Montessori Garden

From the Director:

Visit the pnma.org website or the amshq.org for more information regarding Montessori philosophy.

The Montessori philosophy offers children the opportunity to choose materials that fit their academic level. All of the materials offer some value to any child at any level. Each teacher has a style of their own and they observe each child in order to create an individualized curriculum of sorts.

* A child's personal dignity is essential for learning.
* All we know is learned through our sensory apparatus.
* A child needs sensible, consistent rules and limits.
* A child is a social being and wants to make a contribution.

At Montessori Garden, we strive to help children become self-confident individuals with skills to succeed in the new century. We honor:

* Independence
* Self-Discipline
* Concentration
* Attachment to Reality
* Love of Order
* Ability to Make Choices
* Enjoyment of Quiet

(from website)

7:30 to 9:00 Arrival
"Kids Club" supervised free play, toys and art.

8:30 Outside

9:00 to 11:00 Classtime/Art and Drama
Worktime, individual lessons on Montessori work and time to practice. Individual snack. Art and creative dramatics teacher assists in the classroom. Art or Drama lessons are provided by specialists to each class once a week.

11:00-12:30 Lunch for both classrooms, recess and dismissal for half day students.

12:30 to 2:35 Naptime for those that still need some sleep or downtime during the day.

1:00-2:45 Afternoon classtime
Worktime, individual lessons on Montessori work and time to practice. Individual snack. Art and creative dramatics teacher assists in the classroom. Children's jobs for cleanup.

3:00 to 4:00 Outside playtime/Dismissal

4:00 to 4:45 Circle, snack offered, looking at books, dancing, reading stories, singing, talking, games.

4:45 to 6:00 pm "Kids Club" supervised free play, toys and art. Clean-up and dismissal.

We provide a Goal Setting agenda for each child in October with the option of a follow up meeting with individual families if requested. The teachers have a formal conference with families in January. In June, we provide an end of the year assessment.

At any time during the year, parents are welcome to set up meetings with the staff. We often have short phone meetings or email as well, in order to communicate with parents.

We ask that the parents trust the choice that they have made. When children sense a parents' hesitation, they become more anxious. We are very aware that this is a transition that most families are experiencing for the first time and we offer guidance throughout the process.