Curriculum

-Art
-Music
-Poetry
-Spanish
-Dance/Gymnastics
-Topical Field Trips
-Ski School Program
-Work With Me Nights

Nap time is required for ages 2-4. Aftercare (3:00-5 pm) can be provided for all age groups for an extra fee. Before care (8:00-8:30) is available for all ages groups at no charge.

Toddlers (ages 2-3)
Enrollment options: a minimum of 4 consecutive half-days (M-Th, 8:30-12:30) or 4 full days (M-Th, 8:30-3:00)

We need not look at the very young children as small, helpless human beings. Rather, we honor and value their immense mental capacity and many physical abilities that cannot be witnessed unless environments assist in the expression of and respect for their lives.

The most important elements for a child within a prepared environment are safety, beauty, concentration, and compassion from adults.
- We give children the words to use to resolve conflicts and then consistently ask them to "use their words". A teacher intervenes only and primarily to model patience, words and tones of voice.
- Respect for concentration is a hallmark of this classroom as we believe it lays the foundation for a child's character and behavior. Overdone praise, unasked-for help or even a look can be enough to interrupt a child's concentration or the meaningful activity at hand.
-Wood, cloth, and natural materials pass on the very best of our cultural heritage and show our respect for the child. Our materials and their place in the classroom contribute to the overall serenity of our environments and subtly instill an appreciation of beauty, color, weight and texture.
-The adult role in the classroom is to prepare the environment and present lessons to support the ever expansive mind and person of the child. We speak softly, model careful words, take a slower pace and give simple directions. We constantly refine approaches to meet the needs of the individual child. We respect all efforts and achievements.

The Primary Classrooms (ages 3-5)
Enrollment options: 4 or 5 consecutive full days (M-Th or M-F 8:30-3:00)

The primary classrooms emphasize the three-year cycle of sequentially more difficult materials allowing children to grow and learn at their own pace. We stress self- motivation and independent learning which fosters a strong sense of joy and accomplishment as children begin to question and integrate their purpose and place in the family, school, culture and the world.

The unique materials, designed for self correction and specialization of skills, are always presented from left to right and top to bottom in preparation for reading and writing. There are four dynamic areas of the classroom.

-Practical Life presents real life tools and child-size implements that mirror the adult world. They are designed to refine depth perception, strengthen eye-hand coordination, and practice care of self and environment.
-Sensorial areas honor the body as receptor and builder of information. Materials introduce descriptive language: size, weight, depth, density, proportion, length, balance, scent, texture, color and sound.
-Language acquisition is built on the premise that touch leads to writing leads to reading. Tactile materials and letters literally build words, sentences, imaginitive spelling, illustrated journal stories, poetry and songs.
-Numeracy is taught by using concrete materials to measure, sequence, pair and count. Beads, rods and spindles are designed to engage a child's problem-solving efforts and encourage inventive solutions.

Each age group generally uses the materials and works for different means. The three year old works primarily to define and refine a sense of self. The four years old continues to build on concentration, observation and judgement skills. The five year old, in completing the three-year cycle, takes on many opportunites to lead the classroom, refining their own skills and mastering the work.

The Elementary Classrooms (ages 6-9 and 9-12)
Enrollment: M-F 8:30-3:00

All of our curricula are founded on the principles of Montessori philosophy. We have, however, integrated modern research and technology into our educational philosophy and environment.

"The Five Great Lessons" are the foundation of the Elementary child's curriculum. Children move from concrete (ages 6-9) to abstract (ages 9-12) materials and ideas while studying:

-Formation of the earth.
-Coming of plants and animals.
-Arrival of the humans/the arts.
-Language.
-Math and invention.

The 6 to 9 year old classroom honors the child who is socially aware, adept and persistent with questions of fairness. The 9-12 year old class probes the deeper meaning of justice, asking thought-provoking moral questions. All Elementary students investigate how everything came to be, question "who decides?" and determine how humans effect change and shape the future.

Upper Elementary Curriculum Overview (grades 4-6)

Three Major Elements:

1. An integrated curriculum using the "Five Great Lessons".
The Great Lessons are used to present a holistic vision of knowledge, building subjects into the themes. History, geography, science, reading and writing are studied in these larger themes. The goals of these lessons are to inspire a love of learning, an understanding of the natural world, humanity, and of themselves.

2. Basic Skills

Math: The Montessori mathematic materials are used in the upper elementary classroom only to facilitate the child from the concrete to the abstract. When the child has fully integrated the Montessori mathematics material, it is time for them to move on to the abstract work. The Montessori mathematics material is used to provide students with the concrete visualizations of the four basic operations of addition, substraction, multiplication and division, algebraic concepts, fractions, decimals and geometry. In this setting, each child is able to progress at his/her own pace through the Montessori mathematic curriculum and the Saxon Text Book curriculum. The Saxon Text Book is used in private and public schools in Santa Fe.

We concentrate on:

* numeration: numerical symbols, quantities, prime numbers, place value, rounding, integers
* computation: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, factors, multiples, percent, ratio, proportion, exponents
* fractions, measurement: linear, standard, metric, time, temperature, weight
* pre-algebra: solving for unknown, variables, squaring and cubing
* geometry: segements, angles, construction, relationships between lines and angles, operations with angles, congruency, similarity, equivalence, use of ruler, protractor, compass, perimeter, area, volume and surface area
* problem solving: word problems, critical thinking, estimating, graphing, data collecting, pie chart, ordered pairs, patterns, relationships, logic puzzles, money.

Reading: Our classroom stresses learning to read, and reading to learn. We focus on contextual clues, reading fluency, comprehension, reading for pleasure, reading for content/research, literature circles, poetry, use of reference material and the internet.

Language: We study words, parts of speech, parts of the sentence, vocabulary and spelling. Spanish language is a separate specialty class.

Communication: We build skills in listening, storytelling and reading aloud through oral presentations, sharing of literature, public speaking and debate.

Writing: We continue to master penmanship, cursive writing, types of writing (fiction, non-fiction, letter writing, poetry, essay and journal writing), writing traits (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, presentation), writing techniques (outlining, note-taking, sequencing, summarization, drafting, revising, editing and publishing).

Science: We focus on:

Physical science: Process of inquiry, processes of life, motion, force, energy, heat, sound, light, astronomy, first chemistry(atomic, molecular structure, periodic table of elements), geology(rocks and their properties).

Botany/Zoology: The Five Kingdoms of life, tree of life, animal phyla, plant phyla, internal functions of animals, the human body, internal functions of plants, environmental ecology.

Geography: Physical geography, political geography, economy, natural resources.

Hands-on materials are used in every area of the classroom. There are materials for the study of grammar, geography, scientific exploration, writing, art and much more.

3. Research
In the upper elementary classroom, children are encouraged to explore topics that capture their interest. Children work independently and cooperatively to produce projects that require cross curriculum integration. The Upper Elementary teacher's role is as a guide- facilitating organization and helping the students find resources.