CASTLE ISLAND:
AN ACCREDITED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
In October 2022, Castle Island earned the status of Accredited School, approved and recognized by the American Montessori Society (AMS).
Accreditation by the American Montessori Society is the gold standard of Montessori school excellence. It is the highest level of recognition a Montessori school can achieve, and is an important indicator of our school’s dedication to high quality education.
The multi-year process of the accreditation application, self-study, site visit and review with AMS has validated our commitment to delivering high-quality Montessori education and has provided Castle Island with a partnership with the world’s leading Montessori organization. AMS supports Castle Island by providing the resources, professional development, advocacy, and personal service needed to ensure that we continue to meet the school's strategic goals.
The school's leadership team is committed to carrying on the Pathway for Continuous School Improvement and Reaccreditation.
MAJOR COMMENDATIONS
The AMS Accreditation On-site Visiting Team commends the school for:
● The very thorough preparation of its
self-study, in which broad participation from the community was invited and welcomed.
● Its decision to deliberately locate in
a region of the city that is accessible to a broad and diverse community and that is also developing and growing, thereby making possible the
mission-related growth of the school.
● Its deep dedication to the implementation of its mission. The mission is expressed in all aspects of school and classroom life and visibly embraced by all staff.
● Implementing its mission as a bilingual (Spanish-English) immersion model of Montessori education with
a high level of integrity.
● The Head of School for implementing Montessori-style leadership in which the staff is empowered to participate
in decision making.
● The school’s Leadership Team for developing a coherent strategic plan designed to move the school forward, and for outlining specific steps to achieve that plan.
● The aggressive accomplishment of two of its
major strategic goals, those of completion and submission of its accreditation self-study and relocation to a new and more mission-supportive location.
● The school, and particularly the classroom teachers, for undertaking a mid-school year move into new quarters and preparing beautiful and orderly learning environments for the children within a few
weeks’ time.
● Creating and implementing a sliding-scale tuition plan, thereby helping to ensure the inclusion of a range of
families from various socio-economic backgrounds.
● Developing a thorough Resource Directory documenting professional support services beyond the school for families that may need them.
"He has come out of his shell and become confident in his abilities in a variety of different academic areas. He has also become very curious about the world around him and has grown into a voracious learner."
Olivia and Ben Karis-Nix, Parents of 9 Year Old
Wynantskill NY