About Aquinas

ABOUT AQUINAS

Aquinas Montessori is a established private school established in 1965. The campus is located in a suburban setting near Mount Vernon, Virginia on a large parcel of land where children play and garden. The school has fully equipped Montessori classrooms, a library, a playground, a small soccer field, a children's garden and a heated swimming pool which children enjoy from mid-April till mid-October as weather allows.


Aquinas Montessori school is recognized AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) Member School. We are committed to providing an environment where children learn freedom and responsibility, choice and structure, creativity and discipline, and the skills necessary to combine individual interests with group cooperation.


Aquinas Montessori is a non-sectarian school. We value diversity among our students. We do not discriminate in our enrollment policies on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin.

Ages 3 to 6

There are three primary classes for children from 3 to 6 at the Aquinas Montessori School. The primary curriculum is a fully comprehensive three year program where the child learns to compare, classify and clarify the world around them. Materials and curriculum center around Practical Life, Sensorial Explorations, Language, Math, Geography, History, Biology, Science, Art, Music, Drama, and Dance.

Ages 6 to 9 and 9 to 12

The elementary level consists of three classes which continue the development of the child, two classes for children ages 6 to 9 (Lower Elementary level), and one class for children ages 9 to 12 (Upper Elementary level). The curriculums at these levels are expanded as widely as possible to enkindle interest in every area of Culture, Mathematics, Geometry, Language, History, Geography, Botany, Zoology, Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, Art, Music, Crafts, Drama, and Physical Education.


The work at each age group represents a continuous program so the parents should be committed to allowing their children to complete each three-year cycle.

Arrivals and Dismissals

Morning arrival begins at 8:30 AM. Children in the half-day primary program are dismissed from 11:45 AM to 12:00 PM. Children in the full-day primary and elementary classes remain for lunch and an afternoon session until 3:00 PM. Before-school care is available from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM and after-school care is available until 6:00 PM.

Our Teachers

Our principal Montessori teachers hold AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) diplomas in addition to their undergraduate or graduate degrees, and have completed required studies enabling them to understand the needs of children of this age, and to present competently the programmed, self-correcting materials which Montessori designed. They are able to effectively respond to the learning patterns and needs of each child, and help the child grow in confidence, independence and knowledge.


Every classroom is supervised by two adults, one teacher and one assistant.

Other Languages

A language teacher presents Spanish to the primary children who are in the sensitive period for developing language skills. The elementary children with this background learn to converse, read, and write in Spanish. Latin is introduced at the upper elementary level.

Hours

The campus is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 AM until 6:00 PM.


School morning arrival begins at 8:30 AM. Children in the half-day primary class are dismissed at noon. Children in the full-day primary class and elementary classes remain for lunch and an afternoon session until 3:00 PM.


Before care is available from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM.


After care is available from 3 until 6:00 PM.


The school year begins after Labor Day and usually continues until the beginning of June.

Heated swimming pool

Our heated swimming pool is open from mid-April till mid-October, as weather allows.

Summer Camp

We operate our Montessori inspired summer camp for primary and elementary students at our Aquinas campus. A typical day includes experience in a Montessori classroom, where the child manipulates a great variety of developmental materials. There are nature and art activities, stories, songs, and games. The Aquinas heated pool ranges in depth from two and a half to five feet. This non-threatening size offers beginning and novice swimmers an opportunity for great success in a safe environment. Even the youngest swimmers feel comfortable in the shallow end and make remarkable progress in just a few weeks.


Join our big happy family!

Highly Trained Faculty

Highly Trained Faculty, all lead teachers have AMI diplomas in addition to their education degrees.

Love & Care

Home-like learning environments that the children assist in caring for, promoting responsibility and independence.

Hands-on Learning

Rich and dynamic hands-on learning experiences.

Innovative Learning

An innovative learning environment that fosters deeper thought and stimulates questioning and student-led research.

Natural Play Areas

Natural play areas and gardens that the children assist in caring for, promoting responsibility and independence.

Individual Curriculum

We provide individual curriculum for each child.

quotesArtboard 1 copy 2

“The teachers at Aquinas all have Education and AMI degrees. Most of them have had other work experiences that add to the richness of the classrooms. The Arts are a large part of the class curriculum; there is a musical produced every year as well as several concerts. The PE program follows the Presidential Physical Education Program. Yoga, piano and cello are offered after school. It was a very well rounded experience for my family. However, the high caliber of academics throughout the school was what attracted us and we were not disappointed.”

Share by: