Welcome from the founder
IVONA ROZANOVSKA, LMS FOUNDER
If a parent is searching for an educational method which would be in harmony with their child’s interests, choices and other natural rights I encourage them to look into Montessori education.
We invite children to be independent and to consider learning for the innate satisfaction it gives and not for awards or grades. Our children are industrious, self-reliant and go about their work with calm enjoyment. We treat every child as an individual and work closely with parents to create an environment in which their child will flourish.
Lisbon Montessori School staff foster a bilingual environment. The main language of instruction is English, providing students with a model of cross-cultural unity during their formative years. Classroom assistants are Portuguese speaking, helping us all appreciate the Portuguese language and culture.
Why Lisbon Montessori School?
OUR MIISSION IS:
“ To provide authentic Montessori education to children and families in our community.”
WHY MONTESSORI?
Montessori supports children to be life-long learners and leaders. Students are encouraged to be confident, inquisitive and creative in all areas of life.
Children in Montessori follow their interests, wherever that passion leads, giving them strong academics, leadership, self-discipline, responsibility, independence, initiative and a lifelong love of learning.
We encourage children to choose from a range of activities that are developmentally challenging and appropriate. We make efforts to inspire children to learn for themselves, make mistakes and correct them on their own or with gentle guidance from the teacher.
ADVANTAGES
Our mixed-age classrooms provide numerous character-building advantages not found in mainstream school systems. Older children serve as leaders while younger students are shown what is expected of them by their role models. This provides children with possibilities to discover ways of functioning in a real social group. In addition, a great deal of knowledge reinforcement results from this interaction of mixed-age children as older students have a chance to consolidate what they already know by teaching their younger peers.
UNIQUE TALENTS
We respect each child as an individual with unique talents. In like manner, children learn respect for others, the community and the environment. However, we recognise that each of us continues on our own self-improvement path while we strive to provide optimal nurture frameworks for the children in our care.
ARE YOU CONSIDERING LISBON MONTESSORI FOR YOUR CHILD?
Choosing the school for your child may be a challenging journey. We are very happy that you are considering Montessori education for your child and we want to help by conveying enough information for you to make an informed decision. Attending the tour is a necessary step in admissions; attending the tour provides just the right amount of general information while prospective parents also get a chance to ask questions. To sign up for a tour (in-person or online) please fill in the short form on ‘Visit LMS’ page. We also kindly recommend reading the LMS policies posted on the home page before applying. To receive information not found in our policies, FAQs, and other webpages please email to hello@lisbonmontessori.org and we will be happy to reply to your questions.
WHY LISBON MONTESSORI SCHOOL?
Lisbon Montessori School is a co-educational not-for-profit authentic Montessori learning organization. We offer Montessori education to children ages 3-12.
Lisbon Montessori School applies the AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) universal Montessori curriculum. This curriculum is obtained by completing a rigorous AMI teacher training diploma course, and each of our lead teachers conducts their practice based on and as directed by the AMI.
We have a permanent license from the Direção-Geral da Educação (DGE) for our Casa program (ages 3-6). In 2022 Lisbon Montessori School received prestigious accreditation from the Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) of the United States for all our levels. Since then we have sought the final Direção-Geral da Educação (DGE) license for our Elementary program (ages 6-12).
Each of the classrooms is led by an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) diploma holder, as well as a Portuguese-speaking assistant. Instruction takes place in English while assistant teachers speak with students in Portuguese. International students have a chance to absorb a significant amount of Portuguese in the casa level if they join us at the age of 3, and continue in the elementary where students attend additional Portuguese lessons with specialist teachers in two levels, Native or Non-Native. Joining the school at an older age than 3 may automatically decrease the amount of Portuguese language acquisition because the absorbent mind begins to fade at around the age of 6 and because all academic instruction takes place in English. It is important to also note that because we use both, English and Portuguese in the classrooms, progress in English acquisition in those students who don’t speak either language at the start of attendance might be affected as well.
AMI Montessori teachers have a deep understanding of child development and have been trained to guide children through purposeful and challenging experiences that will provide a firm foundation for their future.
We encourage children to choose from a range of activities that are developmentally challenging and appropriate. We inspire children to learn for themselves, opposing external incentives.
WE BELIEVE …
…in providing a prepared environment for the child; a safe space designed to maximise opportunities for independent learning and spontaneous discovery allowing for freedom of movement and observation where mistakes are celebrated as opportunities for further development.
…in empowering each child to choose consciously from a range of developmentally challenging and engaging materials designed so that the child can teach and correct themselves and engage in critical thinking and problem solving.
…in the importance of the multi-age learning group offering the child the opportunity to observe, to interact and to influence children at different stages of development to their own in order to develop empathy, patience, emotional and social understanding and to offer a true community experience for the developing child.
…that all members of our community deserve respect and that their unique talents and interests should be engaged and nurtured in order to free their potential and lead them towards self-realisation and happiness.
PROFILE OF A LISBON MONTESSORI SCHOOL GRADUATE
A student who graduates LMS after a period of attendance lasting three years or longer should embody these age-appropriate habits and qualities:
Elementary
- An independent and empathetic person who respects and cares for themselves, the people around them and their environment.
- A self-motivated academically prepared learner who seeks out opportunities to expand their world, explore their interests and is not afraid of making mistakes.
- A self-disciplined person who recognises that they have a local and global responsibility and is not afraid to ask difficult questions, to actively listen to others and to effect change.
- A gracious person capable of meaningful collaboration with others who recognises their potential for leadership and is able to ask for help.
Casa
- A child who eagerly seeks to independently care for themselves and shows awareness and a desire to positively support the needs of others and of their environment.
- A curious and motivated learner who is able to make a choice and follow through in order to achieve a goal or to make a discovery.
- A child who has awareness that their choices and actions have an effect on other people and on their environment.
- A child who is regularly able to recognise and identify their own needs and emotions and is capable of showing empathy towards others.
School policies and procedures
The MSA-CESS has granted Lisbon Montessori School accreditation based on how it fulfils the standards of the MSA self-study and peer review process which revealed that Lisbon Montessori School is effectively advancing the quality of educational experiences it offers its students and meets its responsibilities to the public and the profession of education.
Lisbon Montessori School CASA level (ages 3-6) has been fully licensed by the Portuguese Education Ministry. We are currently working with the Ministry on licensing our ELEMENTARY levels.
The MSA-CESS has granted Lisbon Montessori School accreditation based on how it fulfils the standards of the MSA self-study and peer review process which revealed that Lisbon Montessori School is effectively advancing the quality of educational experiences it offers its students and meets its responsibilities to the public and the profession of education.
Lisbon Montessori School CASA level (ages 3-6) has been fully licensed by the Portuguese Education Ministry. We are currently working with the Ministry on licensing our ELEMENTARY levels.