Far Horizons Montessori School

Meeting the Challenge of Today's Child Sharing to Learn, Learning to Share Montessori for the Preschool Child Montessori for the Primary and Jr. High Student Beyond the Basic Curriculum       Meeting the Challenge of Today's Child:  Far Horizons Montessori School, Inc. was started over twenty years ago expressly to meet the challenge of providing excellence in education for today's child. More than ever before, students face the monumental task of sorting through and refining the barrage of stimuli they are confronted with daily in order to develop the person they will become. As the world becomes ever more challenging, so do the tasks of teaching and learning. Sharing their pool of knowledge and vast experience, the staff recognizes the need for providing an environment wherein the child can have the guidance and direction to grow independently, secure in the fact that they are an important part of their classroom and their world.       Students put their music theory into practice playing recorders. To this end, the staff has sought to continue to keep up with all new concepts and innovation in education. Montessori training, as well as continued growth in various other educational approaches, has kept them abreast of new ideas and techniques. Using the basic tenants of the Montessori philosophy to form the core of their beliefs and curriculum, the staff remains open to and aware of the importance of continually expanding upon this very solid foundation. This somewhat eclectic approach sets Far Horizons apart from most other Montessori schools and is felt to be vital if the school is to grow and change with the times, remaining relevant and sensitive to each child's needs and methods of learning. Sharing to Learn, Learning to Share:  Maria Montessori held the philosophy that children can be their own best teachers; that observing, sharing and interacting with each other can be one of the most creative learning processes available. In keeping with this important learning principle, our classrooms contain more than one age and/or       Students work with sounds and the moveable alphabet, making written language a hands-on experience. grade level. Preschool students make up the 3 through 5 year old classrooms. The elementary classrooms are typically comprised of two or three grade levels. Out of such a learning environment, many beneficial events arise. Vital to any successful learning situation is the idea that each child possesses a truly positive self-image, seeing themself as in integral part of the group. Cross-age grouping helps to insure that this ideal exists within the child. It enables the teacher to guide and direct the child toward meaningful tasks. The child is able to work at their own level regardless of what the "average" may be. This approach is beneficial to students of all ability levels. Since each student is assessed individually, the teacher has the flexibility to assign groupings and assignments based upon the student's abilities and strengths rather than strictly by grade level. Consequently, students are not confined to the restrictions of a rigid grade level based curriculum.       Working together, the concept of area becomes concrete. Montessori for the Preschool Child:  The classroom is a microcosm of the world. By observing the efforts of other children, the student gains the incentive to attain higher levels of knowledge. The student is aware that within the classroom they are encouraged to acquire all that they have the ability to achieve. At the end of each new learning experience they will have the satisfaction of their accomplishments as well as the revelation of all that is remaining to be learned. They will be encouraged to continue opening new doors in their mind, expanding their base knowledge and uncovering new ideals. Students are encouraged to share their knowledge with their peers and often find themselves in the role of teacher to a student who may be struggling to attain a concept.       Sharing what they have learned builds self-esteem and fosters cooperation and a sense of community within the classroom. The preschool child faces the task of creating their own individual sense of order from the tremendous input of stimuli that touches them. Their classroom must be designed to aid them in this quest. It must provide a situation where their senses will be challenged       Creating a sense of order in their world is a challenge facing the pre-school child. and stimulated. They alone must classify and refine their environment. The teacher, with the aid of the Montessori materials, must guide them. In order to function productively in the world, we, as adults, must have an orderly, clearly defined view of our universe. Likewise, the child must possess a healthy and orderly concept of their world. It is important, in order to recognize the significance of this task of sorting and refining that the child has undertaken, that we recognize its long range effects. The preschool child is essentially building the groundwork upon which all their       The Montessori classroom provides students with materials with which to better understand their world and their place in it. later academic endeavors will rest. Just as we as adults recognize the importance of functioning successfully in the world, the child too will grow to understand the importance of their own success in their own environment. This is why the social aspect of the classroom is equally as important as the academic. The child must be aware first of their own self-worth if we are to expect them to expand their respect, co-operation, sharing and growing to their classmates. They must see their role clearly as a vital member of a total, interacting group. The carefully prepared preschool classroom is designed to aid the child in sorting through the barrage of stimuli that they encounter daily, to allow them to understand that they are a vital part of the group and through the use of the Montessori materials lay the foundation for a solid understanding of the academic work that will play a fundamental role in their continuing education. Montessori for the Primary and Jr. High Student:  Once a child reaches the age of six, they are ready to broaden their horizons, to reach out and encompass their universe. They are no longer satisfied to take the world for face value. They are inquisitive, wanting to know why behind all they see, seeking to understand the role all they come into contact with plays in the total scheme of things. Building upon their insatiable desire to understand, the Montessori environment creates numerous opportunities in geography, science, history, language and math for the student to truly understand the why. it is important for the child at this stage in their development,       Using geometric solids provides a student with a way to develop their muscular tactile sense as well as classify and refine their environment. as well as for the foundation of academic understanding they are building, that they come to the reasoning behind what might be otherwise merely memorized and forgotten knowledge. Use of the Montessori materials aids the child in this very process and it is with the development of these materials that Maria Montessori concretely showed her genius to the world. As the student sees the reasoning, it becomes easier to piece together the parts of the puzzle of the universe in order to eventually create a clearly       The Montessori geography material affords students an opportunity to isolate and refine concepts through hands-on work in the classroom. defined picture for themself. As the picture unfolds, the student becomes ready to reach out and assert themself as their own person. Their peer group has in the past given them trust, approval and security. It remains important that that the student understand that the group is a secure one and that as they go out on their own, they always have the stability of the group to rely on. Essentially they will grow to understand the wonderfulness of self-discovery and the security of those who care. Standing on the threshold of adulthood, a child has undergone a variety of changes, leading them to their current position. They have met the challenge of the preschooler by creating an acceptable order for themself. From there they assume the role of a youngster thirsty to understand the reasoning behind all that they have touched in the world and have come to understand the importance others play in the successful living of their own life. They now stand ready to prepare themself for the role that they will assume in adult life. Continued work in the       Together, students relate current events and build a better understanding of the changing world. Montessori environment will help assure them of meeting with success. Ultimately, they will be able to more clearly see their position. As they gain continued and more specialized work in academic subjects, they will see how their knowledge helps to more precisely define their view of the world and the role they will play in it. Perhaps the most important revelation they will now come to understand is the fact that they indeed have a choice in determining the role they will play and the contributions they will make in the world. They must see the significance of classroom knowledge and the part it plays in the total picture. This they will come to understand by being put in touch with their actual environment by the use of community resources and relevant aids. They must be aware that they have something important to contribute to the betterment of the world.       The vast universe becomes real as students are encouraged to learn to understand the part they play on our world. At Far Horizons, the school, the teacher, the student and the family all play integral roles in the educational process. The school's job is to provide a quality learning environment complete with a relevant and meaningful curriculum. The teacher has the challenge of getting to know each of their students as a unique individual and providing appropriate academic work to challenge specific talents and abilities. The student too learns of their responsibility in the learning process. It is the student's job to complete assignments in a timely and accurate manner. The self-esteem that comes from going the extra mile, pushing a little bit harder, going beyond what is easy to achieve, what may once have been thought to be unachievable, provides the student with the confidence to believe that, through work, their dreams and goals are attainable. The final link, and one of the most important, is the role of the family in a student's education. By supporting the work of the school and the teachers, by encouraging their child to be the best that they can be, they are not only ensuring a quality education for their child, but also that their child be moving toward a future filled with unlimited possibilities.       Keeping up with ever-changing technology, students have access to computers and are encouraged to use them to reinforce and expand what they have learned. Beyond the Basic Curriculum:  Recognizing the importance of going beyond the fundamental academics, the curriculum is rounded out with classes in music, dance, foreign language and physical education. Music classes are a regular part of all students' education and encompass both theory and practice. Various styles of music are explored, students are encouraged to compose original works, and are given to opportunity to hear live performances by professional musicians. The basic knowledge acquired in class provides students with a solid foundation to explore their musical interests privately, if they so desire. Dance classes are a part of each classes' curriculum. Movement, coordination, and spatial awareness are stressed in younger classrooms. For the older student dance is explored through current music, providing the students with an opportunity to discover the fun and creativity of movement in a a supportive environment. Primary and Jr. High students have bi-weekly classes in foreign language, providing them with an opportunity to learn to speak, read and write the language at an optimal time in their development for the acquisition of a second language. All classrooms are equipped with computers and students are encouraged to work on the computer to both reinforce basic academic skills as well as to explore the potential of this technology.