Montessori School of Ojai provides a loving Montessori Infant-Toddler Community for ages 3 24 months. We offer full-time and part-time infant-toddler care. At MSO we keep a 1:4 or better teacher/toddler ratio.

The infant-toddler years are the time when each individual lays the foundation of their future social, spiritual, and intellectual development. As Montessori put it "the child makes the man" he will become.

At MSO your infant-toddler is well cared for, with healthy food, having fun with friends, and busy learning. Their time at "school" is valuable and stimulating, a time for exploration & discovery. The earliest years of each childs life are important. With the right guidance, your child is capable of amazing things.

We follow Montessori's methods of Education for Peace, "teaching" respect for self and others; our activities exercise your infant-toddler's skills of cooperation and collaboration all leading to the development of high self esteem in every member of the community.

Montessori School of Ojai is currently forming a waiting list for our Montessori Infant-Toddler Program that is starting in August 2008. Please call the school for more information 805 649 2525. We are also accepting enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year for preschool through 8th grade. MSO provides the highest quality Montessori education possible with a strong emphasis on academics in a child-centered and creative environment. Our academic curriculum is strengthened by courses in Spanish, Science, Art, Music, Guitar, P.E. and Gardening.

The Montessori School of Ojai philosophy is drawn from the vision of Maria Montessori, who believed that the environment which encourages the fullest development of student potential is one that affords the opportunity to explore creative as well as intellectual abilities. We believe in working together in a spirit of cooperation, seeking to cultivate and express that which is excellent in each child. Intellectual curiosity and a spirit of inquiry are the activating factors in the educational process, while active participation in school community builds caring and responsible individuals, promoting lives of integrity, awareness, and purpose. Our school embraces the belief that life can be lived in its fullest sense through lifelong efforts toward personal development and growth.

To these ends, Montessori School of Ojai students should be provided the necessary skills of both mind and heart that will enable them to approach life with a sense of inquiry and purpose. The Montessori School of Ojai education should:

Prepare students for lifelong learning.

Promote compassion, understanding, respect, and responsibility toward others.

Promote the fullest expression of ones talents.

Challenge and support each student.

Celebrate beauty, diversity, and wonder.

Foster a sense of appreciation for the worldviews, arts, and histories of diverse cultures.

Teach the skills of self-learning, sound thinking, effective reading, clear writing, and objective inquiry.

Promote altruism, ethical reflection, independent thought, and creative expression.

Develop a harmony of mind, body, and spirit.

Foster appreciation for the independence of all species and a spirit of responsibility and reciprocity toward our earth community.