Making childhood a journey, not a race
We’re proud of our campus, our school, and our teachers. With almost two full acres of campus in residential Oakland, we have plenty of open spaces and green grass for running and playing. We have planted fruit trees, indigenous plants, vegetables and flower beds, to attract butterflies, bees and other insects. We raise bees that make us honey. Children learn to harvest fruits and vegetables and to cook and share food with family and friends.
The “GLM village” is a place where children can learn and grow, all while developing strong, loving and respectful relationships with their peers and school adults. This is “personalized education” at its best, fostering resilience, creativity, collaboration and a love of life-time learning. Come and see for yourself, what we mean when we say: we are “helping to make childhood a journey, not a race.”
We have recently refreshed our Vision and Mission statements, Core Values and an Anti-Bias / Anti-Racism Statement
MISSION STATEMENT
Grand Lake Montessori School serves children from 18 months through 12 years, using Montessori principles that are innovative and backed by the science of child development. We actively cultivate partnerships amongst staff, students, and families so that we may bring, discover, and honor each of our whole selves through:
- The embodiment of core values for all stakeholders at GLM (see the CARDS of GLM)
- Using anti-bias/anti-racist principles and education (see “Anti-Bias Anti-Racist Statement” below for term definitions)
- Montessori education supporting the inquiry and self-reflection for this lifelong work
Teachers offer a multi-sensory learning environment, which promotes respect, cooperation, order, and freedom within limits (primary) and evolves to freedom and responsibility (elementary). This is accomplished through individual and small group lessons with the powerful experience of peer teaching.
A student’s natural desire to learn is nurtured, cultivated, and supported, enabling students to build their own capacity and develop loving relations with peers and adults. As students begin to develop their purpose in their elementary years we lean on cosmic education, a sense of justice and morality, and curiosity and wonder.
We stand by one another as a Montessori school community in Huchiun, the ancestral and unceded land of the Lisjan Ohlone People (currently occupied by the City of Oakland).
CORE VALUES
The CARDS of GLM…
Community: We build relationships and trust by showing up with respect, empathy, and care for one another and our natural world.
Awareness: We aim to minimize the harmful effects of our blind spots, bias, and privilege while maximizing collaborative and liberatory partnerships so everyone can flourish in our environment.
Responsiveness: We can do hard things with quality and grace using our enduring love and commitment to our community to solve challenges that arise.
Diversity: We are the students, families, and staff of GLM with a wide range of intersecting identities, perspectives, experiences, and financial status.
Sustainability: We are committed to reducing our environmental impact by paying special attention to energy use and nutrition through environmental education and our campus’ permaculture, working to ensure we can deliver education for generations to come.
ANTI-BIAS/ANTI-RACISM STATEMENT
Our Montessori community is comprised of students, their families, and our dedicated professional staff who reflect the backgrounds of our students. Across race, ethnicity, gender identity/ expression, sexual orientation, language, ability, immigration status, family structure, economic status, political views, and faith, we all deserve to belong. We seek to provide a diverse educational experience for students and a diverse professional environment for staff.
Anti-Bias
A belief or practice that embraces and respects differences and actively identifies, disrupts, and opposes individual or systemic oppression (and the resulting privilege) through collaboration/co-creation with diverse voices, identity/ies, roles, and experiences.
Anti-Racism
Anti-racism is when we actively work against the policies and structures that uphold white supremacy and systemic racism that separate and oppress people.
Inclusion
A co-created sense of deep belonging by all people in the GLM community (students, staff, parents/families) where each is engaged and can truly show up as their authentic selves.
We bring, discover and honor our whole selves in this intersectional work.
Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students
The Grand Lake Montessori school admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.