Richard McKenna Charter Schools

A Foundation for Lifelong Learning

Richard McKenna Charter Schools is a free, public charter school in southern Idaho. Our K–6 program utilizes the Montessori method to serve the students and families of Mountain Home and the Mountain Home Air Force Base.

RMC Montessori’s education program follows the natural needs and development of your child. We believe each child has the potential to achieve success through an ordered, challenging, nurturing educational environment that recognizes the whole person—intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Students in our multi-age classrooms experience the joy of discovery and develop critical thinking skills (observing, thinking, and evaluating) as they learn.

We actively involve families in the educational process, enhancing the Montessori method with feedback and participation from parents. This collaborative atmosphere helps tailor the educational experience to fit each child's needs, reinforcing our commitment to fostering not only academic skills but also emotional and social growth within a community-oriented environment.

This balanced approach ensures that each child not only progresses academically but also develops key personal skills that are critical in today’s world. Our goal is to cultivate an environment where students can build a strong foundation for lifelong learning, emphasizing the importance of self-directed learning and interpersonal growth.

Helpful Information

PowerSchool

Student Handbook

Field Trips

Students often participate in field trips that enrich our curriculum and enhance student educational experiences. Families will receive one “walking field trip” permission slip at the beginning of each school year. Please complete and return this form to your child’s teacher as soon as possible so your child can participate.

We will notify you of any field trips that require transportation and send a separate permission slip for such excursions.

Daily Schedule

Arrival: 7:40–8:00 a.m.

School Begins: 8:00 a.m.

Dismissal: 3:15 p.m.

Lion P.R.I.D.E

We are lions! We show lion pride through:

Perseverance
Respect
Integrity
Discipline
E ffort

What is Montessori?

Our approach to education is based on the philosophy and methods of Maria Montessori, an Italian female physician who founded the first Montessori school in Rome in 1907. Dr. Montessori believed that the goal of the educational process was to cultivate a child’s natural desire to learn. She observed that all children have the same basic needs:

The need for order (to organize, classify, and interpret reality)
The need for independence (the impulse to act personally upon and within reality)
The need for social relationships
The need to experience reality through imagination

Our carefully prepared classrooms and certified staff offer students a variety of educational experiences but rely on the child’s innate desire to learn. The Montessori approach to education is not a tweaking of traditional models of teaching but a completely different way of learning designed to boost children's concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and love of learning.

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Why Multi-age Classrooms?

Hands-on, multi-age classrooms are a huge component of the Montessori method. In them, younger children have the opportunity to observe and imitate older students; while older students reinforce their knowledge by explaining what they are doing and assisting and mentoring younger children. In this way, children learn and develop at their own pace in a classroom that naturally accommodates many ability levels.

Parental Involvement

Parents are a fundamental part of our school and a welcome member of our educational team. We invite you to get involved in your child’s educational experience at RMC Montessori. To that end, we provide parent education opportunities throughout the year and invite you to contact your child’s teacher to discuss other ways you can get involved. And please join us at our next Parent Gathering.

Montessori K-6 at Richard McKenna