Montessori Children's Community

Welcome to the Montessori Children's Community

Please click HERE to download the Waiting List Form
and fax it to 604 261 0847.

About our Children's Community

The Montessori Children's Community opened September 5, 2006 in the heart of the Cambie/Oakridge area in Vancouver.

Our Dedication

The Montessori Children's Community is committed to supporting the wholesome growth and development of the human personality during the formative years of childhood. This is through the work of Dr. Maria Montessori. In this way, we can assist the child, not only in his natural quest for knowledge and independence, but also in his task of creating himself and in striving to realize his potential. This embodies Dr. Montessori's principle of education as an aid to life.

A Pilot Project

The Montessori Training Centre of British Columbia has been granted special permission to develop a Montessori prepared environment for children 3 to 6+ years of age following the criteria required by the Association Montessori Internationale for school recognition. Currently some B.C. regulations restrict Montessori schools from following such criteria.

The Montessori Children's Community will be a Pilot Project for British Columbia. The objectives of this Project are to establish a model class to demonstrate the excellent quality A.M.I. criteria promote and secondly, by working in collaboration with the Community Care Licensing Office in Vancouver to define a procedure that can be followed by other Montessori schools in B.C. which choose to operate according to A.M.I. requirements.

Research for the Pilot Project

To meet the objectives of the Pilot Project, we will be required to provide current research. Parents registering their children in this programme acknowledge this and agree that current research practices will be implemented, such as videos, photographs and documentation all within recognized privacy boundaries. It will be used specifically for research.

The Eden Philosophy

We are most excited to be located at Youville Residence - a seniors’ home operated by Providence Health Centre. The Youville coordinators have welcomed us enthusiastically. Recently they embraced the Eden Philosophy, one of the guiding principles being: " An Elder-centered community commits to creating a Human Habitat where life revolves around close and continuing contact with plants, animals and children. It is these relationships that provide the young and old alike with a pathway to a life worth living." As our program becomes established, we hope to find ways to positively effect the lives of the seniors. This will add a wonderful dimension to our children’s programme as well as to the lives of the residents at Youville.

The Staff

We are very fortunate to have Gilda Bonnet as our AMI Montessori directress. She has 25 years experience directing a Montessori class for children ages 3 to 6 in a school she owned and operated in Puerto Rico. Her class served as a model for the AMI training centre there and she also directed a model class for the AMI training course in Spain in 1997-99. In 1999 Gilda registered in the AMI Training of Trainers programme and joined the staff at the Montessori Training Centre of BC in 2001. Gilda is looking forward to working with the children and helping to establish the Pilot Project.

Parent Study Programme

The Montessori Children’s Community gives parents the opportunity to participate in an interesting and dynamic Parent Study programme which harmonizes developmental practices in the home and the school. This will be presented by Eduardo Cuevas, the Director of Training of the Montessori Training Centre of BC, and staff. As well as his many years training Montessori teachers, Eduardo has extensive experience as a Montessori teacher, school administrator and Director of Parent Education programmes. All parents enrolling their child at the MCC are required to attend these monthly programmes.

As an Observation Site

As part of the students' training, the MTC of BC uses many of the Montessori schools in the Lower Mainland for observation and practice teaching. The Montessori Children's Community will be one of the sites used by the training centre. Clear, strict guidelines are given to observers, as it is important this is done without interacting with the children. The ability to guide children's development based on keen observation of children's activity is an essential quality of a Montessori teacher. The Montessori Children's Community will also be used as a Practicum site for MTC of BC students.