ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL MONTESSORI SCHOOLS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

 Montessori Teachers

• Employ Montessori teachers who have Montessori credentials for the levels they teach.

• Maintain an active and open recruitment for Montessori credentialed teachers.

• Budget for future Montessori teacher education for non Montessori-credentialed teachers.

• Provide professional Montessori in-service by experienced credentialed Montessori educators.

• Contract for on-going internal and periodic external Montessori consultation and/or professional support as a follow up to Montessori teacher education.

• Employ one paraprofessional per classroom, each having received Montessori orientation for that role.
Administration

• Employ an experienced Montessori teacher to serve as curriculum coordinator.

• Employ a building principal/educational leader who has knowledge of Montessori principles and curriculum through Montessori coursework, Montessori Administrator Credential and/or annual conference exposure.

• Maintain commitment to the core Montessori curriculum and instruction even with changes in administrative staff.

• Sustain the support of the central administration through high profile communications about program development.

• Recognize that the best implementation process is to begin with the 3-6 age group and add one age at a time for a gradual progression.

Recruitment/Parent Education

• Provide Montessori parent education programs that promote understanding of Montessori principles and curriculum.

• Develop an admission process that informs parents about the nature of Montessori and seeks the necessary commitment to the program.

Curriculum/Environment

• Offer a full complement of Montessori materials (about $25,000 per classroom) purchased from Montessori dealers.

• Develop a classroom design that is compatible with Montessori "prepared environment" principles.

• Create uninterrupted daily work periods of 90 minutes to 3-hours, considering the 3-hour work cycle as ideal.

• Integrate specialty programs (music, art, physical education, etc.) around the uninterrupted work periods.

• Apply the appropriate multi-age groupings: 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12-15, necessary for the diversity, flexibility, and reduced competition integral to Montessori.

Assessment

• Use a process of reporting student progress that is compatible with Montessori and includes parent conferences and authentic assessment tools such as observation, portfolio, performance assessment with rubric, etc.

• Implement state mandated assessments in such a way that the character of the Montessori program is not compromised.

Professional Development

• Budget for continuing education through Montessori workshops and conferences.

• Maintain membership with one or more of the professional Montessori organizations and seek Montessori accreditation to assure consistent quality.

Endorsed by the following organizations:

American Montessori Society (AMS)                                                

National Center for Montessori Education (NCME)

Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)                                    

Montessori Education Programs International (MEPI)

North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA)          

Southwestern Montessori Training Center

National Center for Montessori Education (NCME)

                                              About Montessori Education

• The aim of Montessori education is to foster competent, responsible, adaptive citizens who are lifelong learners and problem solvers.

• Learning occurs in an inquiring, cooperative, nurturing atmosphere. Students increase their own knowledge through self- and teacher-initiated experiences.

• Learning takes place through the senses. Students learn by manipulating materials and interacting with others. These meaningful experiences are precursors to the abstract understanding of ideas.

• The individual is considered as a whole. The physical, emotional, social, aesthetic, spiritual, and cognitive needs and interests are inseparable and equally important.

• Respect and caring attitudes for oneself, others, the environment, and all life are necessary. 

The Montessori teacher is educated in these areas: 

• Human growth and development.

• Observational skills to match students' developmental needs with materials and activities. This allows the teacher to guide students in creating their individual learning plan.

• An open-ended array of suggested learning materials and activities that empower teachers to design their own developmentally responsive, culturally relevant learning environment.

• Teaching strategies that support and facilitate the unique and total growth of each individual.

• Classroom leadership skills that foster a nurturing environment that is physically andpsychologically supportive of learning. 

A Montessori classroom must have these basic characteristics at all levels: 

• Teachers educated in the Montessori philosophy and methodology appropriate to the age level they are teaching, who have the ability and dedication to put the key concepts into practice.

• A partnership with the family. The family is considered an integral part of the individual's total development.• A multi-aged, multi-graded, heterogeneous group of students.

• A diverse set of Montessori materials, activities, and experiences, which are designed to foster physical, intellectual, creative and social independence.

• A schedule that allows large blocks of uninterrupted time to problem solve, to see theinterdisciplinary connections of knowledge, and to create new ideas.

• A classroom atmosphere that encourages social interaction for cooperative learning, peer teaching, and emotional development. 

Welcome to the Montessori Program at Maple Grove School.  The Montessori Program began here in 2004 and, in September, 2010, will be fully implemented with Kindergarten to Grade 7 classes.  To facilitate the growth of such a new program, The Maple Grove Montessori Parents’ Group asks families to be involved with the school.  This is through volunteering their time and making a yearly taxable donation to support the planned expansion of the Montessori Program.

Our Purpose/Mission:

o To provide a learning environment that enhances the development of intellectually reflective individuals who are personally integrated, caring and ethical members of the community.
o To embrace the child’s natural instinct to love learning; children must learn for themselves.
o To encourage self-discipline through the development of concentration, sequenced learning activities, problem solving opportunities as well as freedom.
o To provide opportunities for mutual help within the environment (multi-age groups allow the students to learn from one another.)
o To provide a non-competitive environment.  The students progress at their own rate within Ministry of Education guidelines.
o To provide an environment where the students can take responsibility, and make decisions about how their time is spent learning tasks they choose under the teacher’s guidance.

All students who live in Vancouver are eligible to attend the Montessori alternative program. Application forms are available at the school office.  A draw is held for students wishing to attend, and each grade level has a wait list.  Natural entry points for students who do not have Montessori are Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 4.  Siblings of current students have priority, gender equality will be maintained.  Twins are considered as one entry in the lottery.

We are part of the Maple Grove School building and community.  Our program benefits greatly from the community spirit, as well as the use of the well-equipped library, gymnasium and recently installed Primary and Intermediate Playgrounds.

Please click here to access our Montessori Parents Handbook.