Sweetwater Montessori School

From the Director:

Core concepts: * Achieving one's fullest potential is every child's right * Children learn through play * Children love learning and will establish their own order and quiet when work is interesting * Skillfully presented materials stimulate early reading, writing and math skills * Proper preparation of the learning environment is crucial * Understanding developmental stages and matching appropriate work are paramount * Doing for one's self leads to confidence, independence and real learning

From the Director:

The basic philosophy of Sweetwater Montessori preschool-kindergarten program is that each child is created as a unique human being who is striving to develop her/his full potential as a total person. The child is provided “freedom within limits”, which encourages self-discipline. The adult’s work is to provide a rich, creative, prepared environment which allows the child to learn at his/her own rate and interest, and which fosters independence and self-motivation. The focus of the learning activities provided for the child are process-oriented rather than product-oriented. The American Montessori Society supports an approach to the education of the young child that includes: 1) the above stated philosophy; 2) an examination of child development presented by Maria Montessori and of up-to-date research reported by educational and child psychologists; 3) materials and activities which are appropriate for the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of the total child; and 4) a sequential step-by-step method of presenting the activities to the child which minimizes failure, builds self-confidence, and matches the child’s developmental needs in a secure, safe , and stimulating environment.

We are dedicated to protecting the right of each child to achieve his or her fullest potential, and to providing an environment that is adaptable and extendable to a wide range of capabilities in each curriculum area. Very small class sizes allow a deep understanding of each child and a highly customized plan of learning for each.

Established in 2011, Sweetwater Montessori School is a private school which provides young children with a quality preschool – kindergarten experience which fosters the development of the whole child utilizing developmentally appropriate practice. Because parent’s understanding of the Montessori philosophy and methodology is an integral part of helping serve the child, the school also serves as a parent-child resource center for families providing education and opportunities for involvement. As a public service to the community, Sweetwater Montessori will provide information to individuals, groups, or institutions wanting to learn more about Montessori education. Sweetwater Montessori hopes to set a standard of quality in the area of early childhood education which will be emulated by others providing services to young children.

Preschool

8:30-8:40 Children greeted and put away wraps
8:40-9:00 Meeting time: sharing, singing, books, calendar, plans for the day, special topics and presentations
9:00-10:30 Preschool children choose activities in the environment
10:30-10:50 Clean-up time, music, movement, stories, special celebrations, special presentations
10:50-11:30 Outside play time


Kindergarten

8:30 Arrival
8:30-8:50 Whole group activity (with preschoolers)
Songs, finger plays, calendar, daily stretch, presentations
news for the day, Spanish, Sign Language
8:50-9:10 Small group lessons with Kindergartners, plans for the day
9:10-10:20 Independent work time
10:20-10:45 Tidy environment, stories, movement, music, celebrations, special activities
10:45-11:10 Outdoor play
11:10-11:30 Wash hands, snack
11:30-12:15 Extended day activities; special art projects, special cooking, science or geography lessons, special outdoor activity, planned gross motor activity, individual work time, language activities, special music and drama activities
12:15-12:30 Clean environment, gather belongings, group time
12:30 Dismissal

Visiting The School

Sweetwater Montessori has an open door policy for parents wishing to visit their child and for others wishing an informal look at the program.
A more formal classroom observation, however, must be scheduled in advance.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Informal parent-teacher conferences are scheduled as requested by either party.
Formal parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled for all families.

Each child and each family is different, with varying beliefs and needs regarding separation. Sweetwater Montessori School respects these differences and will work accordingly with each family to strike a comfortable balance between easing the anxiety and building the child's independence and confidence.