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. Some days we will all gather for a large group lesson and other days we will begin our individual Montessori work and new lessons.
8:45am–11:15am
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.
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.
11:15-11:30 Clean-up, Large Group, Reading Circle, Sharing, Dismissal. Our final few minutes of the morning can include any number of activities. It will vary from day to day depending on the needs of the group, but we will always say goodbye as a community. This is also a fun time for parents to come in and join us!
11:30am-12:30pm Lunch
For the children who stay at Children's House all day as well as those who would like to stay a bit longer we offer lunch time care and play time. Families will provide their child with a healthy sack lunch from home and the school will provide organic milk, fruit juice or water for the children to drink. After eating they will be excused to 30 minutes of play time.
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.
Outside Time
The children are excused for outside time.
3:30pm Dismissal
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. The school will provide all the children at After Care with a yummy snack around 4:00 as well as outdoor time if the weather permits.
