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A Montessori School for Children Age 2 to Grade 3

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Primary

Ages 3 to 6

Learning is joyful when children actively engage in meaningful activities. Guided by expert teachers, children develop a love of learning, independence and confidence during the Primary years.

All students build a foundation for academic success in enriched classrooms filled with engaging materials while developing leadership skills, teamwork and courtesy and kindness.

Our Teachers Make the Difference

The most distinguishing characteristic of Evergreen School is the quality and expertise of our faculty.  Our teachers are committed to the Montessori philosophy.  They believe in the capability and dignity of each child. Our primary goal is to foster and enhance each child’s natural sense of joy and wonder. Each classroom is characterized by collaboration, kindness and a strong sense of purpose.

We offer:

  • An intimate, caring classroom community.
  • A calm, organized place to learn and grow.
  • Experience teachers work one-on-one and in small groups with each child.
  • Classroom materials engage children’s minds and hands in active learning.
  • Students move at their own pace.
  • Leadership development for older children.
  • Peer mentoring for younger children.
  • A sequence of foundational skills and basic core knowledge supports cognitive development.

Benefits of Multi-age Montessori

Each year of a three-year Montessori classroom cycle has distinctive characteristics. Each phase provides key experiences for each child’s development. In the first year, a child benefits from watching older students model behavior as they internalize classroom routines and expectations. Then in the third year, children have the exceptional opportunity to be role models and leaders and master classroom materials.

Allowing children to stay in the same classroom with the same friends and teachers is critical for our teachers to build strong, stable and consistent classroom communities.


Primary Curriculum

Sample Daily Schedule

8:30-8:45          Arrival

8:30-11:00        Work Time (Montessori Lessons, Circle Time, Music, PE/Dance or Library, Snack)

11:00-11:45      Recess

11:45-12:30     Lunch, Clean Up, Read Aloud

12:30-3:15       Work Time (Montessori Lessons, Art, Spanish, Music, PE/Dance or Library, or Nap)

3:00                  Dismissal

Language

Students form opinions and express themselves through describing, explaining, and telling stories. A hands-on phonetic system is used to teach reading. Children’s skills are broadened with more complicated letter combinations.  A wide assortment of books provide opportunities for children to engage in reading. Children use the movable alphabet to begin to write– from simple words to full sentences and beyond.

Math

Children learn to associate number symbols with quantities. This lays a foundation for understanding basic arithmetic operations and promotes a deep understanding of place value.  Hands-on activities build in complexity. Children work with concepts including number patterns, skip-counting, multiplication, squares and part-to-whole relationships.

Practical Life

Exercises in everyday living– from shoe-tying to polishing and sewing–  help develop coordination, increase attention span, and build concepts of sequence and logic.

Sensory

These materials focus on each of the senses. Sensorial exercises heighten powers of observation, enrich descriptive vocabulary, teach classification, and help children extend this skill into their world.

Science and Geography

Students learn the characteristics of plants, animals and their natural environments. Children learn how landforms and bodies of water are created. Map work reinforces language, fine motor coordination, and memory development. Cultural studies emphasize the commonality of human needs around the world.

Reading Buddies

Primary students and Elementary students read together each week as “Reading Buddies.” It’s one way older children are mentors and younger children get role models to emulate. This collaborate learning experience gives children the chance to practice emerging reading skills and helps make connections between the Primary and Elementary classes. Elementary children practice their mentoring skills and develop a better ability to encourage, empathize and support… and they can show off their reading skills too and build confidence.

Specials: Music, Art, PE, Spanish

Music lessons introduce children to the concepts of rhythm and melody, tonal differences, composition and performance. In art, a variety of activities and media are used to develop an awareness of color, texture, and form. Library supports our extensive language program and children check out books weekly.

In PE and dance, a comprehensive program of fitness and cooperative sports skills builds skill and teamwork twice each week.  All student develop language skills in Spanish beginning in their four year old year during two lessons each week.

Belonging, Sense of Self and Identity

Evergreen teachers in all programs actively work to ensure that all children see themselves in the curriculum and develop a strong sense of self, pride in one’s particular ethnic, cultural, racial and religious heritage, family structure, gender identity, and more.

In the Primary program, the goal of developing global citizens is achieved through studying life on every continent, building the classroom community, and introducing units of study focused on holidays or occasions set aside to recognize specific groups. Cultural artifacts such as photographic examples of architecture, landmarks, foods, clothing, instruments, and customs, and real objects from these cultures help Primary students build a concrete understanding of life around the world. Teachers celebrate the uniqueness of each child as well as the commonality of the group. Classrooms avoid arbitrary divisions e.g., by gender or age especially. Teachers support children in conversations and questions surrounding social identifiers such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, family composition, and socio-economic groups. Teachers present developmentally-appropriate units of study on topics such as Black History Month and Women’s History Month. Primary children learn that they are all active, responsible, respected, and visible members of the classroom community, which they create with the support of their teachers.