About Our School

Mission Statement

The Key West Montessori Charter School is a public school, open to all children, striving to reflect the diversity of our community.

Our innovative academic program, rooted in the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori, challenges the student, individually, in a safe and nurturing environment.

Students are guided in the development of self-discipline, self-confidence, cooperation and responsibility; and are instilled with solid foundations in intellectual growth, humanitarianism and peace.

Curriculum

"If education is always to be perceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be gained from it in the bettering of man's future."

Dr. Maria Montessori

To see a comparison of a Montessori Education
versus a Traditional Education, please click here.

Curriculum Overview

We believe that instilling a love of learning is an essential component of a strong educational foundation. Our students are actively engaged in the learning process through guided exploration and discovery. We celebrate our students’ ability to think abstractly, as well as their tremendous appetite for knowledge and powerful imagination.

The underlying philosophy of our elementary program, known in the Montessori community as Cosmic Education, is designed to help children search for their place in the universe and recognize the interrelatedness of all living things. This is accomplished by tying the separate disciplines of the curriculum together in an integrated thematic approach that encompasses the physical universe, the world of nature, and the human experience. Additionally, we cover Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards by identifying key concepts and relating them to the Montessori curriculum. Our focus is on developing understanding rather than a mere memorization of facts.

Our students are given the opportunity to explore topics that interest them. They engage in individual or small group research projects learning how to use the library, reference materials and the Internet to gather information. They also learn how to organize and present their findings in written reports and oral presentations.

Each of our classrooms is a mixed age community of children, providing a warm and supportive academic atmosphere. These learning environments are created to develop independence and intellectual development. Known as the prepared environment, each classroom contains a set of beautiful didactic learning tools designed to be developmentally appropriate for the plane of development. Students transition to abstract understanding at their own pace.

Montessori is often described as an education for life. Our students learn the art of collaboration through effective listening. Mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities, and achieving one’s personal best is the highest reward. Internalizing these real world skills serve our students well throughout their school years and beyond.

Curriculum by Subject

CHI flat iron jimmy choo GHD straightener Herve leger Manolo blahnik Jimmy choo Juicy couture outlet

Practical Life Skills

Time management and organization skills
Conflict resolution tools
Personal hygiene
Cooking, sewing, gardening, cleaning
Plant and animal care
Earning and using money
Conservation of the Earth

Language Arts

Reading taught through a phonetic as well as whole language approach.
Grammar studies present the structure of language coherently, so the child will learn to speak and write well.
Library and reference books are used for research and exploration.
Handwriting begins with exercises of the hand
Creative and expository composition skills are developed
Spelling taught through word families and analyzing generalizations or rules

Mathematics

Transfers from the concrete to the abstract
Develops an understanding of concepts through sensorial exploration of concrete materials
Is discovery-based
Includes arithmetic, geometry, algebra, problem solving, and a history of mathematics

Geography

Physical – land & water formations, maps & globes, hydrosphere, biomes
Cultural – continent and country studies
Economic – natural resources and their uses, interdependence of nations

History & Basic Needs of People

Building a concept of time and historical time
Development of life on Earth
Ancient civilizations
Pre-Columbian Indians, Native American cultures
Age of exploration, US Colonial period

Science

IIncludes cosmology, chemistry, astronomy, geology, and paleontology
Employs extensive biology nomenclature study
Involves the classification of living organisms
Maintains the ecological viewpoint, the interdependence of all life
Utilizes scientific inquiry skills
Encourages the development of observation skills
Promotes health and nutrition

Board Members

Robert Wilcox, CPA, Col. USMC (ret.) robert@keywestmontessori.com
President
Parent Member
Term: May 2010 - May 2013

Markham McGill, Business Owner markham@keywestmontessori.com
Vice President
Parent Member
Term: May 2010 - May 2013

Kevin Madok, Assistant Finance Director, Monroe County Clerk of Court kevin@keywestmontessori.com
Treasurer
Community Member
Term: June 2010 - June 2013

Doreen Eppy, Owner/Artist Paradise Tattoo doreen@keywestmontessori.com
Secretary
Parent Member
Term: May 2009 - May 2012

Craig Reynolds, Landscape Architect craig@keywestmontessori.com
Member at Large
Community Member
Term: June 2010 - June 2013

Shawn Smith, Key West City Attorney shawn@keywestmontessori.com
Member at Large
Community Member
Term: June 2010 - June 2013

Jamie Strunk, Nurse jamie@keywestmontessori.com
Member at Large
Community Member
Term: June 2011 - June 2013

Matthew Zintsmaster, Real Estate Appraiser matthew@keywestmontessori.com
Member at Large
Parent Member
Term: May 2011 - May 2014

Art Kara art@keywestmontessori.com
Member at Large
Parent Member
Term: September 2011 - May 2012

Bethany Smith-Martin Bethanysmithmartin@yahoo.com

Charter School Parent Liaison

828-535-3019

Public Participation at Board Meetings

These procedures have been designed to keep discussion orderly and to provide an opportunity for you to participate in a Charter School Board of Directors’ meeting.

We encourage family participation in our school community. For complaints about school-related issues, the board asks families to talk first to the employee closest to the problem—usually a classroom guide or principal. Should a satisfactory solution still not be achieved, please submit your concern to the Board.

How to get on the Agenda

The Board can only act on items included in the formal agenda (which is posted on our website and community bulletin board at least 72 hours prior to the meeting during which action is sought). If you want the Board to formally discuss or act on an item, your item must be placed on the official meeting agenda. To do so, follow these steps:

Notify the Board Secretary a minimum of 5 business days before the board meeting when the item is to be considered. Requests must reach the board secretary by 4:00 p.m. the previous Monday (meetings are usually on a Wednesday).
Identify yourself and/or all individuals who will speak on the agenda item.
Provide summary information so that the Board can be prepared to address the item. Written documentation is preferred because it reduces the chance of error or misinterpretation. The board packet, which will contain the agenda, narratives, recommendations, and supporting documentation, is usually, prepared 5 days prior to regular meetings. Packets are sent to Board members at least three days before the meeting.

When you submit items for the agenda, you and other speakers will be invited to sit at the board table and address the Board members. Discussion limit is 10 minutes, unless the Board agrees to extend the time.

The Board generally deals with an agenda item as a discussion item at one meeting and as an action item at a subsequent meeting. This allows time for reflection and further staff and community input. If agenda items, questions or problems relate to legal issues, state law permits the Board to go into closed session to receive such presentations.

How to comment on Agenda Items

You may also present information, ask questions, or comment on topics already on the agenda. With agenda items, usually the Board hears recommendations and data by the administrative staff and then discusses the topic before taking action. Your time to speak will be after the Board members’ discussion and before their action on that item.

The Board Secretary will invite speakers to the board table. To address the Board about an agenda item, you should take these steps:

Sign your name the “sign-in sheet” found on the board table.
Identify the agenda item you wish to address. The Board Secretary will invite you to speak when your item is being discussed

In the interest of time and to avoid duplication, it is suggested that groups wishing to speak should select a representative to speak for all. Representative speakers will be given extra time accordingly by the Chairman.

Late Additions to the Agenda

Due to the importance of a posted agenda for public access to Montessori meetings, last minute additions are to be discouraged. When it is necessary for an item to be added, it must be sponsored at the beginning of the meeting by a Board Member. Once sponsored, all late additions must pass by a two thirds vote of the Board to be accepted as an addition. If passed, the item will be officially added to the agenda by the Chairperson.

Charter School Committees

Charter School Committees are appointed by the Charter Board President, with the approval of the Charter Board of Directors, and are responsible for carrying on the functions of the Corporation. The Charter Board President and the Principal are standing members of all committees. Corporation members (parents & guardians of Charter School students) choose a committee on which to serve. Families will receive a listing of the committees for the Key West Montessori Charter School at the beginning of each school year.

How to Address the Board:

KWMCS encourages family participation in our school community. For complaints about school-related issues, however, the board appreciates that families talk first to the employee closest to the problem—usually a teacher or principal. Should a satisfactory solution still not be achieved, please submit your concern to the Board.

The Board has provided 2 ways for you to address members about issues of interest:
1. By placing an item on the agenda,
2. By commenting on items already on the agenda

1. How to get on the Agenda

The Board can only act on items included in the formal agenda (which is posted at least 72 hours prior to the meeting during which action is sought). If you want the Board to formally discuss or act on an item, your item must be placed on the official meeting agenda. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Notify the board secretary a minimum of 5 work days before the board meeting when the item is to be considered. Requests must reach the board secretary by 4:00 p.m. the previous Monday (meetings are usually on a Monday).

2. Identify yourself and/or all individuals who will speak on the agenda item.

3. Provide summary information so that the Board can be prepared to address the item. Written documentation is preferred because it reduces the chances of error or misinterpretation. The board packet, which will contain the agenda, narratives, recommendations, and supporting documentation, is usually prepared 5 days prior to regular meetings. Packets are sent to Board members 3 or 4 days before the meeting.

When you submit items for the agenda, you and other speakers will be invited to sit at the board table and address the Board members. Discussion limit is 10 minutes, unless the Board agrees to extend the time.

The Board generally deals with an agenda item as a discussion item at one meeting and as an action item at a subsequent meeting. This allows time for reflection and further staff and community input. If agenda items, questions or problems relate to legal issues, state law permits the Board to go into closed session to receive such presentations.

2. How to comment on Agenda Items

You may also present information, ask questions, or comment on topics already on the agenda.
With agenda items, usually the Board hears recommendations and data by the administrative staff and then discusses the topic before taking action. Your time to speak will be after the Board members’ discussion and before their action on that item.

The Board secretary will invite speakers to the board table. To address the Board about an agenda item, you should take these steps:

1. Sign your name on the “sign-in sheet” found on the board table.
2. Identify the agenda item you wish to address. The Board secretary will invite you to speak when your item is being discussed.

In the interest of time and to avoid duplication, it is suggested that groups wishing to speak should select a representative to speak for all. Representative speakers will be given extra time accordingly by the Chairman.

Late Additions to the Agenda

Due to the importance of a posted agenda for public access to Montessori meetings, last minute additions are to be discouraged. When it is necessary for an item to be added, it must be sponsored at the beginning of the meeting by a Board Member. Once sponsored, all late additions must pass by a two thirds vote of the Board to be accepted as an addition. If passed, the item will be officially added to the agenda by the Chairman.

Admissions Info

The Key West Montessori Charter School will hold its open application period for enrollment beginning February 27^th, 2012 through April 27^th, 2012. Applications for enrollment will be available on our web site during that time. Based on the number of available spaces and the number of applicants for each grade, a lottery may be held to determine enrollment, which will take place on May 11^th, 2012; families do not have to be present, and will be contacted via electronic mail with the results.