A Plymouth-Canton Education

Today’s rapid technological and social change makes it increasingly difficult for us to understand and keep pace with today’s world. Learning how to learn optimizes our navigational and problem-solving skills.

Plymouth-Canton students enjoy extraordinary educational opportunities helping them become deep thinkers and lifelong learners. They experience the many cultural traditions represented in the Plymouth-Canton community.

Students interact and learn with celebrated international scholars, artists, scientists, and business leaders. Engaged in local, and national service-learning projects, Plymouth-Canton students learn about the world around them.

Our course of study guides students on how to think clearly, do their own research, express themselves well in writing and speech, and put their knowledge to practical application.

Why Plymouth-Canton?

Best and Next Montessori Practices

Plymouth-Canton works closely with the Montessori Foundation (the Foundation), a 501(c)3 international non-profit educational organization specializing in developing world-class Montessori schools.

Our goal is to embody the principles of best practices in Montessori education that the Foundation teaches to Montessori school leaders around the world.

We invite you to visit the Montessori Foundation (montessori.org). The Foundation literately ‘wrote the book’ on how to integrate Montessori principles into all aspects of school life, from an authentic Montessori program and curriculum at each age level to building a robust partnership-based school community that incorporates student leadership and family-friendly policies.

Plymouth-Canton Offers

A Universal Curriculum

- We put the world into the palm of our students’ hands, studying and celebrating cultures and nations.
- As a Lab School of the Montessori Foundation, which works with schools all over the world, students have extensive connections and opportunities in international studies from the years of early childhood through middle school graduation.

Second Language Study

Spanish is offered for study as a second language.
Students are given opportunities to learn about the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries.

An International Diverse School Community

Our goal is to draw together a diverse group of children and families from all walks of life.
We build tuition assistance into our annual budget.

Sustainability

We place emphasis on creating a sustainable environment.
Students have ongoing lessons on living a life that is more in harmony with a sustainable environment.
Each class participates in class or shared organic gardens.

A Family-Friendly School

We have a limited number of spaces for toddlers.
We offer a half-day for children four and younger.
We offer a full-day program, starting at 8:45 am and ending at 3:30 pm.
We offer before and after school care options from 7 am to 6 pm for those who need a safe place for their children.

A Close Knit Montessori Partnership-Based School Community

Our administrative and board decisions are based on clear, written values and principles of Montessori partnership (The Blueprint of Our Core Beliefs).
All members of our school community can participate in a partnership-based process of ongoing discussion, planning, problem-solving, and self-study.
We schedule many opportunities to come together as parents, students, and educators in celebration.

A School for Entrepreneurs and Leadership

Our school teaches children to be economically literate and capable.
We help them understand business and personal economics.
Students 6 yrs old and older learn about local businesses, professions, and local government roles from various experiences.
Students are encouraged and assisted in forming their small businesses for hands-on learning.
Middle School students participate in workplace internships.

Technology & Communication

We use technology as an effective tool for learning.
We are committed to the ongoing emphasis of ethical, safe, and appropriate uses of technology.

A Peace Academy

We teach partnership, peacemaking, and leadership skills to our students.
Children learn how to communicate clearly and assertively in ways that express kindness and respect.
They learn skills for conflict resolution, consensus building, and diplomacy.
They learn about the world’s great peacemakers and leaders of nonviolent social change.
We encourage our students to contribute to others through a tradition of community service and philanthropy.

Working with the Montessori Community of Plymouth-Canton

As a Partnership-based Montessori community. There are no somebodies and nobodies, nor in-groups or out-groups at Plymouth-Canton. Parents, educators, and children are all members of the school community.

The school is working with the Montessori Foundation, and school policies and decisions are based on its core values and principles of Montessori Best Practice rather than an ever-changing debate about the school’s mission and identity.

However, with strong Montessori leadership comes a belief that while core principles cannot be compromised, parents, teachers, students, and school leaders can and should explore issues and ideas together in a culture of kindness and respect.

We hold monthly School Community Meetings to provide one of several forums. We also offer a wide range of workshops and discussions on partnership parenting and how the school is preparing our children to face the challenges of a changing world.

We believe that a school can be a close-knit community of families who share common values and a place where children attend class. We welcome family involvement but do not require it. Interested parents are invited to participate in many ways, from organizing celebrations to long-range planning. However, we expect each family to work closely with us to support their children’s education.

Montessori Community

An Environment for Learning

Montessori classrooms tend to fascinate both children and their parents. Interest centers are filled with intriguing learning materials, fascinating mathematical models, maps, charts, fossils, historical artifacts, computers, scientific apparatus, and perhaps a small natural science display.

Our classrooms are carefully prepared to stimulate children’s independence and intellectual development. You will not find rows of desks, even at the Middle School level; instead, the room will be set up to facilitate discussions and stimulate collaborative learning.

At the Early Childhood and Elementary levels, students will typically be found scattered around the classrooms, working alone or with one or two others. They tend to become so involved in their work that visitors are immediately struck by the peaceful atmosphere. Many elementary and middle school classes will involve seminar discussions, individual research, thoughtful writing, and field experience.

Our teachers focus on each student individually, not on a daily lesson plan for the entire class. They nurture and inspire their students, teaching them to ask questions, think for themselves, explore, investigate, and discover. Our ultimate objective is to help students learn how to learn things deeply and independently, holding on to the curiosity, creativity, and intelligence they were born with. Our teachers don’t simply present lessons; they are facilitators, mentors, coaches, and guides.

They will normally work with one or two students at a time, advising, presenting a new lesson, or quietly observing the class at work.