About First Steps

First Steps Montessori School is a ministry of The Church of St. John the Divine, a 501 (c)(3) organization. We have an enrollment of 120 children, ages 18 months through kindergarten. The student population is multi-ethnic and approximately one quarter of our students are children of parishioners.

 

All of our teachers are Montessori certified and have 12-20 years of teaching experience. We are proud of our dedicated teachers, low teacher/child ratios and  experienced support staff. First Steps is a member of the American Montessori Society.

 

We believe, as Dr. Montessori did, that “the period of infancy is undoubtedly the richest. It should be utilized by education in every possible and conceivable way. The waste of this period of life can never be compensated. Instead of ignoring the early years, it is our duty to cultivate them with the utmost care.” *

 

In the Montessori environment, children are presented  endless opportunities to develop their senses and motor skills with the aid of self-correcting materials in a prepared setting. This encourages them to become self-disciplined and independent learners. The children learn to care for and help one another, while taking care of their environment.

 

*The Absorbent Mind, New York, 1984(p.17)