WELCOME  

At CREC Montessori Magnet School, we are proud to be the first Public Montessori School in Connecticut. Our Association Montessori International (AMI) recognition status is the most esteemed affiliation in the Montessori community.

We implement these five essential Montessori practices at our school:

• Mixed-age grouping, which fosters independence, cooperation, and discovery;
• Large blocks of uninterrupted time for self-directed work;
• An environment that allows for maximum freedom of movement and choice;
• An overall emphasis on intrinsic motivation rather than rewards or punishments;
• Prepared staff who are skilled at observation, preparing an environment, and interacting with children in positive, respectful ways

Montessori Magnet School Accolades:

• 2022 Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) recognized 
• Principal, Dr. Antonio Napoleone is an AMI trained administrator
• District Para Educator of the Year Rosa Pardo Figueroa
• District Teachers of the year at CREC, Mr. Foday Dumbuya and Mr. Joseph DePasqua
• District Teachers of the Year in other districts Mrs. Jessica Leon and Ms. Saray Solet
• District Core Value Awards Jessica Leon (Embrace Collaboration) and Wanda Miller & Yesenia Rivera-Ortiz (Demand Equity)
• 2018 Invention Convention National student winner
• 2017 Top 100 Elementary Schools in the State of CT (Niche rankings)
• 2016 Teacher Heather Sutkowski received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)
• Our 6th graders placed first in the Hartford region History Day competition in 2019, representing Connecticut in the US Nationals at the University of Maryland in College Park. While at Nationals, our 6th graders also presented to Congressman John Lewis (Civil rights leader who walked side by side with Dr. Martin Luther King from Selma to Montgomery).