February 25, 2015
Cambridge---Cambridge Public Schools announced and congratulated Tobin Montessori School for achieving American Montessori Society (AMS) Initial Accreditation at the Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary levels. Tobin Montessori is one of just a handful of public Montessori schools in Massachusetts, and AMS Accreditation positions it within the best Montessori programs nationwide.
To achieve accreditation, a school must complete 1-2 years of intensive self-study, peer review, and continuous improvement planning. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeffrey Young explained, “In Cambridge, we pledge to foster academic excellence for all of our students. For a school to voluntarily embark on a rigorous accreditation process says a lot about the school's commitment to that value.” He continued, “We're proud to offer a Montessori option within our school system, and I congratulate the faculty of Tobin Montessori for demonstrating such high standards and commitment to quality."
Tobin Montessori was established in 2007 through the creation of a “Children's House” for students between the ages of 3-6, within the existing John M. Tobin School. Each year, as that first group moved up to the next grade, the Montessori program expanded, until it became a full elementary school that ends after the equivalent of Grade 5.
The Montessori method is based on Maria Montessori's research and observations of children and how they absorb knowledge from their prepared environment. Montessori believed that children naturally teach themselves through the exploration and manipulation of materials. The teacher acts as a guide who fosters connections between the child and their environment. The school states as its mission, “the development of resourceful, resilient learners who construct together cooperative, caring communities.”
Tobin Montessori Principal Martha Mosman explains, “Our goal is to combine the best practices of Montessori philosophy with the values and expectations of public education.” She continues, “we hope our commitment to ongoing accreditation makes clear that our school is continually improving, just as we try to inspire our children to do their best and view learning as a lifelong process.”
More information on Tobin Montessori School can be found at
http://tobin.cpsd.us. For further comment, please contact Principal Martha Mosman at (617) 349-6660.
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Cambridge Public Schools is a diverse urban school system that works with families and the community to successfully educate all of its students at high levels.