Philosophy
Dots Montessori is an open environment that offers infinite possibilities. Each possibility is like a dot and every child has the freedom to choose the dots that they like to create their own path and plan the course of their journey.
I touch…I see…I find…I learn…
Dots was born from the desire to celebrate a child's unique ability to learn. Children like to touch, feel and explore to see what they can find. They like to smell odd things. They often pick up words that they were not meant to hear. Scientists, artists and philosophers have often expressed the desire to be able to think and live like a child. We nurture a child's individuality and allow them to discover the world at their own pace. Each child has a different way of being a child; we just pay attention.
I wish someone can find what I can do best.
Many of us go through our entire lives without ever tapping into our true potential. We've wished that we knew what we could do best when we were children. If a person is able to discover their strengths at an early age they can focus on growing their abilities. And that is exactly what we do at Dots: It's a journey of discovery.
Rewinding to a simpler time.
We are reviving a simpler life at Dots by allowing children to enjoy working on the floor, without footwear, playing in the sun and the sand. We celebrate all the traditional festivals of India, giving our children the essence of our multidimensional culture. The children enjoy rewinding to older games and traditions like lagori, hopscotch, hide and seek, story time with grandma, so children can experience the joys of childhood that are lost and forgotten.
Happy experiences
We have always imagined Dots to be a place which exuberates joy and happiness. A place where children and adults come together to promote freedom of learning. We have observed children derive happiness out of simple yet basic experiences. We trust that anything related to children can be learned from children.
Vision
Help children map their journey called ‘life’ by following their unique abilities and guiding them through their challenges using the Montessori philosophy of learning.
Child: Our central theme are our children. All actions will be directed towards the benefit of each and every child. When in confusion we always ask “What needs to be done to benefit our child?”
Helping map their journey: We as adults, provide a nurturing environment to enable children achieve every little milestone. It could be social skills, dance, songs, expressing opinions…finding that passion…or everything and anything else that a child wants to achieve.
Follow the child: All children are special. Each one of them have something so unique. We try to follow this unique ability and let them bring out the best. Each child has a different way of being a child; we just pay attention.
Guide through challenges: While we focus on strengths, we also help children understand and accept the challenges they face. We work in collaboration with parents to help overcome them slowly and steadily without enforcing the child.
Montessori philosophy: We do all of these using the magical Montessori method which allows children to follow their passion, get independent, yet be caring, peaceful and much more. This method displays a fine balance of experiences, skills, academics and values.
Journey
June 2012
First centre commences
Nov 2012
Teacher training institute
Oct 2014
New premise @Kudlu
Mar 2015
First batch of level 3, graduated
Dec 2015
Touched our first 100 child enrollment
Nov 2017
Full house
Jun 2019
Second Centre @ Haralur
Jun 2022
Celebrating Decade Of Dots
The team at Dots was sure to start from scratch. We wanted to build a place from the ground up. We began to create blueprints for this dream school, along with good friends and family members, using a ‘blank slate’ approach. We deliberately did not look at other schools as reference points, ensuring that our dream school stayed faithful to the ideal in our Founder’s mind. It all began in June of 2012 with a small bunch of four children aged 2 and 3 years.
Though the road to the present has been long and sometimes challenging, there is a sense of great satisfaction when we look back. Today Dots is full house with 205 children and 35 adults.
With many efficient systems now in place, the institution and its three programs (Montessori, After school and Teacher training) run on oiled wheels. The children are a joy to teach, and it is Dots’ pride that they emerge as more confident, well-behaved and knowledgeable children by the end of their stint there.
The team is very passionate about doing things differently. There is a culture of openness, with lots of trust placed in people. We don’t bring in people who are just good with Montessori. Sometimes we have taken the sweetest people without street smarts and reaped the rewards from our decision. We have a fine balance of people with different skill sets, so nothing is ever lacking and everyone is learning from everyone else.
Our endeavour has always been to do something different with Dots, so we encourage innovation in our teachers. We try to make sure that their experience with us adds to them personally and professionally. We have also created a very distinctive culture at Dots among the staff. Since this is our baby, we give a 100% genuine effort, and that rubs off on the others too. We encourage everyone to add to the warm, courteous atmosphere. The children are our focal points. They are the reason we are doing all this, so every staff member knows to always put the child’s needs above all else.
It has been quite the adventure, a bittersweet one but there is no doubt that the children and their happy faces make every bump in the road worthwhile in the end.
Dots has grown from strength to strength over the years, and with the hard work and zeal of its staff; and the support and encouragement of parents and well-wishers it will continue to do so.
MEET THE TEAM
To help children embark on a journey of discovery we are a team of passionate and dedicated individuals who love children and the Montessori philosophy. In 2017-18, we stand strong as a family of 205 children, 22 staff members, 13 support staff members and 5 guiding members.
Sapna Roy
Founder
Sapna has a Post Graduate degree in Finance and a Diploma in Montessori. She visualized and founded Dots after working with multiple schools and consulting with Ryall Associates. After spending six years in a software services company, she decided to move into the education space.
She wanted to build a place from the ground up. She began to create blueprints for her dream school, using a ‘blank slate’ approach deliberately not looking at other schools as reference points, ensuring that this dream school stayed faithful to the ideal in Sapna’s mind.
She is driven purely by the passion to enable children discover their true potential. Her vision at Dots is to nurture every child in an environment where they can connect the dots to map out a meaningful journey through life.
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Dr. Akash David Ryall
Chief Consultant
Dr. Akash Ryall is a reputed educator who commands a high standing among both State Government and Educational Administrative Board circles such as ICSE and ISC Boards in New Delhi. He has a Master's Degree in Literature from Mysore University and a Master's degree in Education from the California State University (USA). He also holds a Certificate in Special Education from the University of California (USA). He has the rich experience of managing Bethany High for over a decade. Bethany High is a full-fledged educational institution with 3,000+ students, providing education from the Pre-primary level to the 12th grade, where students are offered the Indian School Certificate (ISC).
Dr. Akash David Ryall is at the core of the Dots system. As a Chief Consultant he advises Dots on how we can create a learning environment of the highest standard..
Mr. Rajesh M
Mentor
Rajesh M hails from a Sales & Marketing background and works in the engineering sector. He holds a Master's degree in Marketing with sixteen years of experience in a reputed Multi National Company.
His eagerness to explore new domains and support other establishments lead him to Dots. He enjoys travelling, long drives & cooking.
Suma Stephen
Kudlu Center Head
Suma Stephen forms an important part of the team at Dots. Her journey with Dots began at our Teacher Training Institute as our first certified trained adult. She has been instrumental in putting processes in place and maintaining an outstanding quality across all our Montessori environments at Dots.
As our Centre Head, she is responsible for the curriculum deliverables and managing the Montessori adults. She has completed her Masters degree in Sociology from Mahatma Gandhi University and carries a certificate in Special Education. Prior to joining Dots Montessori, she served as a teacher in one of the prestigious schools in Kerala
Varsha Diwate
Academic Head
Varsha is part of the core team at Dots and played a key role in scaling up and maintaining the positive, safe and productive Montessori environment. Varsha has been involved with Dots since its inception as our very first teacher. She is an educator and administrator with a unique background of business and educational assets. Currently, as our Academic Head, Varsha is responsible for planning and executing of the Montessori and Teacher training departments. Prior to Dots, Varsha has worked in various prestigious schools across Bangalore in multiple roles.
Rakhee Gupta
Haralur Center Head
Rakhee Gupta is the key member of the team at Dots. Her journey with Dots began as a student in Dots Montessori Institute. She is passionate and her first objective is to prepare and organize the learning environment to meet the needs and interest of children as well as promote independence in them. As a Centre Head, she is aligned with the core values of Dots and is primarily responsible for curriculum development and managing the guides at the centre. She completed her Bachelor's Degree in Arts from Burdwan University West Bengal.