Program Overview
The Montessori Elementary & Middle School offers the opportunity for the ongoing development of your child who has had the foundations established in the Montessori toddler, preschool and kindergarten program.
Montessori spoke of the Second Plane of Development – the elementary years. With the foundation established in the prior years – the First Plan of Development - the elementary years offers your child the keys to the world!
The elementary-age child is capable of imagining all that the world has to offer, and so the vastness of what the world has to offer is presented. The elementary child is highly social, and this drive for social interaction is focused on collaborative learning.
The First Plane of Development
The First Plane of Development – from birth to six years old – is a time for placing fundamental ideas in the sensorial experience of the young child. Sandpaper letters offer the child a tactile experience of the shape of letters, while the initial sounds of words and the sounds of the letter provides the foundations for reading. Counting materials introduce the young child to the experience of concrete numeration.
The Second Plane of Development – Montessori Elementary School
As the child enters the Second Plane of Development – from six to twelve years old – the child moves inexorably from the concrete to abstract ideas. Whatever the child can imagine is available! The elementary classroom environment is beautiful and thoughtfully prepared to support independent, collaborative learning. The teacher’s role is to providing a map of the academic territory to travers, and guide the child on the journey.
All courses of study begin each year with the ‘Great Lessons’. These impressionistic and scientific stories are presented every year and give the students the ‘big picture’ of astronomy, earth science, geography, chemistry, physics, biology, history, anthropology, cultural and social studies, language, math, music and art. Meaningful learning happens when children are inspired and presented with the essence of a course of study and the utter awe that “the big picture” inspires.
The elementary child has a strong drive to socialize and to collaborate. Most of the lessons and follow-up projects in elementary are done in pairs or triads. Each day your child practices the social skills necessary to plan projects: delegation of project responsibilities, sharing resources, coming group decisions, taking responsibility for the success of the project, and celebrating the success of peers. Learning how to work well with other children in the classroom community is a significant life lesson with practical applications in the ‘work world’ in your child’s future.
The Third Plane of Development - Montessori Middle and High School
As the child enters the Third Plane of Development – from twelve to eighteen years old – the child builds of the foundation of the prior planes. Now, however, the interest in the real, larger world looms! The study of marine life requires time spent with living marine animals, and the economic implications. The study of biology leads to a deeper interest in agriculture and how the agriculture industry works. Interest in astronomy prompts trips to planetariums, and interest in the work of the astronomer. Work with coding and programming triggers the student’s interest in the real application of such skills in technology companies.
Spelling bees, geography bees and Lego competition, etc, interest the student as they test their prowness against the best! Clubs with badges and citations, such as 4H, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, etc., allow for an external calibration of achievement.
The Honor Code
An organic outgrowth of the educational philosophy is a personal honor code which is guided by integrity. Integrity guides us in the words we use, the actions we take, the effort we give, and the community that we build.
We hold ourselves and others accountable to this standard.
Words, Actions, Effort, Community…Accountable!
