Tree of Life Charter School: A Montessori Cosmic Education
Tree of Life Charter School is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The charter has been renewed for the 4th time for 5 more years by Ukiah Unified School District. The month of January is open enrollment for Tree of Life and the school is accepting applications for the 2020-21 school year.
Tree of Life is the only elementary school in the Ukiah/ Willits area to use the Montessori method. This educational method is named for its founder, Maria Montessori. Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and philosopher during the early 20th century. Born during a time when women did not have many choices in their occupations, she chose to go to medical school and, in the face of resistance, earned a medical degree from the University of Rome in 1896. During her life, she observed and studied how children learn and defined human tendencies that are universal in all humans. Through trial and error, she created a “prepared learning environment” and trained teachers to “follow the child.” Her philosophy has been studied by people all over the world. She earned two Nobel Peace Prize nominations during World War II. Montessori classrooms are known for children working at their own pace, helping each other, and learning about their natural interests. The cosmic part of her educational philosophy comes from the 5 Great Lessons that are given each year. These Great Lessons are stories told in a bold and impactful way to give the children a “cosmic” view of the world. They spark their imagination and interest in our amazing world. After hearing these stories, the children are given time to research and find answers to questions that are inspired after hearing the stories. After learning about concepts in the classroom, the children often go on outings or field trips to get first- hand experiences.
Tree of Life is an intentionally small, Montessori charter school. Its teachers are specially trained to give children lessons using the Montessori materials that are available on shelves throughout the classroom. After having a lesson using the handson, specially designed