Reflection by Ms. Milinh, Head of School at our Cantera Montessori location. As we gear up being thankful and thinking about Christmas and all the toys and “stuff” that comes with it—sometimes less is more, there is a beauty in simplicity. Think about how you feel when your home is a mess—unmade beds, toys everywhere, dust on the floors, grimy dishes in the sink. Compare that to when your home is clean and tidy, with everything in its place. Does one scenario bring on stressful feelings, while the other makes you feel calm

     MSOSV’s Five Part Blog Series A New Beginning: The 2021 School Year Work is the Child’s Play: Following a New Child – Tori, who is Three Years Old The Montessori Work Cycle Continued The Classroom: Not Only Are They Learning, They Have Created a Community The Role of the Guide: How They Can Follow Each Child Independently – Allowing Each Child to Learn and Grow at Their Own Pace   The Role of the Guide: How They Can Follow Each Child Independently – Allowing Each Child to Learn and Grown at Their Own Pace “To aide life. That

Reflection by Ms. Milinh, Head of School at our Cantera Montessori location. With Thanksgiving over and the approaching holiday season is full of hustle and bustle, it is also a perfect time to step back and reflect on the many people that contribute to making our lives happier, better, and easier. What and who are we thankful for? What are we grateful for? Showing gratitude is an important part of who we are as humans. It strengthens our relationships and our connection to our community, and studies show that expressing appreciation makes

     MSOSV’s Five Part Blog Series A New Beginning: The 2021 School Year Work is the Child’s Play: Following a New Child – Tori, who is Three Years Old The Montessori Work Cycle Continued The Classroom: Not Only Are They Learning, They Have Created a Community The Role of the Guide: How They Can Follow Each Child Independently – Allowing Each Child to Learn and Grow at Their Own Pace   The Classroom: Not Only Are They Learning, They Have Created a Community In our previous blogs we talked about work being the child’s play and what happens in

MSOSV’s Five Part Blog Series A New Beginning: The 2021 School Year Work is the Child’s Play: Following a New Child – Tori, who is Three Years Old The Montessori Work Cycle Continued The Classroom: Not Only Are They Learning, They Have Created a Community The Role of the Guide: How They Can Follow Each Child Independently – Allowing Each Child to Learn and Grow at Their Own Pace   The Montessori Work Cycle and Philosophy Continued Working together “classifying” This is the Hundred Board – Some children will spend the entire work cycle with this material This is the

MSOSV’s Five Part Blog Series A New Beginning: The 2021 School Year Work is the Child’s Play: Following a New Child – Tori, who is Three Years Old The Montessori Work Cycle Continued The Classroom: Not Only Are They Learning, They Have Created a Community The Role of the Guide: How They Can Follow Each Child Independently – Allowing Each Child to Learn and Grow at Their Own Pace Play is the work of the Child Dr. Maria Montessori Dr. Montessori observed that children enjoyed play based in reality, the children were happier and engaged longer with activities

MSOSV’s Upcoming Five Part Blog Series A New Beginning: The 2021 School Year Work is the Child’s Play: Following a New Child – Tori, who is Three Years Old The Montessori Work Cycle Continued The Classroom: Not Only Are They Learning, They Have Created a Community The Role of the Guide: How They Can Follow Each Child Independently – Allowing Each Child to Learn and Grow at Their Own Pace In May of 2020, MSOSV returned from the 2-month shutdown, the children had been at home. Parents transitioned from the office to work at home. The

September is always an exciting time in the Montessori environment. At MSOSV our schools begin the school year with “Me and My Community”. The topic of learning about Me and My Community offers the children the opportunity to learn about themselves, their community, and how it all connects within social contexts. This will allow them to expand their understandings of their community and the role others play to be helpful members of society. If you drove by Cantera Montessori today and saw a fire truck in the front of the school,

As the Founder and CEO of four private Montessori schools in the Bay Area and our newest one in Texas, I am often asked how I keep myself grounded. Well, it is pretty simple.  I stay very connected to my first school, Calaveras Montessori (2001) very much like the founder of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, who still carries in his pocket the key to his first Starbucks location in Seattle so he can start his day there before any of the employees arrive for the day. Our staff at Calaveras Montessori are quite

In the journey to bring Cantera Montessori to life, we have transformed what was an empty building into a warm, safe environment for young children. From top-to-bottom, our Montessori leaders have meticulously redesigned the space to create a place that feels like home. Whether it’s the fireplace that has been turned into a bookshelf or that corner that needed a little something extra, we are so pleased with how we’ve created a space where your child can thrive in their learning experiences. Developmentally appropriate furniture has been specifically organized around each