Happy Valley Montessori School

From the Director:

The Full Day Program environment is organized with a Montessori sense of order. Activities are presented in the following categories: practical life, arts and crafts, science and nature, puzzles and manipulatives, games, books and music. Our day is scheduled with a routine of active and quiet periods of play, indoors and outdoors. Two snacks and lunch are provided as well as a nap or quiet time.

From the Director:

Your childâ??s daily activities 8:30am - 3:30pm Guidelines for Functional Independence Daily Entry · Entering the school · Personally greeting the Teacher and Assistant · Hanging up outer clothing and changing clothing or shoes as customary · Putting away personal articles neatly · Cleaning, beautifying and preparing his/her own work space Work Period · The sequence of gracefully using and replacing a chair at a table · The sequence of courteously using a floor rug · Following an observable pattern of free choice and purposeful work for at least the first 45 minutes of the day · Consistently following the physical elements of a work cycle (gathering the materials: some purposeful work; returning the materials to the shelf) Personal Needs · Getting a drink of water · Using the bathroom as needed, including washing hands for hygiene · Gracefully following the customary procedure for having a Snack · Following procedures for Lunch and Nap (as these apply) · Using a tissue · Covering a sneeze or cough Walking on the Line · Taking off and putting on shoes and socks (if needed; includes the ability to seek appropriate help) · Following the customary signals for participation · Moving courteously in and out of the role of participant or observer · Contributing to the communal success of the activity · Preparing and arranging the space for the exercise (if needed) Silence Exercises · Sitting silently, without tension · Concentrating on distant sounds · Concentrating on a particular nearby sounds · Interrupting and re-establishing his/her own silence Daily Departure · Straightening objects on a shelf or about the room · Searching the floor for debris or â??foreignâ?? objects · Straightening clothing, arranging hair neatly, and checking for clean hands and face · Carrying personal articles properly · Personally saying Goodbye to the Teacher and Assistant At first the children will be dependent on the adults for many of these things. By showing children how to do these things by and for themselves, we will create the possibility of the adults becoming less active as childrenâ??s functional independence increases. If the children are going to learn real freedom â?? the capacity to pause and choose to act according to the images we are showing - then guidance must be indirect, through placing limits and re-representing tirelessly whenever needed.

Trust the child

I think the hardest task of a Montessori teacher or parent is to trust that the child will educate him/herself if allowed to follow his/her own interests in the way described above. According to Maria Montessori, there should be no compulsion. Children are invited and enticed to work, not coerced. Every time I get nervous and feel tempted to instigate some compulsion in my childrenâ??s schooling (usually after a bad week or two of not much work being done), they reassure me by carrying out a wonderful piece of work that Iâ??m certain they would not have bothered with if their time was taken up with set tasks.

This school is committed to providing a safe, carefully planned, stimulating environment which helps children to develop within themselves the fundamental habits, attitudes, skills, and ideas which are essential to independent growth, creative thinking, and learning. The program is dedicated to education according to the Montessori philosophy and curriculum for children ages 2 1/2 to 6 years of age.

6:30am â?? 8:00am Breakfast/Free Play Time

8:00am â?? 11:00am Morning Work Period/Snack

11:00am â?? 11:15am Transition Period

11:15am â?? 11:45am Outside Play

11:30am Part-Time Dismissal

12:00pm â?? 12:45pm Lunch

1:00pm â?? 3:00pm Nap Time

1:00pm â?? 3:00pm Afternoon Work Period/Snack

3:30pm Full Time Dismissal

3:30pm â?? 6:00pm Extended Care/Free Time

The Full Day Program environment is organized with a Montessori sense of order. Activities are presented in the following categories: practical life, arts and crafts, science and nature, puzzles and manipulatives, games, books and music. Our day is scheduled with a routine of active and quiet periods of play, indoors and outdoors. Two snacks and lunch are provided as well as a nap or quiet time.

Parent-Teacher conferences, Open House

The child is given special attention.