For the love of learning, a charter school, a place of discovery

 

Dare mighty things for your child. Are you considering Treasure Village Montessori, (TVM), for your child? If so, we welcome the chance to share some of the fundamentals about our charter school to help you better understand the breadth of educational offerings of the Montessori program.

 

Treasure Village Montessori is a charter school, employing the Montessori program, which is proven, stable and free. Learning is based on the Montessori Method which is global, relevant and comprehensive. This method integrates individualized academic programs for each student to maximize annual progress and student responsibility while also integrating Florida's Sunshine State curriculum.

 

Here, at our charter school, students learn the required standards by doing—with the goal of fostering an enjoyment for learning—while developing self-discipline, concentration, and self-motivation. The focus of the Montessori school's method is to apply a hands-on approach to learning using these specially designed Montessori program materials along with a rich and varied curriculum, exposure to classical literature, varied cultural subjects, and added emphasis on scientific and mathematic aptitudes, all with the overall goal of developing a love of learning.

 

In addition, Treasure Village Montessori is also known for these attributes, making the program unique and a very distinctive, special place for the students fortunate enough to attend:

• A flexible approach to learning that assesses the needs and abilities of each individual student and reacts to those needs with an appropriate curriculum and teaching approaches
• Family values and a nurturing atmosphere in a small school setting, where staff are accessible, experienced, professional, caring, and down-to-earth
• Free Before Care beginning at 7:00 AM
• Free After Care study session for grades 6-8
• An expansive assortment of fee-based after-care programs until 6:00pm including band, guitar, piano, dance, and art classes

 

Who may attend Treasure Village Montessori?

 

TVM is open to any student residing in the Monroe County School District. It is a free public charter school.

 

What grade levels are taught at the school?

 

TVM serves Pre-K (4 years of age by September 1st) through 8th grade. The charter school's program is designed to attract and benefit parents and students who have an interest in the Montessori philosophy.

 

What are the benefits of a multi-age, multi-grade level classroom?

 

Students, even if the same age, vary in ability level and pace and they each possess individual strengths and weaknesses. Multi-age, multi-grade level classrooms allow teachers the ability to observe and identify traits in every individual student without a tendency to teach to the entire classroom as seen in traditional schools.

 

Role-play also plays an important part in the Montessori multi-grade/age level classroom. Students, who spend multiple years with the same teacher, will experience being the oldest, middle or youngest students throughout their education providing opportunities for each to serve as role models as well as to learn from and be inspired by older classmates.

 

What are the class sizes?

 

Class size is dictated by Florida Statutes for all schools including charter schools and is currently set at 1:18 for K-3 and 1:22 for 4-8 grades. However, teacher student ratios are much smaller at Treasure Village Montessori where we utilize the team teaching approach. Current teacher/student ratios are 1:13 in grade K-3 and 1:16 in grades 4-8.

 

How will my child later adjust to the traditional classroom in high school?

 

Montessori students have a love of learning and well-developed communication skills as a result of the school environment they have been accustomed to here. Characteristics promoted in a Montessori environment included self-discipline and motivation, concentration, independence and resourcefulness. These skills will enable these students to acclimate to any environment. In fact, Montessori

students often excel beyond the level of most traditionally educated elementary and middle school students and assimilate the high school environment with a sense of confidence gained from the Montessori program.

 

 

Montessori - Locally Embraced, Internationally Renowned

 

Our Montessori school has provided an environment conducive to learning and innovative thinking for hundreds of children through the upper Florida Keys. They have gone on the make names for themselves in myriad ways. The Montessori program has always been embraced by some names more publically recognized, some quite famous for their collective myriad successes. It is profoundly interesting to note how many have been influence by Dr. Montessori's method and philosophy of childrens' education.

 

Some of these famous names include Anne Frank, the diarist; Julia Child, acclaimed chef and author; Katherine Graham, the former owner-editor of The Washington Post; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; former First Lady, editor and philanthropist; Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel Prize winning novelist; George Clooney, John and Joan Cusack, and Lea Salonga, actors; Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com; Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia.com; and Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the co-founders of Google.com. Famed parents of Montessori students include Yo Yo Ma, Grammy winning cellist; Willie Nelson, singer-songwriter; Patty Duke Austin, Yul Brynner, Cher, and Michael Douglas, actors; as well as Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State.

 

Many other world luminaries have supported, and/or taught at Montessori schools. These include: Helen Keller, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Jean Piaget, the Dalai Lama, Fred "Mister" Rogers, and Nigel Kennedy.

 

Please visit our Parents Responsibilities, Information for Students and Charter and Montessori pages for more information about the profound experience of a Treasure Village Montessori education.

 

“I do not believe there is a method better than Montessori for making children sensitive to the beauties of the world and awakening their curiosity regarding the secrets of life.” ~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez