The Maria de Monserrate Children’s Center is more than just a daycare. It’s the meeting point of an educational community inspired by Saint Ignatius of Loyola who, at the feet of Saint Mary of Montserrat, laid down his knightly weapons and consecrated himself to the service of Jesus Christ for a better world.
The Educational Project of the Maria de Monserrate Children’s Center reflects an awareness of the specificity of childhood and of play as its identity. “Teaching and learning are not neutral, but are anchored in a set of values that guide the selection of content, processes, means and instruments of work” (Klein s.j., 2014). In this sense, the action guidelines from which the pedagogical projects will be developed annually are translated into six pillars.
Ignatian pedagogy is profoundly human and consequently universal. In relation to the child, the educator listens and hears, sees and observes, documents actions, in order to make educational planning an ever more personalized and contemporary response. We see the child as having rights and competence, in their independent revelation from the adult caregiver.
Early childhood is the prime time for experimenting, feeling, and beginning to understand much of what surrounds us. It is a time when sensory exploration and stimulation play a fundamental and decisive role in children’s development. Nature has this great added value of being a source of stimuli, not only so different from each other, but also less structured, more unpredictable, and which promote cooperation and complicity.
The Maria de Monserrate Children’s Center proposes a humanist education, rooted in the search for interiority, which is present in all human beings, universal, and encompasses all cultures and religions. Time passes with its routines, but the child has the opportunity to find their own rhythm, and this sense of timelessness is something that is not experienced as much as it should be in our hectic world. We want to grow, but also to savor.
At the Maria de Monserrate Children’s Center, inclusion is an ethical imperative, and therefore, any child who presents alterations in body functions or structures that limit participation in activities typical for their age and social context is welcome. Similarly, we believe that an adult with a disability should be integrated into society, and our mission is to provide this welcoming environment.
If the first years of life are fundamental for a child, for parents they will certainly be years of many doubts, some fears and anxieties. On the other hand, until the age of three, a child’s development only occurs through the family, making it essential to establish a bond of trust between home and school. It is a continuous educational process. Keeping this in mind, we open our doors to parents, in the same vein of experience, reflection and action that the Ignatian pedagogical paradigm proposes.
The individual well-being of the child and their growth with respect to holistic development also depends on the well-being of those around them. The broader context thus becomes the object of our understanding, in the sense of promoting the quality of life of the community, seeking to support people in their most diverse situations in daily life, enhancing family life.
Pre-registration takes place online during the first week of February.
The Maria de Monserrate Children’s Center is open every weekday from 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM.
See our annual calendar.
Starting in September 2024, daycare is free.
The menu is developed by a nutritionist and is governed by the Pediatric Nutrition Guidelines.
We promote support for children, families, and educational staff.
For more information, please consult the Internal Regulations
