Crescent Montessori School

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Crescent Montessori School celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Formerly Vintage Country Day School founded by a group of parents in 1983, the school changed hands in the Fall 1994 when Karin Niehoff, Head Teacher, became owner and director. The school continues the tradition of offering a quality Montessori program for children ages 2 through 5 in the Primary class and ages 6-12 in the Elementary class. Our connection to the community is lasting and strong thanks to the many families with children who have shared their school years in our lovely classrooms in the Sonoma Community Center. Our staff is dedicated to providing the best possible environment for each child to flourish and grow during the important formative years and continuing with us through Elementary and beyond with our plans for developing a Middle School.



Like all Montessori schools, CMS emphasizes hands-on discovery-based learning. The philosophy of our school includes recognizing and protecting the natural curiosity of each child during the developmental years. We accomplish this goal by guiding the active physical development of the primary years and supporting the great imagination and intellectual development, which characterizes the elementary years. Guiding children based on their own interests, we strive to impart a strong foundation of basic skills along with a pattern for a lifelong love of learning.



At CMS, the Lead Teachers receive additional post-graduate training in Montessori philosophy and technique. We work to prepare a dynamic environment that in itself encourages each child to make choices based on their own needs and interests. Our teachers are trained to guide through observation giving well-placed challenges and inviting children to try something new.



Our classrooms offer a wide variety of Montessori materials, supplemented with traditional and handmade materials. In the Primary class, children are free to choose activities and move about the room. They are gently invited to participate in lessons. They also enjoy observing others with their activities. The Montessori Elementary curriculum is organized as a continuum with one step building on the previous one. In the elementary class, the teacher and child collaborate on daily and weekly work plans. The structure of freedom and responsibility is carefully balanced. The concept of mixed ages promotes an atmosphere of cooperation, teamwork and peer teaching. The unique design of the materials and the structure of the tasks lead children to the development of self-discipline. The warm and friendly atmosphere provides a safe place where each child's social experience is guided with love and respect.

We are aware that parents are a child's first and most important teachers.
Parenting forms each child's core belief about who they are at the very beginning of their being. The responsibility of working in partnership with our parents at this crucial time in their young lives plays a significant role in our daily relationship. Although parents do not participate in the daily life of the classroom we stay in close in close contact with open lines of communication and brief weekly updates.

The future looks bright for Crescent Montessori. Our school expansion modeled on other successful Montessori schools includes a complete elementary program by 2008. We have set our sites on developing a Middle school for ages 12-15. Families and children grow with us as we create an exceptional educational choice for our community.

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Phone: 707-996-2456

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