About Us
Alto Montessori Early Learning and Kindergarten is a family-owned, couple-run centre in Langwarrin, dedicated to creating a nurturing, inspiring, and respectful environment for young learners.
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As the owners of the renewed Alto Montessori, we bring Master’s-level qualifications and above to the leadership of the centre, ensuring decisions are guided by both professional expertise and the perspective of parents—our two young children are also growing through Alto’s programs. Since acquiring the centre in 2019, we have revitalised the way it is run, blending academic knowledge with a strong focus on child development and family support.
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Our teaching team contributes more than 45 years of combined Montessori experience, guiding children to build independence, confidence, and kindness. With the leadership team holding Master’s-level qualifications and the educators deeply grounded in Montessori practice, every child’s journey is supported by both care and expertise.
At Alto, education is more than a curriculum—it’s a way of life, shared with families and grown together as a community.
Dr George Pittas
Managing Director
Centre Manager
Meet George – Centre Manager
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George leads Alto Montessori with a unique combination of academic achievement and early childhood expertise. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Science, multiple Master’s degrees, and formal training in Early Childhood Education, and is now extending his studies into Montessori education to complement the teaching team’s deep experience.
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Beyond qualifications, George is passionate about children’s wellbeing. He designs Alto’s nutritious menus, facilitates parent workshops, and serves as Treasurer for the Victorian branch of the Effectiveness Training Institute of Australia.
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Together with his wife, George has reshaped Alto into a centre where expertise meets heart—a place where children thrive, parents feel supported, and education is lived every day.
Our Philosophy
Our focus is centred on the Education to not only children, but families and our educators.
We believe all children should have the right to education in a nurturing environment that promotes respect, independence and kindness.
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Through the Montessori Method of education, academic, social and emotional skills are achieved, promoting self-confidence and core values for life.
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At ALTO, we encourage our children to ‘learn how to learn’ in a homely and caring atmosphere. Alto children become a family, helping and learning from each other as they discover their capabilities.
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Our environment has been specifically prepared to encourage children to explore their world and incorporates hands-on educational tools, musical instruments, cultural activities, organic gardens and natural habitats for animals.
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ALTO promotes a continuing learning community among staff members. Professional development is encouraged, and our staff continue to attain advancements in education. This ensures that the teaching programs and methodologies practised at Alto capable of fulfilling the needs of ‘the child’ in the most beneficial way.
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At ALTO, we are committed to your child and strive for excellence of your child’s care and education. To help achieve this, it is important that we form strong partnerships with our families.
Our Vision
Help Creating the World’s Next Great Visionaries and Achievers.
Our Aim
To assist individuals in exceeding their expectations with courage, imagination, humility, and wisdom.
Our Value
Our values are instilled in the Centre’s DNA and inform our framework within which we strive to fulfil our mission.
Experience
We believe that learning is a treasure that will follow us forever and that the best way to learn is through experiencing life and teachings ourselves. According to Albert Einstein, ‘The only source of knowledge is experience”, and we envision to provide experiences to our young learners, educators and staff working together to realise our vision.
Imagination
We believe that learning can lead us to places we already know, and by adding imagination we can reach places nobody has ever been before, see things nobody has ever seen before and form thoughts nobody has ever thought before. George Bernard Shaw expressed that ‘Imagination is the beginning of creation’ and Albert Einstein thought of Imagination as “… more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand”. We provide an environment and culture that encourages everybody to let their imagination run unhindered; from those who live to imagine, the children, to those who by position are “forbidden” to imagine, us adults.
Honesty
We believe that honesty is a prerequisite in search of the truth. Being true to oneself and others is the basis for all human relationships. By being true to our values, true to our vision, true to our goals, and true to our relationships, we can create strong, long-lasting relationships based on accountability, trust and connection.
Respect
“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence" and the greater possibilities of their future (Maria Montessori), we foster due regard for the child’s feelings, wishes, and rights. We are respectful and courteous in our dealings with children, we treat them as we would like to be treated ourselves, and by doing so, we believe that we are on our way to mastering a great educational principle and undoubtedly be setting an example of a good education.
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A prepared environment and the child’s freedom within that environment serve to demonstrate how the respectful relationship can be supported and fostered in individuals. Also, the development of a mutual relationship based on recognition of the child’s capabilities; and freedom of movement within the environment work in conjunction to foster respect for self, others and the environment.