Why Full Circle
It's hard to remember back seven years ago when we were touring schools for our first-born and when we chose Full Circle. But three children and countless school tours later, I can tell you why we would choose it all over again. There are tons of books and articles about why the Montessori philosophy is such an amazing way for children to learn, so I'll focus here on why Full Circle is so special in particular - three ways it's really in a league of its own.
Authentic environment
The founders of Full Circle have succeeded in creating an authentic environment. FCMS stays true to the Montessori philosophy - you won't find a watered down approach here - which gives a real clarity of purpose to the school, the teachers, and the students. The principles of a Montessori education guide every heart, head, and hand from strategic decisions all the way down to helping a classmate tie a shoe or clean up a spill. You'll find strong values interwoven into the Full Circle experience - some of my favorites are empathy, child-centeredness, cultural awareness, and environmental stewardship. An example of child-centeredness... When my youngest son was two-years-old in the Young Children's Community, the class needed some pantry items for snack that day. Instead of the teacher going to the store by herself during her planning time, she turned it into a learning experience for two of the toddlers (and we all know how much longer it takes to bring two toddlers to the store!) They changed into their outdoor shoes, zipped up their coats, and brought reusable bags and money with them. The teacher walked them hand-in-hand (with huge smiles!) down the block to the market. Once inside, she asked them questions to help find the popcorn kernels, eggs, and flour they needed. The children even handled the money and bags during checkout. There were so many lessons on this small adventure - walking down the sidewalk carefully, using observation skills, counting money... All because the teacher took the time to make it so. And my son still talks about buying popcorn kernels at the store!
Inspirational staff
As I mentioned Full Circle is pure Montessori. But that doesn't mean it's stuck in the past. The leadership and staff stay innovative by reading books, exploring research studies, or watching TED talks about how children learn and they bring those ideas to the classroom. And they even bring that knowledge to us - lucky parents! - during parent education nights or coffees. I remember leaving every parent education event, or discussion with the head of school, or parent/teacher conversation thinking, "Wow. Yes, of course, that's how children should learn."
Unparalleled opportunities
Because of the Montessori approach "follow the child" and because of the flexible work periods, my children had unparalleled opportunities for deep work on a subject. As an example, in the lower elementary program, my oldest son had been working on a research project on rocks and minerals. He began researching the topic with materials in the classroom, then he continued his studies at the local public library (which is walking distance from the school). In order to pursue this interest further, he and another classmate developed a plan for a field trip (or "going out" as Montessorians call it!) to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. The two boys planned everything for the trip, from what questions they wanted to answer to which Metro stop would be best. The day of the trip, the two children along with their teacher traveled downtown via public transportation for a special opportunity to learn as much as they possibly could about their topic. And they returned with so many more lessons than would have been possible on a traditional field trip.
There are so many more reasons we would choose Full Circle all over again. But these three set Full Circle apart from others, from traditional to Montessori. read more
