Welcome to Montessori
Registration is on-going!
Mesa Public Schools offers kindergarten through sixth-grade Montessori programs, free of charge. Montessori preschool programs are available through KinderU. Children living within district boundaries and beyond are welcome.
What makes Montessori different?
- Students are placed in multi-grade classrooms, based on developmental periods.
- Students usually spend three years in a classroom with the same teacher. This provides for long-term relationships between the teacher, student and family.
- Each student has a personalized work plan based on interests, achievement levels, and progress. These plans minimize competition between students and allow them to progress at their own pace.
- Students move in sequence from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract.
- Students make choices in directing their own work.
- The classroom setting emphasizes a balance between freedom and responsibility. This reflects a Montessori cornerstone — respect for self, others, and the environment.
Montessori beliefs
- Each child is unique and must be respected as such.
- The child has a deep love and need for purposeful work.
- The aim of education is to foster competent, responsible citizens who are lifelong learners and problem solvers.
Age Requirements for Public School Children
Children who turn 5 after August 31 but before December 31 may be assessed in order to qualify for acceptance into the district's regular kindergarten program. Please keep in mind that children who are accepted into regular kindergarten are entering kindergarten a year earlier and will be expected to move to first grade the next year.
Parents of children who turn 5 between September 1 and December 31 may request screening for their child if they believe it is in their child's best interest to start school before turning five. An early enrollment packet must be completed and turned into the home school site before an appointment can be made for screening. Once the child is screened, parents will be notified by mail of the results.
For more information, parents should go to their neighborhood school or access the Kindergarten Early Admission Packet (English) (Spanish) on this site. Early entrance to kindergarten will not be granted once school has begun.
Curriculum and Standards
Our teachers are certified by the Arizona Department of Education and credentialed by accredited Montessori organizations. MPS curriculum goals and Arizona Academic Standards are achieved using the Montessori philosophy, materials, and teaching methods.