Core Values

While we work towards becoming a Micro-school, our priority as a homeschool cooperative is to be able to provide high-quality education within small mixed-aged groups that implement innovative Montessori education. Our personalized and student-led environment is an engaging platform emphasizing projects and inquiry learning. Smaller groups enable stronger bonds between students, families, and educators to develop appropriate learning goals and culturally responsive teaching that ultimately create an optimal environment for learning and nurturing student growth. The primary role of a Montessori Guide is to facilitate quality learning experiences that honor children’s interests, backgrounds, and developmental needs. Research has shown that students who learn in a mixed-aged classroom benefit from opportunities that increase their social and emotional understanding, engage them in collaborative work where they learn, teach, share, and explore together, while simultaneously developing more empathy and respect for children of different ages.

+ Compassion

At Casa Ranch, lessons in compassion are intrinsically interwoven throughout our curriculum. Dr. Maria Montessori believed in the power and responsibility educators held in laying the foundation for peace within our children’s environment. In Montessori, children understand the importance of compassion by learning to care for their environment and other beings around them. Students learn to respect the classroom materials and cleanliness of their space through assigned “jobs” which can include dusting shelves, mopping the floors, watering plants, or feeding the animals.

In nature, our children have the opportunity to connect with the outside world, deepening their knowledge for animal and plant life cycles. From a very young age, children can also build compassion by practicing mindful listening during circle time. At the start of the school year, we read The Peace Stick, a book inspired by the Native American legend of the “talking stick” to teach students to take turns when wanting to share in our community meetings. Children learn to be patient and respect others by listening intently and waiting their turn to hold the stick so they too can share their concerns, comments, or ideas with their community; forming a great basis for creating peace and maintaining productive dialogue in our environment. The Pledge to the Earth, along with the Universal Recitation for Peace, inspired by Mahatma Ghandi, are also incorporated to strengthen compassion and are routinely practiced within our community gatherings.

**+ Collaborative Learning **

Our Montessori mixed-age environment naturally facilitates collaborative learning through peer to peer interactions for teaching skills or sharing information to one another. Collaborative learning also encourages creativity, critical thinking, and communication amongst peers. Our project-based learning opportunities offer practical, hands-on experiences across all subject areas and beyond. Projects allow students to build on their research skills as they explore their curiosities through a critical thinking lens. Students take ownership over their projects, which often allows them an opportunity to find their voice, and work in collaboration with community members. Inquiry-based learning is also encouraged and helps to foster curiosity in students. The facilitation of questions encourages student autonomy, deepening their understanding of different topics through student-led research. Amongst older children, students explore action plan projects with the intention of positively contributing to the local community as a group.

+ Inclusion

When Maria Montessori spoke about nurturing the spirit of the child, she meant all children, regardless of their different needs. Montessori’s legacy of peaceful education and empowering the human potential is the birthright of all children to welcome diversity. Children who are immersed in a truly diverse learning environment grow up advocating for peace, justice, and social action. Through our Social-Emotional Learning program, children learn to develop a positive attitude toward oneself, others, and tasks. It aids in the development of increased self-awareness, confidence, persistence, empathy, and social awareness, which leads to academic improvement and emotional intelligence. A commitment to being inclusive means creating long-term pathways to a more peaceful and united humankind.

At CRM, children’s Learning Differences (LD) are embraced and we are committed in providing a safe and suitable environment that will offer the social, emotional, and physical tools necessary for each child to excel through a focus on their strengths.

+ Courage

Casa Ranch’s commitment to developing eco-conscious green school initiatives, inspires hope, courage, and confidence in ourselves to become stewards of our land and environmental agents who will work to shape a greener future. Through an environmentally conscious lens, we aim to raise environmental awareness, teach stewardship by dedicating projects to support causes affecting communities, and model sustainability for other communities.

Our Whole School Approach offers an overarching supportive, safe and inclusive school culture, while delivering challenging and student-centered learning opportunities, focusing on eliminating disparities, addressing families’ needs beyond the classroom, and prioritizing social emotional learning.