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Commitment to the Child
Our beautiful school environments at MSB are delightful, however, a
school
needs much more than these for it to come alive with that extra warmth
and
special magic. At MSB the happy and uplifting atomsphere in the classroom
comes from having a big heart and a big well of love, dedication and
smiles
for the children we nurture in our care.
A successful school environment incorporates a well-defined focus and
commitment both to academic excellence and to the education of the whole
child. At MSB, our focus is very specific: we are an international school
where our children in pre-school through elementary are provided with an
exceptionally thorough foundation in all subjects in a delightfully
personal and happy atmosphere.
Dedication to Pre-school and Elementary Education
MSB is the only accredited international school in Beijing dedicated
solely to the education of pre-school and elementary students. We have
made
a deliberate decision not to expand to middle school for the very simple
reason that what makes a kindergarten-elementary school successful does
not
necessarily work in a middle and high school environment. Conversely,
what
makes a middle and high school successful is not necessarily suitable for
kindergarten and elementary students.
In most educational systems around the world, schools limit their focus
to
a specific age group in order to ensure that their particular needs are
addressed with full attention and resources. Middle and high school
programmes require substantial investment in school facilities and
programmes, such as team athletics, performing arts, and media. At MSB,
all
resources are directed to our pre-school and elementary classrooms and
teaching staff, and we do not fund costly higher level programs at their
expense.
Careful Teacher Recruitment
At MSB, we recruit our lead teachers from Montessori schools around the
world and provide them with full expatriate compensation packages. We do
not seek out trailing spouses with teaching degrees in order to save on
housing costs, nor do we seek to employ married teaching couples. It is
difficult enough to find one experienced, qualified, expatriate lead
teacher, but to find two of equally high calibre who are married to each
other is an exceptional challenge! We invest in our teachers and
classrooms, rather than seeking economies there.
Teachers’ Skills Continually Developed
At MSB, the learning never stops - and this holds true for the teaching
staff as well as the students. We provide a multi-faceted, ongoing
professional development program conducted by the Northeast Montessori
Institute, Boston, USA, to ensure a very high level of training amongst
our
teachers. Furthermore, lead teachers in both the Chinese and English
programmes are encouraged to enhance their skills during breaks and
holidays by participating in the many Montessori and early childhood
education courses offered worldwide, and over the years they have
received
training in the US, Taiwan and Europe.
Experienced, Dedicated Long-term Staff
Our teaching staff is very seasoned, and many have taught at the school
since its earliest years. This provides a sense of stability and
continuity
to the MSB environment while our dynamic professional development and
training program ensures that our teachers are continually exposed to new
developments in early childhood education and develop expertise in new
fields.
High Academic Expectations
The academic standard at our school is high, and this is acknowledged
throughout the international school community in Beijing. We stress the
fundamentals in the classroom, and the children who move on from our
school
to traditional environments are very well prepared, with a
well-established
foundation in reading, writing and mathematics. A typical Reception
student
(age 5-6) will be reading phonetically, will have been introduced to
non-phonetic reading materials, and will have started cursive writing by
the end of the school year. He or she will also be working with three or
in
some cases all four operations in the decimal system up to the 1000s with
materials in math. In fact, many children of our pupils find the first
year
at a new school to be a review of what they have already learned here.
Whilst we have high expectations for our students, we are dedicated to
ensuring that their self-esteem and confidence grow with their success in
the classroom.
Emphasis on Important Life Skills
The academic skills the children acquire are supplemented by strong study
and work habits which benefit them throughout their future education and
careers. Important life skills, such as the ability to organise
resources,
manage time, follow a task to completion, and work effectively in small
groups, are established in our kindergarten programs and reinforced
throughout a child’s education here. These skills, in combination with a
strong academic base, give our students a very great advantage in life.
Consistent Quality throughout the Program
As a Montessori school, our curriculum is extremely well defined and both
the methodology and materials used in the classroom have been tested and
proven effective over many, many years. Since the curriculum and
methodology are so well established and the curriculum is to a large
extent
driven by the classroom materials, the classroom is less
teacher-dependent
than in traditional schools. In many traditional schools, a child’s
learning experience depends on whether he or she “gets a good teacher”.
Do
come for a visit and see for yourself! |
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