One Big Step Forward: Kiddie Toes Moving Up Day

Below is the speech of Divine May Flor M. David, the School Directress, during the 1st Moving Up Day of Kiddie Toes Montessori School, on March 15, 2008.

ONE BIG STEP FORWARD

By: Divine May Flor M. David

We believe that big achievements and milestones come from small steps. We are brimming with joy, because today, we are celebrating our first moving up day. Today, we also celebrate the ballet recital of our Kiddie Ballerinas.

Kiddie Toes Montessori school is a safe and enjoyable place for your kids. We strive to be an institution which guides the children in their earliest steps of education. And this process starts at a very young age, enabling these children to take big steps with their little feet and toes.

For the past year, all of us – the children, the teachers and the parents and the whole family – have been witness to a kind of growth and development which is incomparable.

Now, after several months of “working” and socializing, these children learned not just to read and write, or to sing and dance, or to play, but they have learned very important lessons in life – they have learned to be independent, they have learned about feelings and emotions, and they learned about relationships and friendships.

We at Kiddie Toes Montessori believe that learning should not be a burden for children. It should be fun and enjoyable. It should be worthwhile.

Today, we mark a big step forward for these kid’s little toes and feet. We wish to assure you dear parents that these initial steps will just be the beginning. We have planned a lot of activities for these kids for them to improve not just academically, but also emotionally, psychologically and socially.

We are honored to have you dear parents and guardians join us in this very important activity. Your attendance today shows how great your love and support is for your children. We are likewise honored to have these smart kids as part of the Kiddie Toes Montessori family. We are learning from them, as much as they are learning from us.

Today, as we celebrate the culmination of the many months of interaction and learning, let us always remember that children need our support for their continuous improvement. We should guide them in each little step that they make. In this way, they surely take the right path and direction. This step forward is not just for your children, but for you parents and guardians. Let’s not stop at this first step. They have a lifetime ahead of them. Let’s take the journey with them.

Congratulations, kids, for a job well done. You deserve to move up because you worked hard and did your best.

Congratulations to you, parents and guardians, for your support and care, and for guiding your little ones.

We thank you for trusting Kiddie Toes Montessori and being part of our family, and we hope to still see you and your little ones in the future.

Again, welcome to everyone and enjoy the programme.

Kiddie Toes Photo Gallery

Our new home

Welcome to our new home


Our classroom


Children at work


The best teacher-student ratio


Sample of imported and authentic Montessori materials

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT DOES ‘MONTESSORI’ MEAN?
Dr. Maria Montessori was the first woman physician in Italy. She specialized in pediatrics and discovered the marvelous abilities of young children to learn through their senses. Today, there are thousands of Montessori schools throughout the

WHAT IS KIDDIE TOES MONTESSORI SCHOOL?
Kiddie Toes Montessori School is a place where children, ages 2 – ½ to 6 years, love to learn by doing, experimenting, touching -- using all of their senses. We provide a hands-on classroom environment with imported learning materials for all of the main areas: practical living, sensory, math, art, music, language as well as geography, history and science. Even the youngest children will learn about their world! The materials are especially made for the Montessori classroom, exceptionally broad in range and advance for children of their age.

WHAT AGE CAN CHILDREN ATTEND SCHOOL?
Children, ages 2-½ to 6, can work and play together as a family, in a cooperative and non-competitive environment. They encourage each other to succeed, learning from their mistakes without feeling inferior or superior. The ideal Montessori learning program for your child is the full 3-year program.

WHY SHOULD I BEGIN MY CHILD AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE?
Being exposed at their most sensitive periods to such an enriched environment, the children develop their abilities to a high level, without pressure and through freedom of choice.

DO THE CHILDREN MOVE AND CHOOSE THEIR WORK FREELY?
Absorbing a broad understanding of the world through hands-on materials, the children move about freely, choosing their “work” with responsibility and freedom. Their independence and self-confidence grow as they learn through projects that allow them to learn as individuals, at their own pace and to reach toward their full potential.

WHAT ARE THE LEARNING OUTCOMES?
When children begin at 2 ½ or 3 years of age at Kiddie Toes Montessori School, they show qualities of enthusiasm for learning, love of work, concern for others, concentration, a drive toward excellence, orderliness and a joy of learning. It is inspiring to see most of the 4 and 5- year olds casually reading to each other, confident in the knowledge that they taught themselves to read!

HOW DOES THE MONTESSORI CHILD ADAPT TO A TRADITIONAL ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM?
Because of their self-discipline and independence, children who have been in the Montessori classroom for the full 3-year span adjust readily to traditional elementary classrooms. Since the majority of the children have been reading since they were 4 ½ or 5 years of age, they love to learn, wherever they are.