Clemens Montessori Academy and its philosophy are inspired by the educational thought of Dr. Maria Montessori; the models for the classrooms and the developmental learning materials were created by her. As Montessori educators, we believe that each child is born to be a learner, and that the full potential of each person is realized only through an ordered, challenging, nurturing environment that
is physical, intellectual and social. We believe that the child and his/her needs are the central and commanding focus on the learning process. It is the role of the school to observe, to know, and encourage the child as he/she proceeds throughout the stages of development. The child in the process of fundamental development has unlimited possibilities and the future rests on our ability cultivate this potential. Clemens Montessori Academy welcomes students from diverse social, economic, ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds.
•We believe that the learning process is governed by basic human tendencies or needs:
•The need to communicate, to use language
•The tendency for order, the demand to organize, classify and interpret reality
•The need for independence, the impulse to act personally on and in reality
•The need for social relationships
•The need to experience reality through imagination
Like Dr. Montessori, we recognize that education requires an ethical environment in which the values of the community are respected and the worth of the individual protected. Our philosophy includes the cultivation of the following values:
•Self-reliance and hard work. We facilitate education based on self-inquiry while maintaining Academy-wide standards of academic excellence. We recognize the intrinsic rewards of the children's work.
•Respect for other people, including those who live or lived in other places and times. We emphasize the positive advances achieved by humans rather than the wars raged by them.
•International and interpersonal peace. We seek to create situations where children cooperate at least as much as they compete.
