Joyful Montessori Philosophy
At Joyful Montessori it is our philosophy to educate the whole child: academically, socially, physically, emotionally and spiritual through Montessori Education.
At the spiritual level Joyful Montessori incorporates Biblical beliefs based our statement of faith. Joyful Montessori believes the Bible to its entirety and that it is the inherent Word of God.
Montessori Education is distinguished by developing a nurturing environment, independence, confidence, and development of freedom and discipline.
Our program is designed using the Montessori Philosophy and methods of Dr. Maria Montessori which emanates out of respect for that child. We offer each child a “ prepared environment” , which will allow him/her to develop individually at their own pace, according to his/her potential in a non-competitive atmosphere.
As Dr. Montessori observed, the child from birth to six years has an “absorbent mind”, is interested in facts, and has a need for “self-construction”. Children internalize concepts through movement and repetition, the use of their sense, and the manipulation of concrete objects.
Why Families Choose Joyful Montessori
Our environment: This is a preschool program that is in a center based child care setting, located on the island of Oahu in Wahiawa. As one of the first classrooms your child will be apart of, it is Joyful Montessori’s hope to provide a lasting foundation of positive experiences to support a lifetime of learning. Joyful Montessori believes young children learn best in a warm, comfortable, and nurturing home like setting that is thoughtfully created with your child in mind. It is the environment created to help your child develop practical life skills, cultivate independence and discover their joy of learning.
Our Director/teacher: Kim Serna is a gifted teacher and certified in using Dr. Montessori’s methods and philosophies to guide each child in their educational journey. The goal at Joyful Montessori is to provide learning experiences that allow children to develop the skills necessary to be successful learners, and to develop important life skills such as self-confidence, independence, joy of learning compassion and kindness.
Our community: Joyful Montessori is a small community, allowing Joyful Montessori to better serve your child. We do so by creating a warm home like environment and cultivate a caring community in which children and adults find friendships and support in a close-knit family.
Our authentic Montessori program: Through the use of the Montessori philosophy and materials, Joyful Montessori provides a fun learning environment that truly inspires a child's individual curiosity and joy for learning. As Dr. Montessori says “Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence.”
Director/Lead Teacher
Kimberly Serna
Aloha, I am the Founder, Director and Lead teacher at Joyful Montessori. I grew up in Southern California and in 2010 married my high school sweet heart and could not be happier. I have always had an interest in fitness and health, so it was very natural for me to pursue employment in that field. I have a background in lifeguarding, coaching various aquatic sports with children of all ages and as a physical education activities assistant.
After moving to Oahu in 2012 I discovered the joys of working with young children. I changed my major from kinesiology and graduated from Liberty University with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education. I began my own home daycare using Montessori principles, and decided to further my education in the Montessori field. I received a MACTE Montessori teaching certificate from Age of Montessori and began working at a Montessori Preschool. Loving the Montessori philosophy it was my dream to one day open my own Montessori Program, which is where I am today!