About MMS

Mission Statement

The Modern Montessori School aims to provide a rich and stimulating environment where children can develop to their full potential. Understanding and appreciating the differences that make every student unique, each child is valued as an independent thinker and encouraged to make choices on his or her own.

Our system of personalised education encourages every student to develop his or her own talent, to respect the differences in others and to be a responsible member of a community, thus achieving the finest possible holistic education. This aims to instill a pride in accomplishments, providing the students with the confidence needed to use their abilities to the fullest and enabling them to define and achieve success in college, career and, above all, in life.
 

Philosophy

As a parent, you know that choosing a school for your child is one of the most significant decisions you may face. We all hope to provide our children with an educational basis from which they can reach out for their goals and fulfill their potential. However, this first involves a choice concerning the type of education which will most benefit your child and, subsequently, a choice of the most suitable school.

The Modern Montessori School is accredited by the International Centre for Montessori Education (ICME). It was established in 1985 and is built on an 24,000 m2 piece of land. It is designed to meet international standards in school requirements. The Modern Montessori School is dedicated to distinction in advancing the development and education of children from age three through to high school. It offers a low pupil/teacher ratio, a highly qualified professional faculty and a balanced curriculum, which emphasises academic preparation in the main subjects, such as mathematics, languages, sciences and social sciences. In addition, art, music, physical education and computer literacy play an integrated role in the curriculum. The school provides a nurturing environment for the personal and intellectual development of each child. It encourages a high level of co-operative planning, teaching and evaluation, designed to produce success in advancing the learning process of the students. Standardised achievement and ability index tests are utilised to prescribe the best programme for each child’s needs.

Curriculum

KG follows the Montessori method of education.  In the Junior and Lower Senior School, an interactive, integrated curriculum, incorporating Ministry of Education requirements, has been developed by the school and is taught bilingually (Arabic and English). The Upper Senior School offers a specially formulated Bridge Years curriculum in Grades 9 and 10, preparing students for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12.
 

A letter from the Principal

The Modern Montessori School in the year 2011 - 2012

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to the beginning of another academic year and I hope you have had an enjoyable summer vacation and a happy and blessed Eid AlFitr.

Our students again achieved excellent results in the IB examinations. We are proud of them all and, as always, we derive special pleasure from seeing students with various forms of learning difficulties meet the challenge of this demanding academic programme.

A number of new teachers are joining us this year: new to the KG are Faris Al-Rahahleh, Nour Alkilani, Rania Noursi, Nataly Shakhshir, Rasha Ali, Maha Nazzal, Reem Saket and Yarin Al-Tal; in the Junior School we are joined by Basma Zabalawi (Computer Teacher), Rawan Abdallah (Class Teacher), Rawan Fallouh (English Teacher, G4-6), Tamara Sharaf (Class Teacher), Iman Al Fekaha’ (Islamic Religion Teacher), Nisreen Salem (Computer Teacher), Dalia AlNaser (Class Teacher), Rania Hidmi (Mathematics Teacher), Yazan Al-Salhi ((Class Teacher), Wafa AlDada (Class Teacher) and Said AlMohtasib (P.E. Teacher); the Senior School is joined by Shatha AlBakhit (English Teacher), Joana Hanna (Part-time Physics Teacher) and Wafa’ Ayesh (Arabic Teacher). We welcome them all and are sure that they will prove to be valuable assets to the school.

Keeping up our tradition of rewarding academic excellence, one-year scholarships were awarded to those students who achieved the highest marks in their year. This year the students receiving scholarships were Anastazia Qulagen in G4, Farah Abdul-Jawad in G5, Jad Dahshan and Yasmeen Al Haj Mohammad in G6 (50% each), Eyad Al Khuffash in G7, Leen Abdulla and Nour El Jawahiri in G8 (50% each) and Zain Qussous in G9. 25% scholarships were also awarded to Amer Sawalha and Selma Deek in G9 in recognition of their very high grades. The criteria for scholarship awards are currently being re-appraised and we shall inform you of the revised requirements later in the year. Additionally, the AHA awarded a full two-year scholarship to Tala Hidaya and partial scholarships to Nadine Abu Obeid and Nour Al Jawahari for excelling in the Bronze Level of the Programme. For the outstanding completion of the Silver Level, a full two-year scholarship was awarded to Ban Sha’ban while Yasmeen Ghantous received a two-year partial scholarship. The Diana Sayyegh Scholarship for Grades 11 and 12 was split between Faisal Al Shak’a, Anas Habib and Nawwaf Abu Hassan, all of whom received 50% scholarships for two years. Congratulations to them all.

Classes in the Junior School have been restructured; instead of 40 minutes, each period will now last for 50 minutes. The purpose of this is to allow extra time at the end of lessons in which projects and activities can be introduced with the aim of reinforcing and consolidating knowledge gained during the lesson.

The school, as usual, organised many extra-curricular activities during the past academic year and I would like to tell you about a few of them.

Last year, and for the sixth consecutive year, our G11 students excelled in the ISWEEEP International Science Fair in the USA. Representing Jordan in a competition with 740 finalists from 70 different countries and 43 US states, Sarah Abu-Dhays and Haneen Saker received the Gold Medal (1st Award) for their project, “Using a Solar System to extract Flammable Gas from Pine”, Mohammad Jayyousi and Bashar Bustani received the Gold Medal (1st Award) for their project, “A Unique Solar System for the Production of Hot Pressurised Air for Multiple Uses”, and Farah AlRefai received the Bronze Medal (3rd Award) for her project, “Extracting Silver from Used X-Ray Films using new Techniques. The Gold Medal winners also received a Foundation Scholarship at a US University in recognition of their achievement. They were also awarded a full scholarship for their final year in School, whilst the Bronze Medal winner was rewarded with a 25% scholarship for her final year. Our sincere congratulations go to all of them for their truly outstanding achievements.

45 students, accompanied by four Social Science teachers, participated in the Yale University Model United Nations in the USA in January, 2011. A group of MBS students improved their football skills at a camp specially organised by Chelsea Football Club in London. A number of G9 students also went on Omrah.

Four G10 students, Ban Sha’ban, Raya Fanek, Zeina Dahlan and Wassan Atieh, accompanied by the Social Science teacher, Rawan Shamayleh, won a three-week visit to the United States for their participation in a competition organised by Global Impact Apprentice (a division of the Empower Peace Organisation) for their project on the subject of Animal Extinction. They were taken to Pennsylvania, where they were received by the State Governor, and also visited Vermont and Massachusetts.

Out of 800,000 students from all over the Kingdom participating in the King Abdullah Award for Fitness, eleven of our students achieved distinction: Dara Al Bakri and Karma Al Safadi both took Gold Medals; Leen Al Hemsi, Tala Hidaya, Joyce Spasioti, Mira Qarout, Dana Sakijha and Zeina Bustani earned Silver Medals, while Aisha Khalaf, Omar Abbas and Natalie Abu Alouf received Bronze Medals.

Our students were again busy helping others less fortunate than themselves through various activities within the AHA. They hosted students from a government school on a series of Saturdays, organising lessons and games for them and providing lunch and gifts. The AHA also organised a campaign to raise JD 10,000 to cover the cost of treatment of a cancer patient, Batool. We are pleased to report that Batool responded to treatment and she is now in good health. Following our strenuous efforts to raise funds for them, the King Hussein Cancer Foundation again invited us to send three students to participate in a Motivational Volunteer Empowerment Training Workshop. Within the framework of the AHA, students are now engaged in individual community projects, in which they use their own initiative to devise activities to benefit their community. The AHA will be informing you in further detail about this exciting innovation. Such activities are, without doubt, character-building, and I am proud to see our students making such a valuable contribution to the community.

The PTA were very active this past year, organising family football and basketball days and arranging a marathon to raise funds for Batool and a Mother’s Day Bazaar. We very much appreciate their cooperation and support.

Finally, I would like to remind you of a number of important points:

* All students must be in school by latest 7:50 a.m. daily to attend the morning assembly, which is a compulsory part of the school day.
* All school gates will be closed at 7:50 a.m. daily and students arriving late will not be permitted to enter the school.
* No students are allowed to enter or leave the school by means of Gate 2; students must use Gates 6, 7 and 8.
* Full school uniform must be worn at all times.
* Prior appointments are required if parents wish to see any members of staff.

As we embark on this new academic year, I would like to reiterate that we remain totally committed to providing the best possible all-round education to our students and thank you for your continued support and encouragement.


Yours sincerely,

Randa Hasan
Principal

 

Discipline

SCHOOL RULES:

• The School expects all students and their parents to be familiar with the school rules and to understand that breaches of them will result in disciplinary action.
• School Disciplinary Procedures exist for the benefit of all and a written record of offences is kept on the Student File and may be used in compilation of recommendations requested from the school (Appendix 1).
• Certain areas of the school are permitted to students only if accompanied by a member of the school staff. These areas include:
  
  
  • All staff rooms.
  • All offices.
  • All science and computer laboratories, libraries, graphic art rooms, performing art rooms, CDT rooms, PE areas and workshops.
  • The reprographic room.
  
  
• Students may use the school telephones in emergencies only, obtaining permission from their Head of School.
• Publicising any event, selling tickets (even for charitable purposes) or collecting money for any cause whatsoever must have the prior approval of the Principal.
• The school does not accept any responsibility for lost property and strongly advises parents not to allow children to bring large sums of money or valuables to school.

CONDUCT:

School rules and expectations do not stop at the school gates. They also apply on all school buses and on all school trips. In addition, the school expects its students to remember that when not in school their behaviour in the community is taken as a reflection of the school (Appendix 2).


ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCES:

Regular attendance at school, at lessons and at school activities forms a basic and unequivocal part of the school's requirements:

• Students are required to be punctual in arriving at school for their lessons. Lateness requires explanation. Persistent lateness may be punished.
• Students must stay at school until the end of lessons (end of the school day) unless they have the written permission of their Head of School or their Medical Doctor or a special written request from their parent(s).
• Students must attend all lessons and classes unless they have permission from their teacher.
• Any absence of one or more days must be explained by the parent either telephoning the appropriate school official or by sending a written note to the student's Teacher or Group Tutor.
• Any absence of three or more days must be explained in writing and, if for medical reasons, must be supported by a doctor's certificate.
• A student may be refused admission to lessons if an absence has not been satisfactorily explained.
• The school only accepts responsibility for students from 7.30 am until 15 minutes after the end of the last lesson unless they are participating in an official school activity or unless they are participating in a registered activity for which school supervision is provided.

ILLNESS AND ACCIDENTS OCCURRING DURING THE SCHOOL DAY:

• If a student is unwell, he should ask his teacher for permission to report to the School Doctor who will take the appropriate action and contact a parent if necessary.
• In the event of a student being injured during the school day the School will make every effort to contact the parent or designated guardian. Should the School Doctor believe treatment is required and parent or guardian cannot be reached the student will be taken to a specialist, clinic or hospital as appropriate.
• Students taking medication prescribed by the family doctor while in school should do so in the School Doctor's surgery. The School Doctor is the school's medical officer and is required to be aware and treat all medical cases. The school cannot accept any responsibility for complications arising out of failure to comply with this requirement.
• In the event of serious illness or an accident occurring during a school trip, the senior member of the school staff present will arrange for medical treatment at the nearest available medical facility and the parents will be notified as soon as possible.

SAFETY:

Safety of students, staff and visitors is a paramount concern of the school. It is the responsibility and duty of all students and staff to observe the following rules:

• To act with proper regard for the safety of themselves, others and the environment.
• To report safety breaches and concerns to the appropriate member of the school staff or when in doubt to alert the Principal, Academic Director or Head of School.

ACADEMIC:

• Cheating on a school test or examination will automatically earn a mark of 'zero'. External examining bodies will be informed if cheating occurs during an external examination.
• Copying of homework or submitting someone else's work as student's own (plagiarism) will be dealt with very severely. In the event plagiarism be discovered as part of an external examination, the examining authority will be notified.
• All students are required to meet deadlines set by the teachers for the submission of homework, projects and any course work which forms part of the assessment for an internal or external examination.
• Non-submission of homework on time will be punished by a detention. The student will be expected to work in a supervised detention room during the break time to complete his homework and parents will be advised in the event the student fails to show up. After three break detentions the student will have to remain for an hour after school each day for five days followed by a Saturday detention for 2 hours if this behaviour persists. In the event the student does not show up for a Saturday detention he will be automatically suspended for two days.

UNIFORM:

• The school requires that all students are properly dressed in the official school uniform unless they are formally exempted from wearing it. Shirts must be kept buttoned at all times and properly tucked in. Only white undershirts are permit-ted. Shoes must be black or brown and socks must be white or black. Hair accessories must be simple in black, green or white colours only. No jewellery is permitted to be worn. Hair dying, nail polish and make-up is prohibited.
• Students who come to school out of uniform will not be admitted to lessons and their parents will be contacted and asked to bring the missing item(s) or the children will be sent home.
• On PE days students are required to wear the appropriate PE kit prescribed by the PE department (wearing of school team uniforms is not permitted).

For more information, please check the Student Manual.