Education at Mountain Pathways is a cooperative venture where individual freedom is balanced with recognition and respect of the rights of others.
Our Mission
Mountain Pathways School is a community that fosters respect and a lifelong love of learning by nurturing the spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical well-being of its children. The community of learners includes students, families, teachers and friends interested in the children’s learning. We begin by focusing on the whole child. This involves fostering the social, emotional, physical, spiritual and aesthetic growth of the child, along with the development of intellectual skills and knowledge. The child’s personal learning style and rate of learning are met with instructional strategies and a prepared environment that are suited to his or her developmental needs. We value creativity and self-expression.
OUR VALUES
As a community we believe in the following:
Creating a safe place to explore and express individuality, always mindful of other individuals and the community as a whole. Cultivating love of learning through the child’s choice of experiences.
Encouraging each individual to be internally motivated, to be confident decision makers and to embrace his/her ability to make choices.
We believe in each of us owning our individual beliefs and recognizing their effects on the community.
We acknowledge the uniqueness of each individual and the special gifts each one brings. We foster positive self-esteem as a core value that allows us to honor others, our community, and our environment.
We seek the positive in all situations and enjoy the process. We strive to bring joy, playfulness and laughter to our lives and community.
We provide opportunities for self-reliance while encouraging and expecting individuals to support each other in building a stronger community.
We value empathizing with others’ needs and situations, and we care for each other as much as we care for ourselves.
OUR VISION
Mountain Pathways School is unique to this region. The purpose of Mountain Pathways School is to provide education of the highest quality for children of all racial, cultural, religious, and economic backgrounds based on a philosophy that is committed to teaching children in ways they can best learn. The Montessori method of teaching and learning emerged from well-accepted research in child development and learning. We participate in dialogue with the American Montessori Society, International Montessori Council, public schools and Appalachian State University concerning improvements in education.