Montessori Made

A wall street journal article identified “Montessori as the surest way to joining the creative elite”. Jeff bezos, stephen curry, sergey brin and larry page, among others, have proudly been cited by montessorians as alumni.

It’s no secret that the Montessori philosophy creates confident, compassionate, respectful and intelligent individuals.

Rather than testimonials from parents over the past 15 years, these stories are written by our alumni, on what it means to them to be “Montessori Made”.

Jenna, Class of 2018

Mia Montessori Academy impacted me greatly both academically and socially. It helped me understand concepts using visual representation, helping me not to memorize formulas, but to understand them. This helped me in high school because when concepts are explained to me, I visualized the materials we used at Mia which made them easier to understand for me. Socially at Mia, you’re in an environment where the ages of children differ greatly. This offers opportunities of leadership and gives others someone to look up to as a role model.

Noah, Class of 2016

I attended Mia from age 4 to 12. I have now just finished grade 10 at Hugh Boyd. I owe my achievements, in part, to Mia and the Montessori way. 

Montessori taught me how to manage my time with recording in my journals, which helped with managing my time in high school. The way Montessori uses physical touch to teach students how to learn and use the material was extremely helpful in my high school experience, as it taught me how to build a good foundation to learn and grow from. Montessori also taught me to value kindness and honesty. I have worked hard to be a caring and helpful person, one that Montessori taught me to be. Because of this, I have always strived to be the best person I can be. 

The work ethic that Mia instilled in me paid off in high school. I won the Top All-Round Student award in grades 8 and 10. I was also fortunate enough to be chosen as the youngest member to fly to an orphanage in South Africa called Refilwe Community Project and help build a classroom and refurbish other classrooms, as well as spend time with the children there. I have also played Div. 1 soccer since grade 7, and high school basketball. Although Montessori has been the base of all my achievements, it has also helped me deal with adversity. When stressed or facing challenges, the Montessori way taught me how to deal with them. By organizing my thoughts and setting a visible timeline I was able to overcome these challenges.

Aidan, class of 2016

Mia Montessori Academy has provided me with an exceptional place to grow, learn and develop important skills for real life application. Through my academic studies at Mia, the school became a second home to me where I felt safe and encouraged to achieve limitless goals. The concepts I learned at Mia have allowed me to have success even after I graduated. Through my high-school education I have been able to demonstrate skills I learned such as teamwork and the skill of teaching from hands-on experiences with younger students. The Montessori environment has taught me in a way which engages my visual and sensory learning. Today I still learn with these methods.

Nuri, class of 2016

My journey with Mia began when I was about two and a half years old, and just about everything I learned has helped me in one way or another throughout my post-Montessori life. Mia helped me to develop a wide range of unique skills in not just academics, but in the social and physical aspects of my life as well. It taught me perseverance and the values of creating proper work ethics. It helped me understand the importance of care and understanding towards one’s work. On top of this, it taught me vital life skills for example, manners, common courtesy and the positive impacts that outside of school activities can have on your overall growth. 

At Mia I was always encouraged to search deeper and to ask the questions that aren’t always asked. As a young student, my curiosity was always met with open arms, shaping me into the knowledge hungry person that I am today. Since my graduation from Mia, I have become a solid student in high school attending Hugh Boyd Secondary, and have managed to continue on with my long time passion for Athletics.