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Our Roots and Wings The Bridgeview Montessori School describes itself as providing its students with Montessori roots and independent wings. The "roots and wings" concept comes from the Kahil Gibran poem of the same name where he describes a parent's challenge as giving a child both deep roots to sustain him and strong wings to enable him to explore life and to live it with integrity. At Bridgeview we root our educational values in the philosophy of Maria Montessori and provide each child with his or her own set of tools for learning. Maria Montessori was an engineer as well as a medical doctor who developed many "manipulatives" and systems that allow children to base learning on progressive sensory experiences. At its core, her system is experiential and individual. She believed heartily in the intrinsic worth and nobility of children and in valuing them from this perspective. We believe that when children experience their capability and are rooted in a strong sense of community, they can whole-heartedly participate in a variety of settings with self esteem intact and with the ability to take pleasure in their work and contributions. We are very clear that the Bridgeview Montessori School does not primarily "protect" children from "the world" but rather enables them to fully participate in it with their personal integrity intact. Equipped with Montessori roots, our students leave with the skills, self-confidence, and educational curiosity they need to take on their "independent wings" and make their way in this world. About the Bridgeview Spiral |
