A line of young children, girls and boys, standing on grass outdoors in a park or playground, holding hands and looking in different directions.

“That humanity which is revealed in all its intellectual splendor during the sweet and tender age of childhood should be respected with a kind of religious veneration. It is like the sun which appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education can not be effective unless it helps a child to open up himself to life.”

–Maria Montessori

The Primary Years

A well-organized children's classroom with wooden furniture, art supplies, plants, and artwork on the walls, illuminated by natural sunlight.

At our school, we honor the child's developmental journey by providing an environment that supports their sensory exploration and self-construction.

Between the ages of three and six, children explore the world through sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound. Our classrooms are designed to meet their needs for order, freedom of movement, choice, repetition, consistency, and independence.

Multi-aged classes and engaging materials presented by trained adults inspire joyful, proactive learning within a nurturing community.

Nurturing Potential Through Sensory Exploration and Self-Construction

A young child with black hair wearing a striped green, blue, black, and white shirt sits at a wooden table, writing or drawing with a black marker or pen. The background shows a room with more wooden furniture.

As parents and teachers, we have the privilege of safeguarding and witnessing the unique unfolding of each child’s hidden potential and personality. The child between the ages of three and six explores the world through all of his senses — sight, touch, taste, smell and sound. Through this sensorial exploration, and through movement and the development of language, the child creates order from his sense impressions and begins the process of self-construction on a conscious level.

Developmental Needs

A woman and a young girl sitting at a table, looking at an orange object, in what appears to be a classroom or playroom. A child is blurred in the background.

We present the child with an environment and a curriculum that celebrates this task and honors the child’s developmental needs. The classrooms are designed to respond to the child’s need for order, freedom of movement and choice, repetition, consistency and independence. Multi-aged classes, enticing materials and activities carefully presented by trained adults inspire the children to be joyful, proactive learners within a nurturing community.

Come to an Intro Event

Your first step in applying to Pacific Crest is attending and intro event.

A young girl with short blonde hair, wearing a green dress with white polka dots, is kneeling on the floor in a classroom, drawing on a white sheet of paper on a small wooden table. Other children are engaged in activities in the background, with shelves filled with toys and art supplies.
A young girl with glasses playing a game with wooden pieces at a table in a cozy indoor setting.
A young boy wearing a blue shirt and a dark knit hat smiling at the camera, standing at a wooden table with educational materials in a classroom setting.
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