DISCOVER
Mountain Sun helps each child discover the wonders of a life of the mind and what it means to truly love learning. Our school believes academic and cognitive development is one of the fundamental responsibilities of any school and of holistic education. Utilizing a Montessori approach, Mountain Sun facilitates the development of the child’s sense of self as a student, feeds their innate curiosity, and inspires them to become lifelong learners. We strive to give children a strong foundation in fundamental skills so they can extend beyond academics to become creative, independent thinkers at the same time we introduce practices to help them become more aware of the nature of their own minds.
Academic Skills
Mountain Sun provides a strong academic understanding of fundamental skills in reading, writing, math, critical thinking, and investigation, while honoring each child’s unique blend of intelligences. Compelling content in language arts, math, and science engages each child in the discovery of their academic strengths, passions, and interests. We emphasize hands-on materials and experiential lessons that facilitate meaningful experiences that challenge students intellectually.
Montessori
Mountain Sun embraces the Montessori philosophy of education with multi-age classrooms, a carefully prepared environment with developmentally appropriate materials, and independent learning. We believe children thrive in the intellectual and social diversity of multiage classrooms where competition is reduced and collaborative learning is balanced with independent initiative. In this setting, every child can focus on his or her own individual path within a continuum, and this, in turn, fosters responsibility to self and others. Our educators intentionally and skillfully guide each child on their own learning journey by balancing individual and group lessons with self-guided studies.
Mindfulness
Using a variety of mindfulness practices, Mountain Sun helps children discover the nature of their own minds. Daily centering circles and exercises, regular yoga practices, and mindfulness meditation techniques help children slow down and improve concentration. Both in the classroom and in the forests that serve as our campus, children learn the importance of following the breath to reduce the noise of the mind in order to connect more completely with themselves, each other, and the natural world.