The Primary Community
Indoor Environments
The primary classrooms are beautiful spaces prepared to specifically capitalize on the child’s natural curiosity and love of learning. Each environment is carefully prepared and speaks to the 11 human tendencies for discovery and learning as identified by Maria Montessori: orientation, order, exploration, communication, activity, manipulation, work, repetition, exactness, abstraction, and perfection. The classroom provides an expansive academic curriculum while empowering students with opportunities to develop concentration, coordination, independence, and self-regulation. Students learn to solve difficulties through lessons on reflective listening, empathy, and personal responsibility as well as engaging in peace talks. Further, the classroom structure provides opportunities for social interactions which reinforce the grace and courtesy lessons. Daily, students practice taking turns, being patient and being a good friend. Primary teachers provide inspiration, guidance, warmth, patience, consistency and the encouragement necessary for each child to reach his personal best.
Primary Highlights:
- Integrated curriculum opportunities that span across academic areas: math, language, reading, writing, biology, zoology, geography, and geometry
- Materials that are beautiful, engaging and developmentally appropriate
- A 3-hour morning work cycle that helps provide students with space and time to develop concentration, self-regulation, and mastery of work
- A beautiful outdoor classroom experience which includes gardening, science projects, wood working, insect identification, water conservation lessons, plant and animal life-cycle lessons, and more
- Spanish, Art and music opportunities
- Teaching strategies that support and facilitate the unique and total growth of each individual
- An afternoon work cycle for 3rd year (kindergarten) primary students offering longer and more in-depth lessons and learning opportunities
Our primary students attend school Monday-Friday in either our half-day (7:40 a.m.-11:30 a.m.) or full-day program (7:40 a.m.-3:00 p.m.)
Enrollment Requirements for the Primary Program – Children will be accepted into the primary program based on readiness. Children must be toilet trained in order to be admitted. Prospective students will be asked to visit the primary prior to enrollment.
