Primary
Young children thrive in the Montessori Primary classroom. Developmentally responsive to their needs, each classroom features a full-range of Montessori materials that engage the child in exploring the world around him. The mixed-age environment provides the foundation for a cohesive community. Students, guided by a teacher and on their own, choose activities in the areas of practical life, sensory/motor, math, language, reading, geography, science, music and art. Master teachers carefully observe the needs of each child and present new activities at the moment when the child is most ready for them. Each day, the entire class joins together for singing, movement, listening to stories, and learning about their world and how to get along in it. At the end of each day, the children take part in free play on a well-equipped playground. Spanish and Orff Music classes are also offered. Our Adventure Program begins in Primary with our youngest students participating in field trips through the year.
The Extended Day Program
Extended Day students (an MSE term for kindergarten students) attend a half-day program with the younger children, plus a two-to-four hour session with only 5-to-6 year olds designed to meet the intellectual, physical, and emotional needs of Extended Day students. Working with the younger children empowers our Extended Day students to practice and develop strong leadership skills. During the portion of each day when they are with only other kindergarten children, they engage in advanced lessons in language, math and the cultural subjects, participate in group activities to build their knowledge and ability to communicate, and enjoy the social experience of bringing a lunch and eating with their friends by candlelight.
The Extended Day cultural curriculum is a masterful journey into the cultures of the past. The Needs of Humans through Time curriculum introduces children to the ways in which different cultures have met humans’ needs for food, shelter, clothing, and transportation over a chronological time period. Students’ critical thinking skills are engaged as they thoughtfully consider how history is impacting their daily lives. Local Colorado and Evergreen history is also studied, with students going on a field trip each month to further their understanding of the subject matter.
