Foundation Documents

GIMS Mission

The mission of GIMS is to provide a holistic education to students of diverse cultures in a prepared environment, in accordance with the principles of Montessori pedagogy: maintaining their innate love of learning, promoting independent thinking and fostering a constructive and respectful attitude.

GIMS Graduate Profile

GIMS graduates are expected to be:

• Autonomous: think and act independently.

• Flexible: have an open-minded attitude; able to adapt.

• Knowledgeable: have self-knowledge, and a depth and breadth of knowledge and skills across all curricular areas, e.g. health, language, mathematics, science, culture and the arts.

• Adventurous: be proactive explorers with a creative spirit; be willing to take risks.

• Collaborative: be team players, with fellowship, and have a positive attitude in group activities.

• Caring: show compassion, empathy and respect for others, for all living things, and for their physical environment, on both a local and global scale.

• Self-disciplined: be self-aware, have self-control, perseverance and self-motivation.

• Bilingual communicators: can communicate effectively in both English and Spanish.

• Lifelong learners: have a growth mindset and love of learning.

• Responsible: take responsibility for their actions and look after themselves, their fellow citizens and their environments, both locally and globally.

GIMS Core Beliefs

At GIMS we believe that:

• children learn best when secure and motivated;

• children learn by doing, and from modelled behaviour and attitudes;

• children deserve a holistic education, covering all aspects of their development (academic, socio-emotional, physical, spiritual);

• a bilingual or multilingual education helps children embrace diversity and improve their understanding of other cultures.

Here is how each Core Belief shapes the GIMS experience.

Core Belief 1: children learn best when secure and motivated.

At GIMS, students:

• are treated with respect;

• are given opportunities to choose, in an environment with clear guidelines;

• can explore an inspiring, prepared environment;

• experience a peaceful environment, mutual respect, with purposeful activity and an absence of fear, shame or guilt.

Core Belief 2: children learn by doing and from modelled behaviour and attitudes.

GIMS Guides and Assistants:

• are trained in Montessori pedagogy;

• treat children with respect;

• transmit peace;

• undergo continual professional and personal development.

GIMS parents have access to:

• Montessori training courses;

• personal growth or childrearing courses aligned with Montessori philosophy;

• regular parent education sessions.

GIMS students:

• experience an active education and are protagonists in their learning;

• engage with appropriate educational materials;

• learn in mixed-age classrooms;

• experience some consistency between home and school.

Core Belief 3: children deserve a holistic education, covering all aspects of their development (academic, socio-emotional, physical, spiritual).

• Academic: a rigorous, evidence-based curriculum, based on observation of the development of the child.

• Socio-emotional: mixed-age classes, interaction, collaboration, mindfulness, assemblies, peace education.

• Spiritual: aesthetics (clean, ordered, well-maintained learning environment), contact with nature (vegetable garden, plants, field trips), service learning (learning to help others: Practical Life, mixed-age groups).

• Physical: movement (freedom to move in the classroom, outdoor games), alternative seating arrangements, outdoor facilities (safe play areas with a variety of equipment).

Core Belief 4: a bilingual or multilingual education helps children appreciate and embrace diversity, improving their understanding of other cultures, thus helping to inculcate peace; and improves mental health and confidence.

GIMS students:

• are given lessons in both English and Spanish;

• have access to both English and Spanish educational materials;

• celebrate the diverse cultures of GIMS families.