What is Grace and Courtesy?
Grace and Courtesy is a fundamental part of any Montessori education. The purpose of Grace and Courtesy is to refine a child’s social skills and cultivate their senses of independence and self-esteem. Lessons in Grace and Courtesy begin in our Primary Class, as it is the perfect time for children to begin absorbing social structures, and continue into the elementary classrooms at a more complex level. Through exercises in Grace and Courtesy, we give children the language, actions and steps needed for them to gain a sense of self-awareness and responsiveness to others in their social environment.
When a child learns the right vocabulary and understands how and when to use it, he is able to make life more pleasant for himself and for others around him. This translates into a peaceful and pleasant classroom environment as well as pleasant interactions in any social situation outside of school. At Endeavor Montessori, we help our children learn how to take care of their internal self, their external self, their community of peers, and their environment – both inside and outside of the school.
The Importance of Community Service
After learning how to interact pleasantly with others, it is important for the child to learn how to give back to humanity and the earth. At Endeavor Montessori, we make sure that our students know the importance of taking care of the earth and minimizing the negative human impacts. In our primary classrooms, we begin introducing healthy environmental practices such as composting and the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Our educators also try to minimize the ecological footprint of our school and lead by example. For instance, we never use styrofoam cups or plates and we always use towels instead of paper towels.
Community Service or Service Learning begins at the middle school level, continues into high school and hopefully into adulthood, as well. At Endeavor Montessori, we focus on building lifelong character traits such as compassion, caring and generosity through random acts of kindness and community service. Giving back to the community and the earth is an integral part of our curriculum at Endeavor Montessori.
Through Community Service, adolescents learn civic responsibility and how they can become contributing members of society. Some of our service projects are done right here on campus, while others manifest themselves in field trips or after school hours. By going out into the community and doing good deeds, our teens see firsthand how they can improve the lives of others and strengthen bonds in their community.