Tag Archives: Early Childhood Education

Springing Forward and Springing Up

“Growth is not merely an increase in size, but a transformation.” ~Maria Montessori

By Alex Chiu

Hopefully, we can say with confidence that spring is finally here. After quite a crazy winter and the late arrival of spring-like weather, we seem to be moving toward warmer temperatures, budding trees, and greening grass. And just as the seasons have changed, so have the children in their Montessori classrooms.

What can you expect from your child this spring? And what can you do to keep their growth springing forward in a positive direction? Let’s take a look at the different age groupings to find out.

2 ½ – 3 ½ Year Olds
With eight months of school behind them, the toddlers and younger preschoolers are showing more independence. You might start hearing the phrase “I can do it myself” much more often. If you do, the very best way to respond is to allow your child to make attempts at doing more things by him or herself! From putting on their own coats and shoes to cleaning up toys to pouring a drink, allowing your children the time to do these tasks independently further encourages their confidence in their own abilities and helps to motivate them to learn to do more and more on their own. You will likely notice that your children are more adept at communicating their needs, and that they have had a ‘language explosion’ in terms of vocabulary and speech. Continue to foster this development by engaging in conversations, commenting on the things you see when you are walking or driving, and of course, reading together on a daily basis.

4 and 5 Year Olds
These students are likely starting to take on more responsibilities in their Montessori classrooms. They might be helping younger children with lessons or doing more to keep the classroom in order. Having had the older role models ahead of them has provided this group of students with a map for what their role will be in the coming school year. They are aware that they are now among the older more experienced classmates, and they rise to the occasion of helping others as needed. At home, provide your 4- and 5-year-olds with opportunities to help you plan, shop for, and prepare a family meal, organize the games or activities when friends come to play, or choose a family outing. This group is also deep into their friendship development, so encourage that further by inviting a friend or small groups of friends to get together during the summer to play, attend a free outdoor community concert, or visit the library together.

Kindergartners
The Kindergarten students may find themselves feeling some mixed emotions at this time of year. They are generally excited about their upperclassmen status, having worked through the complete 3-year cycle in their Montessori classroom. They are the leaders, the role models, and what the younger students aspire to be. They have learned a wealth of academic information, grown in confidence, gained leadership skills, and developed deep friendships and connections with their classmates and teachers. At the same time, they may be feeling nostalgic and a little apprehensive to leave this warm, safe, familiar environment. If they are moving on to a different type of school for first grade, the unknowns may be tugging at them—Who will be in my class? What are the expectations? These and other questions or concerns may be addressed by reaching out to your child’s new school for the upcoming year and asking if they might be able to take a tour. Looking around your neighborhood, you might see potential new classmates and have your child start developing those friendships during the summer through casual playground get-togethers. For those children who will continue their Montessori journey in Montessori Elementary, they likely will have the opportunity to visit their new classroom and meet with current Lower Elementary students. Being able to see what lies ahead may help these graduating Kindergartners feel more at ease with the transition that is approaching for the next school year. Don’t forget to celebrate their Kindergarten graduation as it is indeed a milestone worthy of recognition. These children have worked hard for the past three years on their academic, social, and emotional development, and what they have achieved is worthy of celebration!

Elementary
By springtime, the Elementary students are using the skills they have acquired to extend their knowledge and dig deeper into their various areas of academic study. While some students experience ‘spring fever’ or ‘senior slump’ with a lackluster attitude toward school as summer vacation approaches, we find that most Montessori students continue to approach their school days with anticipation and excitement. The Montessori materials provide continuous learning opportunities and grow with students, moving them ever forward from concrete to abstract thinking and from simple to complex concepts. Each day is a new day for discoveries, and the Elementary groups are not done yet! Elementary students have made the adjustments needed to thrive in their classroom setting. They understand the Elementary level expectations and have worked with their teachers and peers to develop time management skills. They have had the opportunity to do both independent and collaborative work, building skill sets with each of these types of learning. Moving into the summer, parents might encourage their Elementary students to create a reading list, with titles of books that span a variety of genres. Perhaps your Elementary child might like to further research an area that he or she found most interesting during the school year and take it to yet another level of learning. A family field trip to enhance this makes an especially nice summer activity. And just as with the toddlers who have moved onto declaring “I can do it myself”, your Elementary children will surely want to show you the added independence that they have in their new stage of development. Encourage them to take on more responsibilities at home. Invite them into deeper conversations about current events. These students are growing in their personal confidence and opinions, so it’s a perfect time to allow them to share their ideas, and teach them how to do that in a respectful, thoughtful manner which will serve them well throughout their maturation.

Family Dynamics
As your children grow and reach different milestones and stages of development, your family dynamic may shift a bit or require some adjustments. Keeping true to core family values is important. However, how you interact with your children and what you do to uphold what is important to your family could require some changes. For example, as your children grow, the vocabulary you use should grow with them. The responsibilities you place on your children can increase, and the conversations and ways of letting loose and having fun might become different. Being aware of how your children are growing and developing will help you help them to continue springing forward into the wonderful beings that they are and will continue to be as they grow in their knowledge, independence, responsibility, commitment to service, and love of learning and life. After all, each one of us continues to spring up and spring forward through each season of life!

A Day in the Life of a Montessori Teacher

by Alex Chiu and Sue Gallo

What is Montessori, Montessori classroom, Montessori preschools

A teacher’s carefully prepared environment

Montessori teachers possess a special passion for their chosen field of education and a strong desire to promote the growth and well-being of children in their classrooms. They approach teaching with warm hearts, open minds, careful attention to detail, and a strong commitment to the Montessori Method and to their students. Here’s a peek into one teacher’s preparation and progression through a ‘typical day’.

I have thought long and hard about how best to describe a ‘typical’ day as a Montessori teacher. The first thing that comes to mind is preparation. Preparation is one of the essential elements in the Montessori classroom, and a typical day begins with preparation for the children even before we enter the school. Every day, Montessori teachers have a ‘plan’ for each individual student. We believe it is important to follow the child, and to do that we need to know the children and provide each one with guidance in the areas that will help him or her grow. Being prepared for every school day means knowing which students are ready for new lessons, which need a bit of support in completing a work, who could use some extra attention, and who might be ready to take on new class leadership roles. Using her or his skills of observation from each day in the classroom, the Montessori teacher plans how to approach and work with the students on a daily basis. This preparation is ongoing, and many Montessori teachers find themselves involved in this type of preparation at home, in the car, and in the classroom, as they are always looking for ways to make the most of each day for each child. As Dr. Montessori said, “Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence.

Beyond preparing how to work with our students, another type of preparation we engage in is the preparation of the environment. Monthly, we prepare our room with work that focuses on a variety of Practical Life skills. We try to keep the work fresh and inviting to draw the students to this area so that they can continue working on skills that develop eye-hand coordination, left-to-right orientation, and concentration, just to name a few. Using seasonal colors, or enticing objects, we carefully arrange the materials in an organized and beautiful way. We teachers often try out the work ourselves to make sure it is appropriate for a young child to use, with just the right level of difficulty. We also change our Science activities or add something new to the Cultural shelves or the Art area in order to engage and challenge some of our older students or to extend a lesson of interest to the class. According to Maria Montessori, “The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.” She also believed, “The teacher must not content herself with merely providing her school with an attractive environment; she must continuously think about this environment, because a large part of the result depends on it.”

On a daily basis, we always take care to make sure that each area of the classroom is in order, with clean shelves that hold complete, carefully placed materials. When we arrive at school around 8:00AM (or earlier), we make sure chairs are in place, fresh water is added to the necessary materials in Practical Life, fresh food preparation work is set out, and that the work in each part of the environment is inviting. In some MCA classrooms, we prepare other items, such as the classroom job chart, fresh paint in the Art area, or pet food for the feeding of the class pet. Each day we remember, as Maria Montessori did, that “To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.”

Once the physical classroom is prepared, we remember to prepare ourselves with a smile and a positive attitude, grateful for another Montessori day! Dr. Montessori stated, “It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it.” So we teachers work to present our best selves every day. By 8:30AM (or earlier in some classrooms), we begin to greet the children at the door. We welcome them in and depending on the classroom, the Assistant Teacher may read a story or have a conversation with the children at circle as they wait for their classmates to arrive. In other classrooms, students may begin choosing their work from the shelves for their work cycle immediately upon entering the classroom. It is always a joy to see our students in the morning, as they come to school filled with anticipation and excitement about what they will be doing that day!

At some point during the morning, students will have the opportunity to go outside on the playground. Outside playtime is an essential element of childhood. The children need fresh air and outdoor movement, and their free play is a chance to socialize and play creatively outside the classroom walls. As teachers, we use this as yet another opportunity to observe, facilitate, and enjoy time with our students. We observe both the leaders and the children who need some help interacting with others. We see opportunities to foster relationships on the playground and in the classroom. We take very seriously Dr. Montessori’s tenet that “To stimulate life, leaving it free, however, to unfold itself – that is the first duty of the educator.”

When we return to our classroom, students may finish their morning jobs, teachers may present new work, and other students may share something with their classmates, which encourages listening and speaking skills. After being outdoors, we are ready to go back to work. The children are allowed and encouraged to choose work to which they are drawn. Teachers facilitate a work period during which children can become absorbed in what they are doing with few interruptions. The children are absorbed because they have the freedom to choose to work with something that is fascinating to them in their particular stage of development. All the while, the teachers are observing, presenting lessons, and facilitating learning. We enjoy hearing the delight in students’ voices as they make new discoveries, achieve goals, and solve problems. The steady low hum of classroom activities tells us that our classroom is productive. We strive to achieve the goal set forth by Dr. Montessori when she said, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, “The children are now working as if I did not exist.””

After the work period, some teachers ring chimes to end work and prepare for lunch. The children clean up their work, wash their hands, and get their lunches. Lunch is an extremely valuable learning time. Children are encouraged to be independent as they set up their lunch spaces and open their containers. Teachers help them to ‘do it themselves’. As we learned from Maria Montessori, “We must support as much as possible the child’s desires for activity; not wait on him, but educate him to be independent.” Throughout the day, students practice grace and courtesy, but this is especially true at lunchtime. Just as we do on the playground, teachers use this time to join in casual conversations with our students and to listen to how they interact with one another, all the while tucking our observations into our memory banks to help us in the future. When finished, the children clean up after themselves, taking good care of their classroom before they leave.

To end the morning session, students and teachers gather together on the carpet to conclude the day with songs or a story and always good conversation. As children await whoever is picking them up from school, they have this final time as a community until we meet again the next morning. After the last child has left, we will check our emails or voicemails for any parent communications, confer with our Assistants or other Teachers about the day’s events, and perhaps attend a school meeting with the Director or other staff.

Once the students are dismissed and any teacher meetings have concluded, the typical day ends in much the same manner that it began. We inspect each area of the classroom to make sure the materials are complete and in order, put away any water or food work, complete the clean-up of tables, chairs, and the floor, and ensure the environment is safe and clean. As we move about the room, we also reflect upon our observations of the day, taking down notes about student progress, concerns, and the general classroom climate. We take time to consider which lessons students will need the next day, what types of guidance to provide to certain students who were especially quiet (or noisy or unsettled), and how to make sure each child is challenged, secure, and attended to – all in preparation and anticipation of… tomorrow!

Whoever touches the life of the child touches the most sensitive point of a whole
which has roots in the most distant past and climbs toward the infinite future.”
~ Maria Montessori

Balanced Literacy in a Montessori Classroom

By Imelda McShane with Alex Chiu

Balanced literacy contains both spoken and written components. The foundation for language learning is hearing and imitating sounds, listening to words, understanding the meaning of words and sentences, and being able to use words to communicate. At The Montessori Children’s Academy, we teach the children who are ready to read by using a phonetic approach that demonstrates how words are made up of sounds, which is later supplemented by sight-reading strategies. Learning to read starts with phonics in Montessori schools because we understand that reading is essentially the decoding of the individual sounds of a word, and connections are made among speaking, reading, and writing in all areas of the curriculum right from the start to promote balanced literacy.

Many preschool children may already have mastered the names of the letters by the time they come to school. They know their ABCs from the Alphabet Song which uses the names of the letters and which we all know very well. When young children enter a Montessori classroom, they then are introduced to the sounds the letters make. For example, “A” says the sound “a” as in “cat”. This is a new concept for most preschoolers, and as their interest in the Language area of the classroom grows, they become engrossed in the various materials that facilitate their reading, writing, and general language skills.

The first of the Montessori materials used to help teach the sounds of letters are the Sandpaper Letters. These materials consist of 26 individual flat, thin wooden boards, each with a lower case letter made of sandpaper attached to one side of the board. Consonants are on pink boards and vowels are on blue boards. The Sandpaper Letters are kept in boxes containing 4 or 5 letters, chosen because of their differing sounds and shapes. For example, the first box a child would be introduced to includes the sounds “b”, “m”, “s”, and “t”. Each letter’s shape and sound is quite distinct from the others in the box, promoting an easier differentiation for the child.

Using these materials, children learn to recognize the symbols of the letters, associate the phonetic sounds with the letters, and make a tactile connection between the sounds and the formation of the letters. Montessori teachers show the child how to trace the Sandpaper Letter with one finger. While the child traces the letter, the teacher will repeat the phonetic sound of the letter. The child is encouraged to repeat the sound. An extension of this work is to have the child write the letter in a shallow tray filled with sand. The child is invited to form the letter in the sand, and if dissatisfied, the letter can easily be ‘erased’ by gentle smoothing the sand so the child can try again and again. These activities are direct preparation for writing because they give the children practice in the movement used for making the letter, which they will do with pencil and paper in the future.

Recently, in one of our MCA preschool classrooms, the children used crayons to trace letters written first by a teacher in pencil on a piece of paper. After tracing the letters, the children could choose stamps with pictures of objects that begin with those letters to illustrate their papers, for example using a stamp of a “rose” for the sound “r” or a stamp of a “monkey” for the sound “m”. Students have also used watercolors to paint turkeys and hats representing the sounds of “t” and “h”. Using a small pin punch tool, the children pin punched the outlines of the shapes of pumpkins and cats on construction paper to help them learn the sounds “p” and “c”. While studying invertebrates, the children had the opportunity to match different sounds with different types of invertebrates. Montessori classes perform many activities like this to reinforce the sounds across curriculum areas.

Another fun way to work with sounds is to play an “I Spy” sort of game. During circle time, some teachers, when calling children to choose work, line up, or get their coats, will often say, “If your name begins with the sound “d”, you may get your coat.” Parents can play this in the car or at home too, as it is an enjoyable way to incorporate learning sounds throughout the day.

Once the children have mastered many of the sounds, they begin working with another Montessori material – the Movable Alphabet. The Moveable Alphabet is a box containing small, lowercase letters of the full alphabet. Consonants are usually red and vowels are usually blue for the children to easily distinguish. The activity is done on a mat on the floor with a set of phonetic objects (for example, a hat, a cat, a rat, etc.). One of the objects is laid down on the mat, and the child is asked to identify the object. When the child names the object, he or she is then invited to listen for the first sound he or she hears when saying the word. The child then finds the letter that represents that first phonetic sound from the Moveable Alphabet box and places it beside the object on the mat. The child and teacher will repeat the word again, “h-a-t”, slowly so the child can hear each of the sounds used to make the word, and the child chooses each of the corresponding letters to spell the word on the mat. The fact that this reading activity requires manipulation of material is important because the child is still at an age where he or she learns a great deal through the use of the hands. The objects also are very inviting and draw the children to choose this activity in the classroom.

After the children have learned to spell out the words “hat”, “cat”, “bat”, etc. using the Moveable Alphabet, they read what they have laid out to a teacher; thereby moving from building the word with the Moveable Alphabet letters to reading the word out loud. The children will continue in this way building many words using all of the vowels in the box, and progressing from simpler words to more challenging ones, as they are ready.

To continue their work in putting sounds together, the children progress through the Montessori Pink, Blue, and Green Language Boxes. In one of the first Montessori reading exercises, the Pink Reading Boxes, the child matches small pictures with simple, phonetic words printed on cards. At first, this exercise involves three-letter words with short vowel sounds. Later, in the Blue and Green levels, four or five letter words such as “stamp”, “flag”, “crab”, etc. are introduced. These are called blends. There are many such pictures in the classroom, so that a variety of work is always available. The children are introduced to basic sight words and eventually reading phonetic sentences.

One way to enhance the Language curriculum in a Montessori classroom is with an activity known as “Sharing the Pen.” An example of this activity was observed recently when an MCA teacher drew a place setting on a large piece of paper. The children were asked to choose an object from the place setting picture and come to the paper and write the sounds they could hear when saying the name of the object. One child wrote “plt” on the picture of the dinner plate. Each child was allowed a turn to “share the pen.” The children look forward to activities such as this, and they are able to see how language is part of everything that they do.

Another important component of the Montessori Language curriculum is literature. Literature is part of every school day. Reading and class discussion are woven into every aspect of the MCA curriculum. Through their continuous exposure to literature, children build a wide vocabulary, gain a better understanding of the function of words, and learn to communicate and express themselves better, both orally and in writing. One recent literature lesson at MCA involved the book 10 Black Dots by Donald Crews. The author wrote, “One dot can make a sun, two dots can make the eyes of a fox, and three dots can make a snowman’s face.” The children were asked what they would do with 10 black dots. One child wrote, “Four dots for the flowers in my dad’s garden.” Another child wrote, “Two dots are for yummy chocolate chip cookies,” while still another one wrote, “10 dots can make a necklace for my mom.” Even the youngest students participated by illustrating pictures and dictating their stories to a teacher.

MCA students engage in language across all areas of the curriculum. Music and art connect to their Language learning, too. For Thanksgiving, some of our children wrote what they were thankful for on leaves with crayons and used watercolors to paint over them. In December, other students talked about their own holiday traditions and read holiday stories with a theme of gifts from the heart. The children then wrote cards to the parents expressing a gift such as love, joy, kindness, etc. Recently, a class read the book The Wonder of Hands by Edith Baer, which illustrates the many wonderful things hands can do. This book inspired much discussion about the varied things that hands could be used for, after which the children wrote about what their own hands can do. For example, one child wrote, “I can make a heart with my hands to show love,” while another wrote “I can hold my friend’s hand with my hand.” Throughout all seasons of the year, the children are exposed to poems and stories related to holidays, seasons, and current classroom themes, all contributing to their Language learning.

The goal of a developmentally appropriate classroom is to accept the children where they are and take them forward on their literacy journey. Montessori classrooms especially help guide children on this journey through a variety of activities and with specifically crafted materials that facilitate their language growth. A balanced literacy program, such as what you will find in MCA’s classrooms, helps to ignite the excitement of language learning and light the way for children’s development in this area.

Reflections at The Montessori Children’s Academy

As we enter this new year, we thought we’d take a look back at just some of the MCA special events and highlights from September through December. In just a few short months, the children have experienced so much both inside and outside of the classroom. Reflecting upon the fall 2017 semester, we are filled with gratitude for the opportunity to work with our MCA children and families, as well as with others in our local areas and the broader Montessori community. As we look forward to what 2018 holds, we are filled with hope and anticipation
for all that we are yet to discover and achieve together!

Commemorating the International Day of Peace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Harvest Family Fun Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit from Our Local Firefighters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Diwali

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Music

 

Picasso Studies

                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elementary Study of Atoms

 

 

 

 

 

MCA’s Disaster Relief Bake Sale to Support Montessori Communities in Puerto Rico

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paws of War Assembly with Jason and Dixie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working Around the Classroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gingerbread Decorating

Looking ahead to 2018…

The Gifts of a Montessori Education

By Alex Chiu

During this busy holiday season, many people find themselves frantically searching for ‘that perfect gift’. They are looking for the right size, color, and fit. Or they are trying to find something unique and one-of-a-kind. Some parents have their children write out wish lists of items they are hoping to receive, in order to be sure to select just the right thing. However, if we look beyond the clothes, toys, games, and gadgets, there are some incredible gifts that our children receive every day in the form of their Montessori education. Let’s unwrap some of the ‘gifts of Montessori’.

Montessori students are given:

A Beautifully Prepared Environment
From the moment children enter the classroom, they are welcomed into a carefully prepared environment that has been created especially for them. Child-sized furniture allows them to sit comfortably and with correct, safe posture. The beautiful Montessori materials, designed in specific inviting colors and crafted with care, are organized sequentially so that children may work with them and build on their growing skills from one material to the next. Items are placed where children can easily access them, and artwork is hung at the child’s eye level for their enjoyment and appreciation. Everything in the classroom has a purpose in further developing the child while at the same time welcoming them into a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, home-like environment in which they can grow, learn, and thrive.

The Guidance of a Carefully Trained Teacher
Montessori teachers undergo many hours of training as they learn the purpose and practice of using the various Montessori materials in the areas of Language, Math, Sensorial, Practical Life, and Cultural Studies. In addition, they practice the art of observation, a key component of teaching in Montessori. Their keen observations of their students drive teachers to modify the environment make decisions about which lessons to present, and continuously work to maintain a productive, engaging, inspiring classroom environment for their students. Montessori teachers are passionate about their calling to be in the classroom.

A Global Perspective
Perhaps we could say that Montessori students are given the world. The Cultural Studies area introduces children to geography, cultures and traditions from around the world, and fundamental, basic human needs. Montessori students ‘travel’ the world as they learn about the continents, countries, states, and regions. They explore the unique differences between areas because of geographical features, as well as because of the people and animals that inhabit each place. They also come to learn what is fundamentally similar among all people, no matter where they come from or live. This global perspective allows students, even from the confines of their classrooms or communities, to move beyond what is familiar and to learn to respect, admire, and take interest in others.

Time to Develop Independence, Confidence, Responsibility, and Mastery
Within the Montessori work cycle, students have the opportunity to choose which types of work they would like to complete. They might spend a good part of their morning captivated by a Montessori Math material or engrossed in creating a map of Europe. Once an activity is completed, the child then moves on to his or her next choice, and is allowed time to work without interruption. Students learn to take ownership of their learning. They are responsible for using their time well. And by having time to engross themselves in their learning, they lead themselves to mastery in a variety of areas of learning. Having freedom to choose what work to do helps students develop independence, as do the self-correcting materials. As students work in the Language, Math, Cultural, Sensorial, or Practical Life area, they develop confidence in their abilities as they build on acquired skills with new knowledge. All of this naturally moves with them from their earliest Montessori classroom experiences on into adulthood where these skills will enable them to be productive, inquisitive, creative, and diligent workers in the world.

Opportunities to Contribute
In conjunction with Cultural Studies, students also engage in a Peace Curriculum, as Dr. Montessori strongly believed that “establishing lasting peace is the work of education”. Learning problem-solving strategies, becoming comfortable with silence, and developing strong communication skills all encompass this peaceful component of the school day. Students, through their cultural and peace studies, gain empathy and compassion. This is then translated into a variety of community outreach service projects. Montessori students understand that they are part of a greater whole, and that they have a responsibility for making positive contributions to their communities and the world at large. They learn that small actions can have big impacts, and they learn to facilitate ways for others to join in doing things for the greater good.

Sharing the Gifts of Montessori
For those of you who are current MCA parents, we believe that you will agree that the ‘gift of Montessori’ is one that will stay with your children long after they leave The Montessori Children’s Academy. And we hope you are considering extending the gift to your child(ren) for another year or beyond. As you know, MCA will soon hold its in-house registration for the 2018-2019 school year, which is then followed by open registration. Our program offerings include:

Montessori, My Child, and Me (for 18-30 months old with a parent or caregiver),
2 ½ – 3 ½ Year Old Program,
3 – 6 Year Old AM and PM Programs,
Full Day Kindergarten
Elementary for students in grades 1 through 8

We will be holding an MCA Kindergarten Open House at each of our three campuses during the month of December.

Chatham Campus Kindergarten Open House:      Tuesday, December 5th,         3:15 – 4:15PM
Short Hills Campus Kindergarten Open House:    Wednesday, December 6th,   3:15 – 4:15PM
Morristown Campus Kindergarten Open House: Thursday, December 7th,       3:15 – 4:15PM

Our MCA Elementary Open House will be held on Thursday, December 7th from 7:00 – 8:00PM at our Short Hills campus. We hope you will join us to learn how you can continue to enrich your child’s educational experience by extending this beautiful ‘Montessori gift’ through the Elementary and Middle School years.

We invite you to attend our Open Houses to learn more about the benefits of our Kindergarten and Elementary Programs, and we hope you will bring your family and friends so that they, too, can learn about the many gifts a Montessori education has to offer!

 

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