The Montessori School of the Mahoning Valley is a child-centered community of families and educators, dedicated to providing a quality educational environment that develops independent, life-long learning while instilling respect, responsibility, and resourcefulness. Children flourish when there is full alignment and harmony between their school and home environments.

The following parental guidelines have been crafted to help ensure the appropriate alignment in the best interest of the child:

• Work collaboratively with the staff to foster the development of the child.
• Work in harmony with the school environment when at home with your child.  Children develop a love of learning and become responsible, independent, and capable when parents’ values and expectations are consistent with those of the school and are reinforced on a consistent basis at home.
• Commit to growth in parenting in the Montessori way.  This includes striving to become proficient in applying Montessori philosophy at home.  Allow your child to engage in all of the simple tasks of everyday life that a child can do for themselves at each stage of development.  Practice communication methods used in the Montessori environment, even if they may be different than the way you were parented as a child.
• Attend regularly scheduled Conferences, orientations, and Parent Enrichment events, as well as the Annual Meeting of the Cooperative.
• Familiarize yourself with, maintain respect for, and abide by the school’s policies and procedures
• Read the school newsletter and other recommended materials, including but not limited to the Family Handbook, notes, reports, forms, emails, etc.
• Demonstrate respect for all adults and children, the school, and the school’s programs by becoming involved in the life of the school community through giving of your time, talents, and philanthropic giving. This includes a commitment to donating to the school’s Annual Campaign.
• Model respect for others by demonstrating respect for everyone associated with the school.  Support your child by speaking positively of their teachers, classmates, and the school. Respect begins with civility and deepens into trust.
• Willingly accept responsibility for your actions, your words, and your attitudes.
• Honor your commitments. Look for ways to make a positive contribution to the life of the school.  Through your behavior you contribute to your child’s moral development and to the culture and climate of their learning community, which they experience on a daily basis.
• Inform the school in a timely fashion of changes in your child’s life.  Active communication involves parents sharing observations and concerns about their child with the child current teacher in matter large and small.  It also includes communication with the school office on such things as promptly updating parent contact information, health issues, custodial arrangements, etc.
• Children prosper most when the adults in their lives work in harmony and resolve conflict through side-by-side problem solving rather than face-to-face confrontation or by involving others who are not part of the problem or the solution.  Respectfully asking for information, striving to see other perspectives, and remaining open to possible solutions are critical elements of collaborative problem solving