A very important aspect of life in a Montessori school is the education of the social being in addition to the education of the intellect. This is what makes a difference for so many families and children who attend our school. At Five Oaks Academy, we share a common belief that learning how to navigate ourselves emotionally and socially is a priceless life skill. It begins in our earliest ages as the Grace and Courtesy Curriculum. Children learn simple but essential life skills that are required in the social world: shaking hands, greeting a friend or visitor, preparing a cup of tea, writing thank you notes, and voicing peacefully a hurt feeling or perceived event of injustice.
As our children grow and move to more advanced levels within our school, the expectation and education of the interpersonal being advances as well. Children learn to listen, to validate other’s feelings, and to accurately name and express emotions; they learn self-awareness and self-control. To be emotionally intelligent requires that people look outside of their personal needs in a sensible and empathetic way. We work for students to measure the feelings of others not necessarily based on how they want to be treated, but on how others want to be treated.
