Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Concordia School located?

CONCORDIA SCHOOL has two Northern California locations in Contra Costa County, east of San Francisco. Our main campus is in Concord, with our satellite campus just 15 minutes away in the Pleasant Hill - Martinez area.

Both campuses are in delightful garden-like areas, with a variety of outdoor activity yards. Locations in residential areas assure our children quiet and beautiful places to learn and grow.

We know you have a strong academic program, but what about art and music and computers and...?

At Concordia, extra-curricular isn't extra, it's essential.

In the elementary, we give the child the universe, in all its diversity and wonder. The word university originally referred to a place where one went to experience his or her place in the universe -- thus, to learn how to live, to gain understanding, to find wisdom.

Today, many educational structures are built on a parts-mentality. Each area of learning is seen simply as a part. Little attempt at integration, or the understanding of the whole that is wisdom, is being made. In these institutions, the goal of education is no longer to gain wisdom, but to get a grade, a degree, a job.

Yet, a Concordia education is an education for life, where students learn how to live, and where students learn how to choose a higher education, and a career, that fulfills their potential. We offer your child a place that enhances life; we tap into your child's desire to learn more. As in the university tradition, we promote the creative spirit of inquiry.

Thus, we have a long list of "essentials" at Concordia. We believe that children learn how to learn and learn how to live through a variety of cultural lessons and activities. We teach problem-solving skills and believe in self-responsibility as well as social responsibility.

At Concordia, we foster a fundamental sense of self through a hands-on, interactive curriculum. From foreign language to physical education, from computers to drama, from cooking class to our keys-to-culture lessons, all children explore the world they live in and share that world with one another.

We are a science and arts school with Spanish as our second language. We offer the humanities at an early age and the love of learning for all ages!

If we teach the child to ask more questions than we have answers for, we have done our job exceedingly well.

The Concordia School encourages my child to be independent. How will my child function in another school that expects conformity?

At the Concordia School, independence becomes a privilege that is earned through the student's concern for the needs of others. A Concordia alumnus, who recently graduated from UC Berkeley as a pre-med student, says it best:

"Going to Concordia is like going to college.

Your school didn't prepare me for high school.

It prepared me for university. In high school the

teachers would still hold your hand if you needed it.

"At Cal, you've either got it or you don't. Nobody

is going to come along and show you how. In university,

the decision to study is mine and I'd better make the

right decision."

This is a responsibly independent student speaking. This is a Concordia graduate!

When I visit your classes . . . I wonder how there can be so much activity going on in such an orderly fashion?

The activity that guests often see when visiting our classes is what today's mainstream education has just discovered: children helping their peers, children teaching children.

Concordia teachers expect more from students than simply to follow instructions. Our children learn logical thinking skills and the ability to make plans and find solutions.

Concordia's educational system fosters internal order and discipline. Our children master the art of making choices, develop concentration and focus, and learn to share ideas with others.

"The Principle Art of the teacher is to awaken the joy in creation and knowledge."

-- Albert Einstein

How does the Concordia School offer enough social stimulation?

Children seek out a few "like-minded" friends. In the Concordia School, classrooms have mixed ages and learning groups which encourage practice in social skills; we offer a model of the actual grown-up world where students interact with a variety of ages and people.

We expect and promote friendships among students of different ages, abilities and interests. Concordia fosters "full participation" for every student--everyone is in the school play, goes camping, plays pick-up sports, learns Spanish!

Our graduates leave Concordia with the self-assurance and confidence to reach out to others, to challenge themselves and to succeed in their chosen goals.

"By the time they graduate, Concordia students are not just educated; they will have been well-challenged in life." -- a Concordia teacher

Since there are no grades at Concordia, how do I know my children are getting what they need and keeping up with others?

Just how much does my child need to know, and how soon? Should a child read at age 4 years? What if my child isn't reading by age 6 or 7 years? Is she then behind?

Competition is so great in colleges now. Doesn't my child need an early start in basics?

Is having fun while you learn really OK? Does learning need to be taken seriously in the elementary?

The Concordia School is serious about educating your child. That is why we have clearly defined goals for each level.

Our goals for students include:

to write and communicate effectively
mastery in math through algebra and geometry
a sophisticated reading aptitude
a world view of social concerns
access to cultural studies: history, science, geography, art, music, computers, Spanish

To achieve these goals, our children often write before they read. We offer a broad base of sciences at a very early age and believe in the oral tradition of storytelling. We instill joy and enthusiasm for learning through dramatic stories that create interest.

Regular parent conferences and observations, plus lots of "over-the-gate" conversations help to keep school and home informed of the child's needs.

At the elementary level, students keep a portfolio of accomplished studies and projects. Also, as a student so aptly exclaimed, "We write our own books" through careful journal writing and note-taking in academic areas. These journals reflect the student's skills, understanding, and ability to apply knowledge.

At a Fall open house, the father of a fourth grade transfer student saw his daughter's journals and exclaimed, "She's already learned more than she did at the other school in a whole year!"

Yes, his daughter is learning more than facts and figures. She is learning how to learn. Our teachers foster an enthusiasm for learning that lasts a lifetime.

We can see, measure and evaluate cognitive skills, but those are only fractions of what this method is all about. The Montessori child experiences a special kind of learning -- one which encompasses the quality of humanity and the dignity of spirit required for people who want to contribute to a better world.

In today's business world, one needs to work hard to get ahead. How can children learn the motivation they will need to be successful in the future?

By being successful today... a Concordia education is based on the child's study of nature and on the child's experience in the real world. It is an education steeped in living skills that offers ways to be successful.

You can read and study bread baking techniques, but until you actually experience kneading the dough, you will not "know how" to bake bread. And until you've eaten your own bread, you will have little motivation for repeating the process.

Experience is never wasted time; it is the heart and soul of how we all learn; it is at the root of our motivation to learn more.

Instead of abstract workbooks, our students use manipulatives to form fractions, calculate division and solve the algebraic binomial.

Instead of hours of repetitive practice at home, our students have hours of tutored study time in class, where professionals help set goals, and students learn good study habits

"If you've loved and cared for an animal, if you've studied its development, you then have good reason to grow up and be a biologist!"

-- a Concordia teacher

What about discipline at Concordia? I want a safe place for my child, a place where children learn to respect one another.

For our teachers, discipline is far more than just getting control of the class. The word discipline comes from the Latin root "disciple," which means to teach.

We teach ground rules, give age-appropriate lessons and demonstrate the limits and expectations of the class.
Children are often reminded of what they already know and are asked to use problem-solving skills to find a solution that is in the best interest of the group.
If a child's behavior is disruptive to the harmony of the class, he/she may be removed from an activity or given a brief time-out. (The number of minutes equals the number of years old you are!)
Also, we set up parent-teacher conferences to problem-solve the child's needs if inappropriate behavior persists. Our parents are encouraged to ask their questions, share their concerns, and join with us to create continuity between home and school.

"At Concordia, to foster self-discipline and social skills is far more than just a way to get a quiet class so teachers can teach. Social growth is an end, not just a means."

-- a visiting psychologist

The Concordia School expects a lot from parents -- both time and tuition. Is it worth it?

I can find more convenient child care, with hot lunches and busing. I can find less expensive private education, with religious training as well. Why Concordia?

The decisions you make now are investments in your child's future.

The young child learns 80% of all he will ever know by the age of 8 years. Your child's value system is set by the age of 12 years. In adolescence, young people spend their time refining and adjusting the foundations that are already in place.

Often, families prioritize savings for their child's education during the college years. By then, the patterns of learning are already set and how your child makes decisions is beyond your control.

Today is the time to invest both yourself and your resources in how your children will learn and in the competent, responsive adults they will become.

What makes a project-based curriculum an effective way to learn?

For over three decades, Concordia teachers have expected that the lessons studied will not only be understood but applied. Students are encouraged to use their skills and knowledge for the benefit of others.

We believe that:

A quality education is neither laissez faire, nor rigid. It offers a sensitivity to the natural growth of each student in an orderly, responsive classroom.
Just as you can't ride a bike before you can walk, Concordia teachers believe in the right time for every individual lesson, for each step of your child's growth.
We believe in the child's natural eagerness to learn. We observe, listen, share and plan with the class and with each student.
Concordia parents and teachers trust in a quality Montessori education with an intimate, personal touch. We join together to create a "learning plan" that is just right for each child.

"We seek to sow life in the child rather than theories -- to help him in his growth, mental and emotional, as well as physical -- and for that we must offer grand and lofty ideas of the human world."

-- Maria Montessori

How will my child gain the skills needed for a competitive world?

Education only works if you get the personal attention that creates a personal love for learning. That is what Concordia's intimate school atmosphere is all about!

When we choose the simple, the dramatic, the holistic approach, our students gain the skills to compete without being competitive.

Many of us remember a childhood with hours of bouncing the basketball or playing catch. You learn a sport far better by playing at it than from constant drills set by your coach. The drills only work if you're already in love with the sport!

In the same way, education only works if you get the personal attention that creates a personal love for learning. This is what Concordia's small school atmosphere is all about!

We do not teach children to be competitive; we teach them to be competent in a competitive world.

What happens when my child goes to another school?

Students at the Concordia School are being prepared for life, not merely for another level of schooling. Therefore, it is no wonder that when the time comes for students to transition to other schools, they have the academic and social skills which allow them to be successful. When our students move on to other schools, both traditional and non-traditional, public and private, they take with them self confidence in new situations, respect for the work and individuality of others, love of learning, and self-discipline. These values not only serve them in higher education, but throughout life..

What is the role of the teacher at the Concordia School?

To foster the unique potential of each child takes a very special teacher.

The Concordia teacher is, first of all, an astute observer and guide. He or she carefully watches each child, looking for readiness to learn. Materials are then introduced and guidance given. The teacher senses the direction the child wants to go, and is responsible for helping the student progress to more challenging subject matter.

Caring teachers model enthusiasm for learning. They provide warmth and security in a supportive, but challenging, manner. Thus each child moves into new worlds of learning and accomplishment, interacting confidently with other children and adults.

"Adults must learn to accept the child's impulse to activity and to channel it in constructive ways."

-- Maria Montessori

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