CambridgeDay School
2620 Cambridge Beltway
Cambridge Md. 21613
410.228.8397
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About Cambridge Day School
Cambridge Day School opened in August of 1990. We offer a warm, supportive, academically rich
environment in which children three to twelve years of age can learn and
grow. Our program is a member of the
American Montessori Society, accredited by the Maryland Department of
Education, and licensed by the Maryland Department of Human Resources. The
educational philosophy and materials developed by Maria Montessori provide
a firm underlying structure for our program, which also includes a wide
variety of other curriculum materials.
We are concerned with the development of the "whole" child. We create learning experiences that support the child's social, emotional, and physical development as well as his or her intellectual growth. Beyond academic education, the child needs a chance to socialize, explore, and engage in creative and imaginative play. Self-esteem is a necessary factor in the achievement of satisfaction so vital to personal growth. We try to foster this self-esteem by accepting and loving each child. Such support enables the child to feel confident, thereby building self-esteem.
The Cambridge Day School provides the 
individual child with a "prepared environment" that is safe, warm, and
stimulating. This environment encourages order, sequence,
independence, problem solving, and growth in all areas. The class is a
microcosm of the real world.
It is a society functioning in a daily
routine that encourages sharing and knowledge in a positive way.
We are
committed to mixed-age groupings (three- to five-year-olds in the primary
class, and six- to nine- and nine- to twelve-year-olds in the lower and
upper elementary classes, respectively); each child is encouraged to
experience each of the three-year cycles.
Each classroom is carefully furnished and designed to offer children a
wide variety of materials and experiences appropriate to their developmental
level.
The order and structure of the physical environment supports the growth of
children's skills, confidence, and their ability to make meaningful
learning choices. In addition, respect for self, others, and the
environment is fostered from the earliest age. Simple tasks at the
preschool level encourage the children's responsibility for the daily
maintenance of the classroom space. These evolve into a growing sense of
responsibility for the larger school community at the elementary level.
As our children explore their freedom to explore, to discover, to
try, and to fail, they develop their motivation, their curiosity, and
their confidence.
The teacher's role in this environment
is to plan, to direct, to support, and to guide the self-directed
learning. Our responsibility is to help the child choose those activities
that will meet the child's needs and contribute to the positive
development of the person. Such support enables the child to feel positive
about choosing and initiating learning experiences and to accept
responsibility for them.
The systematic development of cognitive skills is of primary importance as well as the development of sensory and motor skills at all levels. Concrete and manipulative materials provide opportunities for the learning and the reinforcement of skills. The integration of the arts (music, poetry, movement, drama, and art) is an important part of our curriculum. Environmental awareness through nature study, social study projects, and current events are incorporated into our daily routine. Sports, large muscle development, and social play are encouraged in our outdoor setting. Collaboration, cooperation, and constructive competition are held as important values.
We emphasize mutual respect of each other's person and work, with clear ground rules that encourage responsible freedom of choice in both use of materials and social interactions. The teachers are consistent models of calm, caring, and respectful behavior. The teachers clearly communicate their expectations of similar behavior from the children .