Our History/ Our Values

Welcome to The Cobb School, Montessori.  We are proud to offer an environment where learning is joyful. Courtesy, acceptance, and compassion prevail at The Cobb School, and all children and their parents are fervently respected.

Cobb is more than a school: it is “a children’s house” and the center of a community committed to the healthy mind, body, and spirit of every child.  Whether you are new to Montessori or not, you have now chosen the right place to experience this highly effective approach to education.  Current research reveals again and again that a Montessori education provides the very best ways for children to learn.  Here at The Cobb School we are wholly committed to an authentic Montessori experience for each child as designed by Dr. Maria Montessori and upheld by the rigorous standards of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI).

Under the guidance of Mary Lou Cobb, founder and Head of School, The Cobb School began as a small community of nine children in 1974. The School now serves over 140 students from the Farmington Valley and beyond. In 1997 the “Build the Dream” campaign was launched to enlarge the school, creating new classrooms, a library, an art studio, gardens, athletic fields, and playgrounds. In 2012 the school expanded further, doubling its Upper Elementary and Young Children’s Communities and launching its Parent Infant Community and Suzuki Music for Babies program. Today, The Cobb School is a thriving infant, toddler, preschool, and elementary school located on five picturesque acres.

Cobb’s approach to education is based on the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori, one of the world’s most respected educators. Her philosophy, often referred to as “Education for Life,” has been embraced all over the globe.  In a Montessori school, joy and delight in learning are matched by the values of hard work, self-discipline, and integrity.

Our promise at Cobb is to strive to stimulate each child’s natural curiosity and prepare him or her to become an independent, self-reliant, and compassionate human being.  We promise to help foster fellowship for all community members and create a partnership with every parent for the benefit of each child in our care.

Using the guiding principles of the Association Montessori Internationale, we strive to create a learning experience that develops confidence, a love of learning, and global citizenship.

Respect
We foster respect and compassion for others and the environment.

Responsibility
We fulfill the child’s natural desire to become a responsible, contributing member of the family and community.

Independence
We guide children to become independent, critical thinkers.

Integrity
We provide the foundation to live life with honesty, humility and integrity.

The Cobb School, Montessori is committed to developing a strong sense of community in which every member feels valued. We welcome diversity in our staff and student body and promote access and equity with respect to backgrounds of race, creed, cultural heritage, political beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, gender orientation, national/ethnic origins or abilities. We expect that individual beliefs and feelings will be shared and valued and conflicts acknowledged, explored and peacefully resolved. Curriculum at The Cobb School is rich and varied with emphasis on multicultural and anti-bias learning. We educate to broaden students’ views of themselves, local, social and global communities. We strive to strengthen understanding in The Cobb School community about issues of racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, gender identity, equity, peace and social justice through professional development and a variety of community activities.