a ropes course was added to the wooded and pond area of the school campus.
In 2009, the Joseph Bruno Montessori Academy became accredited with the American Montessori Society. High standards in education have always been our goal so that every child has the opportunity to achieve his potential in all areas of development.
In 2013, Ms. Theresa retired after 30 successful years as head of school. Rebecca Little, who formerly taught in Bruno’s Upper Elementary Program, is now JBMA’s Head of School.
Our Vision
The vision of Joseph Bruno Montessori Academy is to provide children and families with an education according to the Montessori philosophy and curriculum. Our focus is not only to provide cognitive education for our students, but to also model a commitment to creating peace and care for the environment for years to come. In theory and practice, we will explore how the traditional Montessori curriculum can be combined with current best practices in education as well as technological advances in order to develop a successful group of 21st century learners. At JBMA we treat each child as an individual, building on their strengths and abilities to become life-long global learners.
Core Values
Respect- We embrace with respect all students regardless of racial, cultural or religious background, gender or the physically or mentally challenged.
Peace- We create an atmosphere that will promote the development of peaceful individuals. All students will become committed to creating peace, and taking care of the environment in their homes, school, and communities.
Collaboration-We provide each child a foundation for a lifetime of learning by having multi-age classrooms and multi-level collaboration.
Independent Thinker- We foster students’ development of positive self-esteem; so they will become independent thinkers and accept leadership roles in the world of tomorrow.
World Class Faculty
Our incredible faculty and staff provide the students of JBMA with a one-of-a-kind education based on experience and best practices. They believe in creating classroom environments in all programs that foster peace, collaboration, and growth.
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