New Beginnings Christian
Montessori
HomeAbout New Beginnings
New Beginnings is a Christian Montessori school which serves children in preprimary, kindergarten, and 1st through 8th grades. Our goal is to provide a Christian environment coupled with the Montessori method of learning which will allow for the spiritual, educational, and developmental growth of our students.
New Beginnings has been in existence since August of 1988. We are affiliated with the American Montessori Society, Illinois Montessori Society, registered as a private school with the State Board of Education and meet all state and local regulations. We are not connected with any particular church organization. Our staff and students come from a variety of different Christian churches in the area.
Our school is unique in being a Christian school as well as a Montessori school. As Christian teachers, we strive to give the children a firm foundation in the Bible, familiarizing them with God's word through scripture memorization, stories, songs and drama. We do not teach any particular doctrine but rather basic Christian fundamentals. The morals and ethics involved with being a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ form the very foundation of New Beginnings. We try in all that we do to show by example how Christians should lead their lives.
The Montessori method of education, which was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 1900's, is based on the theory that the young child's mind is like a sponge which can absorb learning from the surrounding environment. We believe that the years from 3-6 are the most important years of learning and that a child of this age is capable of learning language, math, science, etc., as easily as he learns his own native language, by simply being exposed to it. We believe that children of all ages learn best through individual hands-on learning experiences in an environment where they are free to learn and develop at their own pace.
The Montessori Directress "follows" the child and observes his needs in order to direct him to satisfying activities that will further his development. By gearing these activities to the developmental level of the child, the Directress ensures a successful experience which thereby encourages the child to continue or repeat the activity. It is the responsibility of the Directress to provide an aesthetically pleasing environment complete with materials to suit every child's individual developing needs and interests. Children are encouraged to try new activities but no child is ever forced to participate. Instead, we develop materials and an environment which "calls" to the child so that he may freely choose appropriate activities.
Some people question whether the freedom of movement and choice allowed in the Montessori classroom is destructive of discipline, but in truth, the children develop a sense of inner discipline and order which provides a calm security which enables them to learn without outside discipline. They learn respect for their environment, the materials and each other without a rigid "teacher-enforced" discipline. The class is self-governing with a minimum of well understood rules which act to ensure the safety of the children and matenals and to maintain a peaceful environment in which to learn. Children acting in an inappropriate manner are gently guided to make better choices because it is the "right" thing to do. In other words, children develop an understanding of what is morally and socially acceptable and learn to choose what is right over what is wrong.
Family age groupings of 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and 13-14 year-olds allow the older children the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience with the younger children and allows younger children the chance to learn from the more experienced children. It is a mutually advantageous situation for all age levels. Each child advances at his own pace and according to his own interests. The children have equal opportunity for independent study and shared lessons and activities. They are free to choose to work alone or with any number of friends. All children are encouraged to help each other when possible so that they may learn from one another. Socialization is a part of everything we do as the children are free to move about and converse with one another at will. One of our primary goals is to ensure that children develop a love of learning, independence and positive feelings about themselves and one another.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to call or drop by our school for a visit. We encourage you to visit with your child so you can both have an opportunity to see our class in progress and decide whether you would like to be a part of New Beginnings. Just call to schedule your visit at your convenience. We'll look fonward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, Patricia J. Stephens