HVM Tenets

HillView Montessori Tenets: The HVM Tenets are drawn from the mission
statement and are used for guiding principles.

Montessori Education as a public option
Ensuring access to high quality education for all students by:

• Providing a free Montessori education as an effective learning option,
• Promoting the development of competent, caring contributors for our community,
• Welcoming diverse learners, representative of diversity in Haverhill,
  including economic diversity, cultural diversity, family diversity, and
  diversity in learning needs and styles, and
• Engaging educators and community members in a continuing dialogue
  through a process of collaborating and sharing of information.

Supporting the whole child
Ensuring children learn to use all of parts of their minds well, attending to:

• Personal, social and academic growth,
• Montessori values of grace, courtesy, respect and responsibility,
• Education in core academic skills
• Cooperative learning and conflict resolution skills and attitudes,
• Learning in foreign language, art, music, and physical education, and
• Each child's unique learning style, educational strengths and weaknesses,
  and pace of learning while promoting positive self-esteem.

Teacher-parent-student partnerships for learning
Engaging families in support of student learning through partnerships that:

• Acknowledge a common agenda and provide complementary learning
  commitments and supports
• Provide parent education about Montessori and HVM,
• Involve and vest parents, teachers, and students in the school's decision
  making process and volunteer efforts, and
• Convey and strive for high expectations.

High levels of student achievement
Ensuring high levels of student achievement by:

• Ensuring effective Montessori instruction and materials,
• Tailoring learning supports so every child gets what he or she needs to
  succeed,
• Developing students' love for learning by providing engaging materials
  and work,
• Measuring achievement in multiple ways and using multiple assessment
  data to inform instruction, and
• Demonstrating continuous academic improvement.

Attracting, developing, and retaining high quality staff
Supporting high quality staff in their best efforts for children

• Attracting accomplished college graduates to teach within the school,
• Requiring lead teachers to hold Montessori certification and to pass the
  state's teacher licensure tests within first year of employment,
• Providing Montessori training within the first year of employment for all
  staff without prior Montessori training or experience,
• Maintaining high standards for accomplished teaching and learning, and
  paying adequate compensation,
• Providing time and structures for ongoing professional development and
  collaborative work during and beyond the school day, and
• Treating staff with respect and ensuring a culture that promotes open and
  honest discussion.

School-Community Partnerships
Encouraging students to become constructive contributors to our community by:

• Teaching students about many types of communities and their place
  with them,
• Engaging students in community service projects and/or internships, and
• Developing partnerships with local environmental agencies, community
  service organizations, and businesses to support children's health and
  learning.