News – Rowntree Montessori Schools

2019/10/18 by R.M.S.

A Teacher’s View on Robotics

Over the past five years, the education sector, including teachers and students alike, have shown a lot of excitement about the introduction of Robotics from the Kindergarten to grade 12 programme.

As more schools implement Robotics programmes and take part in competitions, students have the opportunity to exhibit their skills on a regional and sometimes national level. While we agree on the importance of having Robotics teams and dedicated Robotics programmes, it is even more important that educators begin to integrate learning about robotics into the regular day-to-day curriculum.

Picture of RMS Private School student in Brampton using Robotics

When teachers are asked to integrate technology into their lesson planning, it is often a daunting task. At first glance, it seems nearly impossible to implement Robotics into an English or History lesson. That being said, the actual building and/or programming part of Robotics is only one part of the big picture. A lesson on technical writing could easily accompany a programme completed in an after-school activity or technology-related class. Additionally, a history lesson on the evolution of Robotics can be delivered concurrent with students completing other technical tasks in a different class or programme.

Technology integration is not just about using technology in every class for every assignment. The technology should rarely, if ever, dictate what is being taught in the classroom. Robots used as a learning tool in an English or Social Studies setting should compliment and/or improve the traditional curriculum. Far gone are the days when learning about a particular topic is isolated to one class. Implementing Robotics outside the computer lab or an after-school activity is a great way to promote technology integration and spice up the subject matter.

To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm.

More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here .

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2019/10/15 by R.M.S.

Rowntree Montessori Schools’ High Level of Teaching & Learning

Brought to you by Rowntree Montessori Schools

Nurturing Tomorrow’s Achievers Since 1969

Our AHA! Moments take place in our classrooms, every day!

With the first month of school just behind us, I am extraordinarily pleased with the very high level of teaching and learning that is taking place within Rowntree’s classrooms. As the school increasingly embraces the ideals of 21st Century learning, it is important to understand that there is much more to these ideals than merely the implementation of technology in the classroom. The idea that we need to help our students learn to make both cross-curricular and real-world connections to their learning is vital in terms of ensuring that our students will be able to effectively apply what they learn at Rowntree to their experiences in a rapidly changing world. Each of our Grade 1-5 teachers have been encouraged to identify one real-world problem that can be studied from a multitude of angles and in which relevant and meaningful learning can take place across the different subject areas. For example, our Grade 3 students, who in the past may have studied deforestation as simply a Science topic, are now applying their Math, Social Studies, Technology and Media Literacy skills to attack this complex problem within an integrated unit. It is important within this approach to teaching and learning that the real-world and cross-curricular connections are genuine rather than forced; we should look for and highlight grade-appropriate curricular connections where they exist. Such an approach helps the students to understand that their classroom subjects do not exist in “silos” in the outside world, but that they can, and very often do, intersect. It is not our intention to eliminate the traditional subjects, as we recognize that certain skills can and should be taught in isolation in order to promote mastery, but I do often enter a class, and (only half-jokingly) ask the teachers and students, “What problem are we solving today?”

Mr. Jonathan Harris, Director of Education

Click here to view a video that shows how our Grade 3s explored an interesting solution to deforestation

To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm.

More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here .

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2019/10/10 by R.M.S.

Students at our Central Park Campus Give Back to our Community this Thanksgiving

Brought to you by Rowntree Montessori Schools…Nurturing Tomorrow’s Achievers Since 1969.

Our AHA! Moments take place in our classrooms, every day!

Thanks for Giving!

Every year, the Central Park Campus of Rowntree Montessori Schools has a Thanksgiving Food Drive to support a local charity as a way to show their support to our community.

When children are invested in selecting the charity, it can help them to more fully understand the importance of giving. Volunteering in the community is a good way for children to learn about gratitude, to do something positive for the community, and to appreciate what they have. It also helps them to learn valuable life skills, including teamwork, communication, time management, and goal setting. Even our youngest students can start to understand the importance of giving back. Running a food drive is a great way for young children to be involved in a community outreach program. Having the children pick out a few items to donate from the store or pantry is a great way to start!

This year, our grade 2/3 class researched various outreach programs in Brampton to choose a local charity to support. This in-class assignment helped the students to gain a better understanding of the services offered at each organization and the specific needs of the people being helped. After narrowing down their research to four organizations, the students presented their research to the other classes and took a tally of which charity they would like to support.

Organization	Tally
Knight’s Table	12
Charity B	11
Charity C	6
Charity D	7

The grade 2/3 students were able to use their graphing skills to view their findings in a variety of charts.

After choosing to donate the food from our Food Drive to the Knight’s Table, the students then advertised the Food Drive to each class.

The students were eager to help pack up all the food to be delivered to the Knight’s Table.

The grade 2/3 students were excited to have been included in the decision-making process of where their generous food donations would go. This entire process has helped to give them a better understanding of the importance of giving back to the community.

The Central Park Campus would like to thank all of the generous donations from our families!

From all of us at Rowntree Montessori Schools, we wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm.

More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here .

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2019/10/08 by R.M.S.

2020/21 Kindergarten Enrollment Opening Soon!

Promoting critical thinking and self-management skills, our Kindergarten (Junior Kindergarten) Montessori programme allows children to experience the joy of learning in an academic environment. Rowntree seeks to develop a lifelong love of learning and unlock the potential in everyone.

Your child’s education is one of the best investments you, as a parent, can make to help them succeed in the future. Make 2020/21 the academic year that your child reaches their full potential and fosters a love of learning. Rowntree Montessori Schools has been voted Brampton’s BEST private school for the past eight years. We provide a strong academic programme, with a focus on 21st century learning and our award-winning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum, as well as French, Music, Arts and Physical Education. Our motto is “Nurturing Tomorrow’s Achievers”, and we’ve been doing this since 1969.

Due to an overwhelming interest in our 2020/21 Kindergarten (Junior Kindergarten) Programme, we are pleased to inform you that we will be opening enrollment for registration (for children born in 2016) in the next week or so, to those whom have shown interest in this programme in the past. Please note that this is for enrollment for September 2020, into our Kindergarten (Junior Kindergarten) programme.

Please stay tuned for further details! If you know of any other family members or friends whom would be interested in enrolling their Kindergarten child at Rowntree Montessori Schools, please ask them to touch base with me as soon as possible. To register for a Kindergarten Enrollment Notification, please click here.

To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm.

More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here .

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2019/10/07 by R.M.S.

Encouraging Girls in STEM

It goes without saying that females are underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. As we progress further into the 21st Century, this presents a real problem that educators and employers need to address. A lot has been said in the past decade about pay gaps and gender inequality in the workplace and making meaningful changes in STEM-related work environments can help bridge this gap. In neighbouring New York state, there are over 34,000 job openings in Computer Science, that is 4.7 times the state average demand rate. Here in Canada, data shows that 70 percent of bachelor’s degree graduates in Engineering and Computer Information Science found employment in related industries. This is good news for individuals who are naturally STEM-minded, but is the system flawed? How can we make sure to pay close attention to girls in STEM?

Girls using robotics at Rowntree Montessori Schools in Brampton

Female students showing interest in robotics at Rowntree Montessori Schools

Globally, female participation in STEM-related careers are drastically lower than that of males, despite more women graduating from universities worldwide. The World Economic Forum maintains the following: “The reasons for this systematic underrepresentation are multiple and complex, but three things seem to matter most:

1) Aspirations that are molded by social norms and parental expectations

2) Information failures that affect the decision to enter and stay in a STEM field

3) Institutional factors that constrain women’s ability to enter a STEM job.”

Educators have the most control over numbers two and three, but can also help influence social norms and parental expectations as they relate to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. That being said, elevating girls in STEM education should not result in diminishing boys interest in the same topics.

FIRST, the parent organizations of the FLL (First Lego League), has launched the Elevating Girls and Young Women in STEM initiative. Rowntree Montessori Schools is proud to participate in the FLL yearly and recently won the FIRST Core Values Award at the 2017 Provincial Qualifier. FIRST maintains that the, “initiative focuses on the advancement of girls and women in STEM, but it is not exclusionary of the contributions of boys,[o]r men..” What is unique about this program is that it focuses on the inclusion that is so vitally needed in STEM education, helping to drive more diverse thought, innovation and creativity across STEM fields.

Girls using computers at Brampton Private School

Female students using computers

In the last five years, we have seen technology absolutely explode in K-12 education. Not only do students have more access to technology than they ever did before, but they are learning how to use it in ways that were previously reserved for the college-level computer lab. Additionally, a number of companies are jumping on the EdTech bandwagon and introducing new and exciting high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech ways for young people to learn code. RMS’s Motto: Nurturing Tomorrow’s Achievers, recognizes that successful students of the future include all the boys and girls currently doing great things at our four campuses. We want to ensure that all students have a fair and equal shot at doing great things with STEM. As an organization, we recognize that this can only be achieved if we work together to create an environment where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is genuinely intertwined with what we do every single day. Rowntree Montessori Schools is excited about striving to be the best 21st Century learning institution that it can be, and has introduced a number of new initiatives this year to ensure that STEM is at the forefront of its students’ everyday experience, regardless of gender.

To read more about girls and STEM, click here for an interesting read from Forbes magazine!

To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm.

More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here .

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2019/10/03 by R.M.S.

Considering a Private School for your Child? Now is the Time!

Considering enrolling your child at a private school but concerned it’s too late? We are still currently accepting many students into the current year’s Academic Programme.

Your child’s education is one of the best investments you, as a parent, can make to help them succeed in the future. Make this year the year that your child reaches their full potential and fosters a love of learning. Rowntree Montessori Schools has been voted Brampton’s BEST private school for the past seven years. We provide a strong academic programme, with a focus on 21^st century learning and our award-winning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum, as well as French, Music, Arts and Physical Education. Our motto is “Nurturing Tomorrow’s Achievers”, and we’ve been doing this since 1969.

Don’t delay, enroll your child today! Rowntree Montessori Schools is still CURRENTLY accepting applications for many of our Academic programmes. If you would like more information on how to enroll your child at Rowntree Montessori Schools, please click here.

To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm.

More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here .

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2019/10/03 by R.M.S.

Students at Rowntree Montessori Schools Learning to Become Savvy Savers with Classroom Economy Project

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Were you one of those first-year university students that found yourself broke and struggling to stretch your meal plan with a month left of classes, wishing your parents (and teachers) spent more time on teaching you the importance of saving, spending wisely and budgeting? I know I sure was!

Rowntree Montessori Schools believes that teaching our students real-life skills, like learning financial literacy, is just as important as having strong academic skills. In our classrooms, students learn responsibility, the value of hard work, ownership, managing finances, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and the list goes on!

With these life skills in mind, and at the start of a new school year, one of our grade 5 teachers started a Classroom Economy project. The Classroom Economy is a financial management system that benefits both the teacher and the students by providing the simulation of real-world economic activity. Our grade 5 teacher gathered various materials for the Classroom Economy and customize the project for their specific class. Teachers then introduce the Classroom Economy to their students and train them on how they can complete tasks, jobs and chores. Students have the opportunity to choose a profession, such as a police officer, custodian, messenger, clerk, attendance monitor, banker, loan officer, meteorologist etc. Each student receives a monthly salary that varies based on his or her profession.

In our Classroom Economy, students are rewarded with “play money” for completing tasks and chores in their class and are also rewarded for doing well on tests and assignments. Students also receive “cash” for good deeds, such as being kind and helpful to other students, acting as leaders and for lending a helping hand. There are also fines in the Classroom Economy. Fines help students understand that there are costs and consequences for certain behaviours. Students can be fined for tardiness, talking during class, rudeness, missing work, a messy desk or cubby, etc.

Every month, each student receives a paycheque and is responsible for paying monthly bills such as desk rent, utilities, classroom supplies, etc. Fun activities such as auctions are included that provide the students with an opportunity to purchase personal items with the money they save from their pay cheques.

At Rowntree Montessori Schools, the Classroom Economy is more than just a lesson plan, it helps students learn the value of saving, spending, and delayed gratification. Students are taught the importance of record-keeping and tracking their monthly expenses. These skills will help carry students throughout their lifetime.

What’s great about the Classroom Economy is that students learn financial literacy in a fun and interactive way. Maya was the first student to save up enough money to purchase the deed to her desk so that she no longer had to pay rent. What will Maya do with all of her savings? At the time of this post, Maya informed me that she wants to donate her savings to her class Holiday Party. Maya may be a savvy saver, but she is a savvy saver with a kind and generous heart.

To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm.

More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here .

Please kindly SHARE this post with others by clicking onto one or more of the icons below. We would appreciate it and thank you in advance.

2019/09/30 by R.M.S.

Developing Future Engineers in Grades 2 & 3 at our Central Park Campus

Our AHA! Moments take place in our classrooms, every day!

Brought to you by Rowntree Montessori Schools…Nurturing Tomorrow’s Achievers since 1969.

Recently, in a grade 2 & 3 class at our Central Park Campus, students worked on an Engineering activity that involved creating a working zip line. Their teacher guided the students through the process of how to build a zip line and then the students were provided with an opportunity to try out their newly acquired skills, while working through the mechanics of this exercise.

Students tried multiple strategies; with trial and error. One particular strategy did not work as planned, so the students concluded that by adding weight to the moving part of their structure, it gave the object the momentum it needed to move. The students were ecstatic when they realized that their creation finally worked! Click here to watch their project in motion.

This Engineering activity was very hands-on and student-led. The grade 2 and 3 teacher was there to guide the students through their experiment, and to lend a helping hand, without providing the students with the solution to their problem. During this activity, students were able problem solve and work together as a team of future Engineers. Rowntree Montessori School students use the methodical Engineering Design Process when tackling such problems.

This learning opportunity allowed the students freedom to create while learning new terms about science and connecting these words to the real world.

To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm.

More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here .

Please kindly SHARE this post with others by clicking onto one or more of the icons below. We would appreciate it and thank you in advance.

2019/09/27 by R.M.S.

Preparing Students for Future Jobs

Rowntree Montessori Schools recently had the opportunity to engage with educational technology leaders and educators from around the country, at a leading technology conference. One key take-away that seemed to resonate with everyone was the agreement that as educators, in the absence of knowing the precise occupational landscape of the future for our students, teachers must focus on supporting students in building a skill-set made up of 21st Century competencies, such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation. Not only will this approach equip students to solve the problems of the future, but it will lead them to become personally successful, economically productive, and actively engaged citizens.

Young student utilizing a Google Chromebook in class

Many analysts predict that jobs of the future will drastically change, as the workforce loses many general labourer jobs and will have new requirements for areas related to computer programming, design, internet security, anti-cyber crime and multiple other areas we cannot yet fathom. It is crucial that we teach our students how to use their learned skills to problem solve and adapt to future work environments. We need to ensure that our students are prepared to take on a whole new set of challenges that come with these future jobs.

As Jaime Casap, a pronounced Google Evangelist in the Education space says, “Don’t ask a student what she wants to be when she grows up, ask her what problem she wants to solve…then give her the environment to build the knowledge, skills, and abilities she needs to solve that problem!”

Want to learn more about 21st century learning? Click here for a great article from TED Ed.

To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm.

More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here .

Please kindly SHARE this post with others by clicking onto one or more of the icons below. We would appreciate it and thank you in advance.

2019/09/24 by R.M.S.

Cross-Curricular Teaching and Learning in a Prep-ONE class

Our AHA! Moments take place in our classrooms, every day!

Brought to you by Rowntree Montessori Schools…Nurturing Tomorrow’s Achievers since 1969.

This past week, during a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activity, our Prep-ONE students learned how to create 2D shapes using straws, Popsicle sticks, connectors, paper, scissors and magnetic shapes. Building strong engineering and math skills is important at Rowntree Montessori Schools because we believe that such STEM skills will help prepare our students for the future. However, we also believe that building students’ character is equally important. Teaching our students skills, such as working together in small groups, problem-solving, team work and leadership are all essential character traits. This lesson provided an opportunity for our Prep-ONE students to practice their math, science and engineering skills, as well as their collaborative and problem-solving skills.

To learn why it is so important for students to become 21^st century learners and to have a strong base in STEM, click here.