Programs

A. Primary: * Preschool, beginning at 2 years nine months * Pre-kindergarten * Kindergarten, half day * Kindergarten, full day B. Lower Elementary: * 2004/2005 First Grade * 2005/2006 First and Second Grade * 2006/2007 First, Second, and Third Grade C. 3-Day and 5-Day Programs D. Morning Programs 8:30 to 11:15 / 8:30 to 11:30 / 8:45 to 11:45 E. Afternoon Programs 12:00 to 2:30 / 12:15 to 2:45

Silver Spruce Montessori School is built on the premise of equality. We do not discriminate against children, families or staff on the basis of race, age, religion, cultural heritage, political beliefs, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status or gender.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Summer Day: This is an outdoor play day during the summer vacation. It’s for new children. Parent(s) stay and we cancel if it rains.

Ice Cream Social: This is an outdoor family day just before the beginning of school. It’s a great way to “break the ice.” We cancel if it rains.

Arts Day: Arts Day is a celebration of the arts for parents and children. We rotate between visual arts and a musical.

Garden Day: Taking place in the spring, this is a simple act of connecting children to nature through gardening.

BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays are celebrated in the classroom. Please send in:

* Pictures of your child, approximately one for each year since birth
* Vegetable or fruit for a birthday treat
* Supplies like napkins and plates (optional)
* A special item your child wants to show (optional)

Children whose birthdays are outside the school year may pick a day during the year to celebrate. Please make arrangements with your child’s teacher.

THE SCHOOL DAY

* Arrival.
* Circle is time for calendar, singing, new presentations, sharing and celebrations.
* Work Time is when children make individual choices within the various areas of the room and teacher presentations. Children may have snack at this time.
* Clean up.
* Read Aloud.
* Free Play is time for outside play.

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Five distinct areas constitute our prepared environment.

PRACTICAL LIFE is traditional family work. It is education about the work of living as a family. Allowing children to participate in the daily work going on around them is an act of great respect. It builds confidence. The three main areas of practical life are care of the environment, care of the person, and grace and courtesy.

SENSORIAL involves offering sensory experiences. Young children are vividly aware of the world, taking in impressions through all the senses. There are special toys or sensorial items, such as the pink tower and the sound boxes. Children experience important concepts like large and small or loud and soft, combining mental faculties with the work of the hands.

Children have a natural interest in MATHEMATICS. They are intrigued with all aspects of mathematics – weight, order, series, time, quantities and symbols. We nurture the mathematical mind by feeding this interest, providing sensorial experiences first, followed by their representations on paper.

The LANGUAGE area provides children with tools for success:

* Confidence that what he or she has to say is important.
* A desire to relate to others.
* Real experiences on which language is based.
* The physical abilities necessary to read and write.

CULTURAL exposes the child to the basics in geography, history and life sciences. Here, children are also exposed to music, art and movement, which are part of our integrated curriculum.

SNACK

Snack is an important event for your child. It’s like being Star of the Week.

*Each child is responsible for bringing in snack for 1 or 2 weeks out of the school year.
* Snack week is an opportunity for your child to take part in the selection of nutritious food to bring in.
* We ask that snack be fruits, vegetables, dips, or cheese and healthy crackers. No goldfish please.
* If possible, do not prepare the snack. If you provide a bag of apples, for example, your child will wash, core, and slice them at school to share with friends. (He or she may even want to feed the cores to our goats.)
* Teachers will notify parents regarding snack week assignments. If your assigned week is inconvenient, please let the teacher know. Alternative plans will be made.
* Parents will be notified of any specific allergies in the classroom so they can exclude that allergen from snack.
* The current snack is recorded daily.

CHILDREN'S WORK

The Montessori classroom is process oriented and not product oriented. There are no daily papers to send home. Instead, teachers evaluate children using a variety of means, such as observations, checklists, and samples of work.