Thankyou for your interest in Golden Oak Montessori

Our founders group of twenty parents and educators grew from a common vision for an alternative public elementary and middle school in Hayward. That vision has started to take root as Golden Oak Montessori: a child-centered school with a focus on diversity and community stewardship.

We believe the Montessori method of education can offer an important educational alternative in Hayward. As parents of children with very different talents, learning styles, ethnic backgrounds, and needs, we have seen them all thrive in Montessori preschool and kindergarten. Our kids are advancing academically and are excited to attend school—we want to see this love of learning continue throughout their education.

Montessori education focuses on the child.  Children choose their “work” from a carefully prepared classroom that challenges them to explore, to work together, and to meet high academic standards. At the same time, Montessori puts children in multi-age classrooms, where children at various levels—even those with special needs, children who are learning English, or gifted students—can excel, recognizing that children have different learning styles and that their development at this age is not one-size-fits-all.

We believe Montessori’s child-centered philosophy is a great match for Hayward’s ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and academic diversity; in fact, the more diverse the students, the richer the Montessori classroom experience.

Golden Oak Montessori School will follow in the well-established footsteps of Montessori public and charter schools—325 at last count by the American Montessori Society—to place equal emphasis on academic success and character development. It is our vision to nurture competent, responsible, adaptive citizens who are self-motivated problem-solvers and are profoundly attentive to the world and humanity around them. In the best sense: life-long learners.

As local parents, we hope to see our children’s innate curiosity, their wonder at the world around them, and their open-mindedness cultivated by their educational experiences. To paraphrase Dr. Montessori: every child is an acorn who holds an oak within. Please join us in supporting Golden Oak!

 August, 2009

Welcome Inaugural Families of Golden Oak!

     We are thrilled to be embarking on our first year of this “dream” school—now a reality through a truly grassroots effort of local parents. This week, our office is open full time at the GO campus on Palisade (510-931-7868) and Deirdre Fennessy, our Head of School, is heading up an amazing team of seasoned Montessori teachers.

     A year and a half ago, the founders of GO drafted a Mission Statement. Let me excerpt a piece here:

     “The mission of Golden Oak Montessori is to provide students in grades one through eight in the Hayward area with the opportunity to acquire an education based on the educational philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, with an emphasis on independent learning; hands-on materials for a holistic education; and mixed-age classrooms to encourage long-term educational relationships and character development. Our school will actively recruit and serve a culturally, ethnically, and socio-economically diverse group of students reflective of the Hayward district; promote an integrated multi-subject teaching and learning curriculum; provide a Spanish-Enriched curriculum for all students; and pursue an overarching aim of nurturing healthy community stewardship. "

     Our goal is to educate children to be active, aware citizens with the skills and knowledge to participate meaningfully in the diverse and challenging new
century.”

     Montessori for all! We are well on our way to building that thriving public Montessori community. GO is fully enrolled for our inaugural year; we are at capacity in grades 1-5 (and we have a waitlist!). The students joining this year represent the cultural and socioeconomic diversity of Hayward’s community, with approximately 25% Hispanic, 20% African American, 25% Asian, 27% Caucasian, and 3% Native American students.

     I am so proud to tell you that we were able to recruit and hire all our first-choice teachers. These teachers represent the diversity, energy, and experience we were seeking to cultivate at GO. The teachers bring their experiences at public and private Montessori schools and their passion for languages, creative technology, sculpture, gardening, drama, music, sports, and dance to this new school.  We are confident GO will provide a richer education because of their shared ideas.

     The Golden Oak community now extends beyond the 20 founders of the school to the families and friends of our 114 students. As parent Bob Emmers said to me as he was painting and professionally beautifying Deirdre’s office: “We’re all going to be founders now — I’m founder number 21!” That phrase captures the spirit and enthusiasm we have seen throughout the summer from parent and community volunteers.  New Golden Oak families have already made their mark on the Palisade campus by enthusiastically running a GO Garden! event in June. Please read our GO Blog for photos and details on this inspiring event. We have been impressed with the generous donations of time, materials, and talent that have helped beautify the grounds and classrooms. GO is truly a community effort. We have also launched our first fundraising drive with a generous challenge grant. Each one of these efforts directly benefits our GO students. Now, that’s a great investment!

     We look forward to meeting each new GO family this month. The phase-in for students begins on August 20th (all students will start school by August 31st) and we hold our first Parent Orientation evenings on August 25th and 27th. Look out for emails (or postcards if you opted for no email) with details and please plan to attend!

Welcome and let’s Go Go GO!

Aneema Van Groenou
Board Chair, Golden Oak Montessori