6 minute read
MIA MONTESSORI ACADEMY
At the south end of No. 2 Road in Steveston’s London Landing neighbourhood, you will find Mia Montessori Academy. This jewel of a school for children ages two and a half to 12 years old empowers them to become compassionate, respectful and independent learners.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Mia Montessori’s opening. The school was originally called Pacific Rim Montessori Academy and was briefly located in Vancouver. In 2005, the founder and head of the school, Meenu Chaudhary, added a location in Steveston, where it was based in Steveston United Church. The popular school outgrew its space and moved to its beautiful London Landing location in 2016.
Meenu’s daughter Ratika Fernandes is the Academy’s vice-principal; the mother-daughter team seamlessly works together.
Meenu’s introduction to Montessori began when she was looking for a school for Ratika. The principal of the school Ratika attended was trained by Dr. Montessori herself; the commitment to her pedagogy was strong, and Meenu quickly noticed the difference Montessori education had on Ratika and her sister. Inspired by the impact, she enrolled in the training course to become a Primary (Casa) Teacher for three to six-year-olds.
Shortly after completing the training, the family immigrated to Canada and moved to Steveston. Meenu started working as a substitute, assistant, teacher and finally administrator at a school in Point Grey. After 11 years, she took a risk and began Pacific Rim Montessori Academy. Watching her mother’s challenges as an educator, Ratika decided on a different career path. However, after 15 years in the corporate world, she realized that to make a change in the world, we have to start with children, not adults, as they are hope for a better future.
The name Mia (‘my’ in Italian) honours Dr. Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori approach to education.
Motivating Dr. Montessori’s educational efforts was her desire to create a better and more peaceful world by nurturing the spirit of each child. This included time for silence and reflection, cultivating awe and wonder, respecting nature, caring for the earth, understanding and accepting others, and fostering virtues such as love, peacefulness, and kindness.
Ratika says, “We celebrate how the Montessori approach is designed to ensure the student comes to see and think of it as ‘my education, my future, my journey.’ Unlike traditional educational philosophies, it creates a context where the student is the owner of their education instead of having education be something done to them. And so, ‘Mia Education—my education’ is what the Montessori approach and our school instill in students.”
Meenu adds, “Our vision is to create a learning environment true to Dr. Montessori’s philosophy, and we are proud to be one of four AMI (Association Montessori International, the organization established by Maria and her son Mario) Recognized Schools across the Lower Mainland.”
The school’s 20th anniversary year marks another significant milestone as Mia has again outgrown its space and is expanding.
Mia Montessori Academy is opening an additional primary program this fall just around the corner, across the street from Ember Restaurant. The original space on London Road will continue to operate, and the students will meet for communal activities on the beautiful green space overlooking Shady Island.
The school is divided into three classrooms, two for primary students and the other for elementary-aged students. The learning environments have white walls, many large windows, high ceilings, and an open-concept plan divided into specific learning spaces.
“From three to approximately six years of age, Dr. Montessori found that children have sponge-like minds that absorb information easily. She called this the absorbent mind. They’re predisposed towards learning things like order, sequencing, language, music, letters, shapes and sounds, eventually leading to math, writing and reading skills. They demonstrate an innate desire to make choices and accomplish tasks independently,” says Ratika.
The primary program enables children to do tasks for themselves. Materials are set out on low shelves that are open and available to each child. Ample materials, child-sized tables and chairs, and space on the floor to work are features of Montessori schools. There is a set of materials for the children to use in several basic categories of learning, including practical life, sensorial, language, math and culture (botany, biology, zoology, history, geography, music and art).
The role of the teacher (directress) is to guide the child’s energies and assist them to connect with the work they need to fulfill their development.
The elementary environment aims to render the student independent of the directress. Montessori materials are arranged from the concrete to the abstract. However, as the students gain confidence in concepts, there are fewer and fewer materials due to the student’s efforts and discovery, moving towards more abstract learning and thus greatly expanding their field of knowledge. They work in small groups or individually on projects that spark the imagination and engage the intellect.
Mia Montessori Academy exceeds the B.C. curriculum. The teachers plan weekly lessons for every child based on their ability and achievements over the week. When students move on to high school, they find the Montessori education they received helps them understand concepts using visual representation, not by memorizing formulas but by truly understanding them.
The school has 80 students and ten teachers. Students benefit from this learning environment, where younger children learn from their peers, and older students are role models and leaders for the little ones.
The longer a child has the opportunity to learn in a Montessori environment, the more benefits they receive coupled with a lifelong love of learning.
“So many students return after moving to traditional high schools and universities and share their perspectives, only fully appreciating the benefits a Montessori foundation gave them now that they can perceive it from the other side.”
Glowing testimonials abound from parents and students. Anya Zadra is a parent of two Mia graduates; she reflects on her sons’ Montessori education.
“I still remember the day I walked into Mia, then Pacific Rim Montessori. I was looking for the best option for my son. As it turned out, it was the best school I could have ever asked for. I travelled the Montessori journey with my two boys, Vinny and Nicky and my husband Rob for 11 years, and if I had to do it again, I would absolutely make the same decision.”
She adds, “My boys are not perfect, but they are mature and capable and work hard for what they want. I attribute this to their time at Mia. Meenu, Ratika and their excellent team of teachers have the ability to let children see that they are capable of everything; with hard work, they can accomplish anything. Happy 20th anniversary, Mia!”
Mia Montessori Academy
100-6160 London Road Richmond, BC V7E 4J2
Phone 604-726-8428
Story by Sarah Gordon (August 2024) PALLA MEDIA
Photos copyright to Sandra Steier Photography
