• Preschool Core Values: Why they matter when choosing the right preschool for your child

    • August 11, 2022
    • Posted By : Montessori School of Silicon Valley Staff
    • 0 Comment

    The core values of every organization are experienced by members of its community, and the communities they serve. This is especially true for all those of us that serve children and their families. Your child’s preschool and early learning experiences help to shape who they are, and who they’ll become. That’s why Preschool Core Values are so important to us at the Montessori School of Silicon Valley.

    We work directly with our staff so that we live our values according to our exclusive CARING model. Community, Accountability, Respect, Integrity, Nurture, and Growth. We use this core values as a scaffold to support us in our mission to put Children First, Always.

    Our campuses are visited by families looking for a Montessori school for their children, aspiring early childhood educators looking for a place to make a difference in the lives of young learners, as well as vendors and officials. Even though they come to our schools for different reasons, we really appreciate the kind words they share about what they find impressive.

    They note the meticulously maintained environment that our Montessori Lead Guides have crafted. These learning atmospheres that specifically place the needs of the children first (always!) which in turn creates a place where children want to be.

    Everything within the environment – the bookshelves, counter tops, tables, chairs, even the bathroom fixtures – is set at the child’s level in a clean, organized manner that is warm, beautiful, and inviting.

    During work periods the classrooms are alive with the hum of happy children busy working on lessons with Montessori materials.

    It is the type of environment that can only be created by a staff that are happy themselves, and happy to be working with children.

    Several years ago, we set out on a mission to achieve a highly effective, full implementation of Montessori in all our classrooms. To realize our mission, we recognized that we had to be very careful to hire the right teachers to lead our classrooms. This led to our focusing our search on hiring Lead Guides who truly:

    • love working with children
    • love and embrace the Montessori philosophy
    • exhibit their passion for working with children and the Montessori philosophy

    That last bullet may appear redundant at first glance, but it is an important distinction! (analogous to the difference between ‘saying’ and ‘doing’)

    MSOSV Core Values

    When we asked the staff help us define our core values, it was no surprise to me to see how the personal values our staff hold in their own lives align with how they feel about working at MSOSV.

    In turn, MSOSV reflects the personal values of the staff.

    For our Lead Guides, Management, and many of our assistant staff, MSOSV is more than a career. Both our lives and our professions are dedicated to working with children.

    It is our life’s work.

    The core values of your child’s school should align with your own.

    When it comes to ‘how to’ guides on selecting a preschool for your child, there is a seemingly infinite volume of articles and advice on available online.

    The reality is that a parent’s decision essentially boils down to their answer to this key question: “Every morning when I drive out of the school parking, do I feel good leaving my child here?

    So, where should you begin?

    • Start with the school’s core values & philosophy. Are they posted on the website, in the lobby of the school, in the parent handbook? How familiar are you with them?
    • As you meet the staff, from the greeting at the door to observing the teachers and support staff in the classrooms, are the core values evident?
    • Do the staff interact with each other in a way that reflects the core values?
    • Have you spoken to other families in the school? Do they feel the school is true to its’ core values?
    • Are the school’s programs and activities aligned with its core values?
    • Are the core values of the school consistent with your own family values?

    Why is this important?

    A school’s core values are timeless and do not change, they are the DNA of the school and the guiding principles for everything that happens inside of the school and on the play yards.

    Having strong core values that are lived throughout the staff, programs, and activities enables a school to better recruit, develop and retain the best teachers and support staff to guide your child every day.

    This in turn ensures that your child consistently receives the highest quality of guidance and instruction from the school.

    At the Montessori School of Silicon Valley, our educational programs are rooted in a strong core value system which has been developed by educators with more than 75 years of combined experience in leading Montessori schools and guiding children.

    The Leadership staff at MSOSV have chosen this very particular path of education, offering full implementation Montessori education, hiring the very best, dedicated teachers who align with our preschool core values at all four of our campus locations. Come visit one of our campus locations and we will be happy to show you.