Learning Environment
The School's purpose is to facilitate the full development of each child enrolled while helping each child to find his place as a contributing member of the group. We believe that such development can occur only through mature and caring modeling by carefully selected teachers who create a loving environment. The teachers encourage the children to participate in maintaining their indoor and outdoor School environments.
Teacher's Role
At the core of our school are our committed, experienced, and highly trained teachers and assistants. The teachers are certified Montessori diploma holders, especially chosen for their love of guiding children in their emotional, social, and intellectual development. We strive to hire teachers who will become a long-term member of our family and we encourage and facilitate our teacher’s professional development.
The Montessori teacher acts as a catalyst and a guide to help the children learn by doing for themselves, always encouraging the children to extend their natural curiosity and desires to touch and experiment. The teacher (guide) tries to remove all barriers and encouraging learning through exploration and manipulation. The child is allowed to work without interruption and to repeat activities as long as his inner timetable dictates.
The children are shown, individually and in small groups, new activities relating to their interest and level of development, with the hope that each small success will motivate the child to progress to the next level of difficulty, thereby leading to an attitude of joy in learning.
Daily Schedule
8:30-9:00 – Morning drop-off. The children arrive and enter the classroom. Once they have hung up their jacket and put on their slippers they enter the classroom. The children assist in preparing the environment for the day.
8:30-11:00 – The morning work cycle in the classroom with individual and small group activities, including a morning snack.
11:00-11:30 – The children finish their work and come together to celebrate special events, sing, or have a large group lesson or presentation. During this time they help set up the classroom for lunch and get on their outdoor shoes and jackets.
11:30 – Outside play, games, and gardening.
11:45-12:00 – Parent pick up.
12:00- 1:00 – The children return to the classroom to enjoy lunch.
1:00-2:30 – Nap and rest time for the younger children and classroom work time for the Kindergartners
2:30-3:00 – The children who are awake go outside for playground time. Cutler Lane closes at 3:00
3:00-5:30 – (Gordon Avenue only) The children spend time outside whenever possible, enjoying the playground and gardens. An afternoon snack is served. The small number of children in the afternoon program allows for a relaxed end of the day.