The Montessori classroom is a very busy place which can look different from other school settings. Many call it a quiet hum or a buzz when they look in on the classroom. You will see children moving about, choosing work from the shelves, talking with their friends, making a plan for a new work or project. You will also see teachers who are quiet, maybe giving a child an individual lesson or working with a small group of children. You will see an assistant teacher guiding children, helping to tie a shoe or giving gently reminders on how we move, speak and be in our classroom. You will see children who know how to meet their own needs, help a friend and clean up a spill. You will see beautiful materials, a real basin for dipping our hands to clean them, real brooms and brushes for cleaning. You might see a three year old walk very carefully across the room with a bucket of water.
Daily Schedule
7:30am–8:30am Before Care
Children will be provided some quiet time and activities before starting their school day.
8:30am (Primary) 8:45am (Kindergarten/Elementary) Class Begins
The rest of the class will arrive, put away their coats and backpacks, change their shoes and greet their friends.
All students are invited to particpate in yoga and meditation and an all school morning meeting to begin our day. This is a fun way for all of us to build community, celebrate a special day or event and start our day together.
8:45am–11:00 a.m
Children will be given individual lessons, as well as time to explore the classroom and repeat work and further expand on their knowledge and skills. Snack will be available all morning and children may choose to eat when they are hungry. Serving their own snack when their body tells them they are hungry as well as sometimes needing to wait for a turn at the table provides important skills in independence, taking care of themselves as well as manners and social awareness.
11:00am-1:00
The Primary and Kindergarten students begin lunch around 11 a.m. Some days the class is split into two lunch groups. The elementary students will have recess time while the younger children eat. Once the younger children are finished, the lunch room is cleaned and re-set for the older children. The older children help to clean up the lunch room each day.
Outside Time
One of the best features of our school is access to a secure outdoor environment as well as Pioneer Park. Classes will have separate recess time during the morning and afternoon
12:30pm–3:30pm
Children will be given new individual lessons, as well as time to explore the classroom and repeat work and further expand on their knowledge and skills. Snack will be available all afternoon and children may choose to eat when they are hungry.
Nap
Nap is available for our Primary students by request. The children are not required to nap and if they do not fall asleep within 20-30 minutes they are invited to rejoin the rest of the class. The nap time usually begins around 12:45 and ends around 2:45.
3:00-3:30 Outside Time
The children are excused for outside time.
3:30pm Dismissal
All students are dismissed from the front of the building. Please support the teachers in an organized and safe dismissal by not calling for your child to leave the line or the group.
3:30pm-5:30pm After Care
Our After Care program is an extension of our school day in terms of choosing activities which the child herself finds interesting. The main exception is the inclusion of toys. After Care is a time when the children are able to play and pretend and relax. If they choose to continue their Montessori or academic work some materials will be available to them. There will also be art, games and stories.
