Amelia Island Montessori School
Press Release
Submitted by Deb Saul
July 20, 2019 9:00 a.m.
Amelia Island Montessori School has received reaccreditation by the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) and for the first time upgraded their membership to accreditation with the American Montessori Society (AMS). The school is the only private school in Nassau County to receive these prestigious awards. Head of School, Diane M. Dodds, shares, “We are incredibly grateful for all of the efforts by our entire community to make this happen!”
You might be thinking, ‘Does it even matter?’ and ‘What is the value?’ In today’s educational climate of so many choices, it became important for the school to ensure the combination of Montessori authenticity with the latest research. Dodds asserts, “Accreditation is a valuable honor for us that recognizes Amelia Island Montessori School within the state of Florida and the worldwide Montessori community. We wanted to provide assurance to our current and prospective families that their child’s school is a quality one that is held accountable”.
In recent years, it has become evident that there have been some compromising standards noted in Montessori schools so accreditation holds the school to authentic practices and a commitment to the multi-dimensional development of students. The accreditation process began with an intensive, exhaustive self-study with the entire school administration, faculty, and board participating. This process encourages continual self-evaluation and improvement. Amelia Island Montessori’s self-study began in the Spring of 2018. During the process, every aspect of the school was examined and documented, including governance, curriculum, fiscal and personnel policies, facilities, health and safety practices, teacher preparation and training, and learner outcomes. Are the school’s practices whole-child, hands-on manipulative based, individualized, and child-driven? Do the programs encompass a 3-year learning plane, where the oldest students in the program lead and mentor the youngest? Does the school foster positive student relationships across programs? And are the classrooms relationship-driven with low teacher to student ratios?
Once the self-study was completed and submitted to the accrediting agencies, a team of seven educators visited the school’s campus in February 2019 for three days to confirm the self-study. This team’s job was to determine if the school actually did what it said and to affirm the high educational standards of FCIS and Montessori practices set forth by AMS.
The opening report was recently received and started off: “If you want to find a site for a school nestled amongst marshland and the shoreline, and with access to the ocean and a river, tucked away beneath Spanish moss and seemingly limitless foliage, we found one. If you want that school to be child-centered, an act of service all around, and an expression of Dr. Montessori’s vision for what education can be like, again, we have found one. And if you want the people in that school to be walking, talking, and breathing examples of what it is to get out of the way, to let the child lead, and to provide an environment where said children can flourish, unfold, and shine, we have found one in Amelia Island Montessori School.” Particular commendations also included the grace and courtesy of the faculty and the comfort and inviting atmosphere of the classrooms and gardens. The team also acknowledged pro-social behavior with social and emotional learning. A few notable strengths were pointed out: a “nothing short of stellar” academic program, a commitment to the school’s philosophy and mission, local community-based outreach including, 4-H, Keep Nassau Beautiful, Bird Emergency Aid & Kare Sanctuary (B.E.A.K.S), Osprey Village, and Barnabas Food Pantry. The school is thankful for its continued support and advancement from such a devoted community over the past 46 years.
For admission information or to schedule an information session with tour, please reach out to (904) 261-6610 or [email protected].
Amelia Island Montessori School was founded in 1973 and serves students 18 months- 8th grade.