Principal

Welcome to the CREC Montessori Magnet School website! We are the first public Montessori School of Connecticut, operated and managed by the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC).  We service 355 students in PreK to Grade 6 from 40 towns and cities in Connecticut.  Our school is located on The Learning Corridor Campus in Hartford, a community campus that includes Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy, Impact Academy and the Arts Academy.  In addition, we are neighbors with Trinity College, Hartford Hospital, the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and the Institute of Living. Our school’s mission is to ensure that all students develop to their full potential in traditional and expanded academic areas as defined by Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy of education.

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.

Our school holds a certificate of recognition by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), the most esteemed affiliation of the Montessori community.

Dr. Montessori believed that children pass through “Sensitive Periods” of learning and developing, therefore classroom instruction and environments must support and provide for these periods. Children remain within a classroom setting with the same teacher for an entire developmental cycle, lasting three years.

Practical life is a big part of a Montessori classroom and resembles the simple work of life in the home: sweeping, dusting, washing dishes, etc. Each classroom is equipped with a full kitchen consisting of a refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher.  Washing machines and dryers are shared between classrooms. These purposeful activities help the child adapt to his community, learn self-control and begin to see himself as a contributing individual in their community.

I hope you enjoy our website and learning about our Montessori school. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our school.

Sincerely,

Antonio Napoleone, Ed.D.
Principal