WELCOME TO THE GROVE!
Greetings from Oak Grove Montessori School!
Nurture the child. Empower the student. Unleash the potential.
Our school is filled with passionate educators who share a vision of delivering authentic Montessori education within a safe and nurturing learning environment. Our students develop self advocacy skills, take the lead in pursuit of their academic interests, work collaboratively to solve problems, and actively create a classroom community they are proud to be members of. Oak Grove graduates are prepared problem solvers, independent thinkers, and compassionate citizens.
Founded in 1981, Oak Grove has enjoyed a 40+ year tradition of providing relevant learning experiences for children from all walks of life, ranging in age from 2.9 to 12 years. These experiences have withstood the test of time by authentically following Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy. At the Grove today, our esteemed faculty serve three main groups of students in multi-age classrooms: Primary (ages 2.9-6), Lower Elementary (ages 6-9) and Upper Elementary (ages 9-12). We also offer learning support services for additional academic enhancements when needed.
What began more than forty years ago as a brand new, co-operative, not-for-profit, fledgling Montessori school has grown into a well-established institution for self-directed learning; a lighthouse for relevance in an ever-changing world. The faculty and staff at Oak Grove not only provide well-established and proven academic learning experiences for all students, they also inculcate in everyone the importance of respect, integrity, good deeds, hard work and team spirit.
Located on an idyllic rural farm road, just outside of Mansfield Center, the Oak Grove campus is ideal for a hybrid approach to both indoor and outdoor learning experiences. The countryside campus features a vernal pond, maple and oak forest, primitive trails, outdoor gathering spaces, separate playscapes for both Primary and Elementary students, a purpose-built greenhouse, raised-bed gardens, The Yolk Grove hen house with free ranging chicken yard, a soon-to-be completed performing arts center – The Henry Collaboratory, and a very special fenced-in meditation garden: Seth Brody’s Orchard.
Do stop by and take a tour. Once you step foot on campus you will notice the joy on the faces of children as they learn how to learn every day, together in a peaceful, pleasant, and purposeful environment. We invite you to experience the joy of Oak Grove!
Sherry D’Alessandro, Interim Head of School
Sherry D'Alessandro
Interim Head of School
HISTORY OF OAK GROVE MONTESSORI SCHOOL
The story of Oak Grove Montessori School is a story of a vision for our children and the growth of our community. It is Maria Montessori’s story. It is our founding parents’ story. It is also your story.
Founded in 1981 by a group of parents, Oak Grove opened with one 6-9 year old classroom in a rented space in Willimantic, CT. By 1984, this intrepid group had purchased land and built our current facility in Mansfield, CT, expanding to include a 9-12 year old classroom. In 1987, a third classroom was added to accommodate the newly formed 3-6 year old classroom. In 2003, a large addition was added to the building, doubling the size. This addition gave us the room to add parent space, a health room, a conference room, office space and a new 9-12 classroom.
Oak Grove is a non-profit corporation governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of parents, staff, community representatives and the Head of School. Oak Grove is affiliated with the American Montessori Society and the Montessori Schools of Connecticut. It is an accredited member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools.
OUR MISSION
Nurture the child.
Empower the student.
Unleash the potential.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We will be accessible to a diverse community of children. We will be guided by Montessori philosophy:
Developmental needs of children are universal and transcend cultural differences.
Children have within them a natural urge to explore and discover the world around them and find joy in learning when they are actively engaged in the learning process.
Children learn best when competencies are fostered through repetitive, successful experiences and failures are de-emphasized.
Children internalize concepts and skills at their own pace.
Children learn best in an environment of mutual respect and one that provides opportunities for cognitive, social, emotional, moral and physical growth.
Children need opportunities to make choices. These choices foster independence, self-esteem and self-discipline.
Multi-aged grouping provides opportunities for peer teaching, sharing and natural development.
A multi-sensory approach maximizes learning because it provides for individual learning styles.
OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To guide children in their natural development
To provide rich experiences
To stimulate growth and socialization
To provide tools to help acquire skills
To foster independence
To encourage creativity
To create a love of learning
To develop the child’s potential to the fullest
COMMITMENT OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND JUSTICE
– Approved by the Board of Trustees, the faculty and staff, and the DEIJ Committee, December 2020
At Oak Grove, we are committed to creating and maintaining a community in which every member feels welcomed and valued. The Montessori curriculum is rich and varied, with an emphasis on the celebration of different identities, backgrounds, and experiences. Guided by this framework, we aspire to deepen students’ understanding of themselves, as well as to increase their awareness of how they fit into their communities, local and global. We are also working on pedagogical tools to highlight the ongoing problems of implicit bias, stereotyping, micro-aggression, and systemic discrimination in an age-appropriate manner. Both in and beyond the classroom, we expect that individual perspectives, beliefs, and feelings will be shared and that conflicts will be acknowledged, explored, and sensitively resolved. We recognize that we have set out on a journey of self-reflection to examine and determine our actions as a community, and are thus dedicated to continued learning and course-correction as we move forward. Our aim is to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and social justice in all that defines us as a school, from our admissions policies and teaching practices, to our hiring procedures, professional development opportunities, community activities, and everyday interactions.
ACCREDITATION & RESOURCES
Oak Grove is affiliated with the American Montessori Society and the Montessori Schools of Connecticut. Oak Grove is fully accredited by the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools.