News – Rowntree Montessori Schools

2019/08/21 by R.M.S.

Considering a Private School for your Child this Fall?

Considering enrolling your child at a private school this fall? It’s not too late to enroll your child at Rowntree Montessori Schools for this September 2019! 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 accepting applications for some of our Academic programmes for September 2019. If you would like more information on how to enroll your child at Rowntree Montessori Schools this fall, please click here.

Please note that currently our Pre-Kindergarten (children born in 2016) programme is full. However, we are accepting waitlist applications. To have your child’s name added to our Pre-Kindergarten Waitlist, please click here.

2019/08/16 by R.M.S.

Cooking Class in Kindergarten

This year the students from the Downtown Campus at Rowntree Montessori Schools had the opportunity to participate in weekly cooking activities. Experts suggest that cooking, whether independently or with a friend, can help a child develop valuable skills. In addition, cooking can provide learning experiences and build great memories. For a Kindergarten Montessori (Junior Kindergarten) student, cooking can sharpen fine-motor skills through stirring, whisking and rolling. As a student’s vocabulary develops, he or she can refine his or her communication and early math skills by reading about ingredients and preparing measurements.

As our students age, teaching them basic safety in the kitchen while they learn to work with a team, builds leadership, collaboration, and self-confidence. These benefits can continue past childhood, as students learn to prepare multiple types of nutritious food dishes, and learning about how to make health conscious decisions. Learning about food preparation requires more than just cooking skills; it involves science, math, reading and teaches life skills.

Recently our students were excited when they found out that they would be cooking and baking things beyond their traditional “kid foods.” They learned how to prepare yogurt parfaits, waffles, pizzas and cupcakes from scratch. This was an exciting challenge and a new experience for most involved. Students instantly became interested in trying new foods. Their positive attitude and interest had the older students searching for cookbooks, and excited to talk about what they prepared at home.

Cooking class is a place where students, who may not always excel in traditional extracurricular activities like sports or art classes, may find success and a sense of belonging. Their creative personalities really shine during cooking class. This is a place for students to keep busy, release energy and stay engaged. They listen, follow the rules and participate because the end result of a prepared meal or dish! Click here for some child approved healthy recipes you can make with your child at home.

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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2019/08/12 by R.M.S.

EVENING Open House Tues Aug 27 (6pm-8pm)

Come and discover the opportunity you can provide your child to succeed Now and in their Future. Our Evening Private School Open House is the perfect opportunity to tour our campuses and meet our teachers, particularly if you are unable to take advantage of our Open House ANYTIME opportunity. It’s your chance to see our campuses when it might be more convenient for you! We will be highlighting our award-winning STEM curriculum.

Take just a few minutes to come by our Private School Open House on Tuesday August 27th (6pm-8pm) at our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses. Discover the opportunity and possibilities for your child to love learning and excel. Your visit could be your first step in empowering your child’s journey towards their dreams!

Click here to add the Open House reminder to your Google calendar.

Kindergarten students using wireless tablets during Robotics class

Here is a map which illustrates the locations of our welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses.

We will gladly take the time with you and your family to:

Tour the facilities (typically takes 15-20 minutes)
Provide you with the opportunity to meet teachers and administrators
Outline our enriched educational programmes
Inform you about the wide variety of before and after school activities available
Discuss registration options for Kindergarten (starting at 3 years 8 months old as of September 2019) to Grade 8

We look forward to seeing you and sharing with you the private school community of which we are so proud!

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.

2019/08/12 by R.M.S.

The Value of Sportsmanship

At Rowntree Montessori Schools, we value sports for the part they play in providing a well-rounded education to our students. Over the past few decades, sports have played an important role in uniting people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. They play a valuable role in health and fitness, and can be a source of happiness, excitement, and sheer joy to both players and spectators. Sports open the door to meeting new people and building new friendships, through a common interest that one may share in the game, or towards a specific team. However, sports can only thrive if players exercise good sportsmanship.

Students competing in a team at Mini-Olympics.

Building good sportsmanship skills is one of the many great things that our students learn at Rowntree Montessori Schools. The numerous sports clubs such as Cricket, Soccer, Basketball, Track and Field and Cross-Country Running, give our students the opportunity to exercise good sportsmanship. Our students learn to play together and enjoy the game. They build each other up through encouraging words of praise and they are always willing to lend a helping hand to a peer playing alongside them.

Student from RMS running at Track and Field meet.

Our monthly Spirit Days also offer an opportunity for students to experience friendly competition and have some fun, while uniting peers from different cultures and backgrounds together. Our students consciously and consistently learn, develop and apply the core values of good sportsmanship (which are to respect one another regardless of the situation, celebrate victory with humility and accept defeat with a positive mindset, encourage and support each other, and above all do your best)!

Student particpating in the Mini-Olympics jumping station at RMS.

Our coaches and students work hard to achieve their goals when playing sports. Staying committed to their practice schedules (whether its early morning or late afternoon) shows dedication and a willingness to learn and improve. Our students put maximum effort into what they do when playing sports, which is evidenced not just on the sports field, but also in all other areas of our learning environment. We learn together and grow together as a team. We recently concluded our Senior Track and Field Meet and the Junior Track and Field Meet, as well as the Mini Olympics, which highlight that the effort we put into building a well-rounded education for our students is a priority for us, as we include many opportunities to excel in sports and related activities.

Students at the soccer station at the RMS Mini-Olympics.

For more information about how to teach your child to be a good sportsman, 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 .

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.

2019/08/09 by R.M.S.

Learning How to Help in Kindergarten

The story “How Full is your Bucket?” by Tom Roth is a great story to discuss the importance of how positive and negative words, and actions can affect the mental health of others. In Prep-ONE (Senior Kindergarten), we introduced the story after many discussions on equality and inclusion during our Black History Month unit, to further extend the conversation and discuss the importance of our actions and their impact on others.

How Full is Your Bucket by Tom Roth

After reading How Full is Your Bucket, we had a long class discussion about our actions and what we can do to make our friends, family and peers have full buckets. Students talked about making a conscious effort to be kind to others. Below are some of the thoughts and ideas the students talked about during our class discussion on bucket filling:

Student 1: We should smile at our friends.

Student 2: Sharing toys with my sister makes her happy.

Student 3: When my friend can’t read a word, I can help them.

Student 4: I help my mom and dad grocery shop.

Student 5: Saying nice words to our friends will fill their buckets.

Student 6: If someone is not nice, we can be nice to them.

Student 7: When we are filling buckets, we feel happy.

Filling Your Bucket in Kindergarten Montessori

During this class, students realized that our buckets are full when we are kind to one another, and that they are empty when we are rude or mean to others. Children in Prep-ONE learned strategies to lift one another, instead of bringing each other down through literature. Reading is a fantastic tool to help students understand concepts such as positivity and mental well-being. We encourage every parent to spend time using books as a way to help develop valuable learning lessons.

Click here for some helpful tips on how to make reading more fun for your child.

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.

2019/08/07 by R.M.S.

Top 10 Reasons for Choosing a Private School for your Child

As a parent, if you are thinking about enrolling your son or daughter in a private school, there are many factors to consider before making your decision. According to a study published by the Fraser Institute, the following are the top 10 reasons for choosing an academically defined Private School.

Dedicated teachers
Emphasizes academic quality
Motivates students
Is a safe school
Outstanding quality teachers
Instills confidence in students
Teaches students to think for themselves
Offers individualized attention
Supportive, nurturing environment
Outstanding classroom instruction

Why Choose Rowntree Montessori Schools for your Child?

In addition to meeting each of the top 10 reasons why parents send a child to private school, Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), is a well-rounded academically-progressive private school. The approach, readily practiced at RMS, provides children with freedom in education within a prepared environment, and respects the fact that children, as individuals, are different from one another.

RMS Emphasizes a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Approach

A STEM approach is an element of our curriculum that is based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – in an interdisciplinary and applied manner. Instead of teaching the 4 subjects separately, they are taught as one cohesive, interdisciplinary approach. At RMS, we equip our students from an early age with the tools they need to solve real world problems, utilizing the STEM approach to learning.

Introducing Robotics and 21^st Century Learning Skills at an Early Age

As educators, we are constantly striving to prepare our students with 21^st century learning skills, and computer programming/coding is just one of the many ways that we can do just that! We introduce Dash & Dots robots and fundamentals of programming in our Kindergarten Montessori (JK) and Prep-One (SK) classrooms. Used together with Google Chromebooks, these robots can be easily programmed to complete a variety of tasks, while teaching children the basics of programming. By teaching students coding concepts from an early age, we are instilling in them the curiosity and ability to problem solve and be innovative; something that will carry them throughout the rest of their lives.

Building Character for the Future

At RMS, we believe that a warm, loving, safe and welcoming school is the foundation for great academic and personal achievement and growth. With a focus on each individual’s student’s potential, we allow each child to explore, interact and collaborate with their classmates for greater learning opportunities.

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.

2019/08/06 by R.M.S.

The Importance of Physical Education in Kindergarten

At Rowntree Montessori Schools, we also value the importance and necessity of physical education, because we acknowledge the importance of skill building and teamwork, as we try to make physical education engaging and fun. Phys-Ed at the Kindergarten level is an extension to academic learning within the classroom that refines each student’s fine motor and gross motor skills. The students start the year off by learning how to play run around games that help them learn to follow simple 3 step instructions, until they have become confident to follow more complex rules, as a result of becoming familiar with the structure of various games. When the students have established the understanding of the rules in a game, they are then taught a variety of sports and fitness drills. Other activities such as parachute, obstacle courses, fitness rotations, and free movement play, are also embedded into the Phys-Ed programme for Kindergarten students at RMS.

Phys-Ed class occurs twice per week, as students wear appropriate gym clothes and shoes at school. Health lessons are also part of the curriculum, which focus on personal hygiene, fire safety in school and at home, healthy eating and identifying road signs, completed through paper-based activities and movement around the gymnasium.

Age-appropriate equipment is used to learn the basic skills in a sport or in free movement activities. Eye captivating materials such as soft coloured balls and hula-hoops grab the attention of students, as teachers create multiple ways to make Phys-Ed engaging. The use of imagination is the most important part of Phys-Ed for Kindergarten students, as they use movement to express real life experiences. For example, when playing parachute, students can demonstrate the waves of the ocean on a sunny calm day or during a storm. This allows the young students to actively participate in an inclusive activity that can relate to their weather discussion later on during circle time in the classroom.

Recently during a Phys-Ed class at the RMS Downtown campus, students were mixed with different age groups from Kindergarten to Grade 2, to complete a teamwork activity similar to the popular children’s board game “Hungry Hungry Hippos”. The game required students to work in pairs, fetch the balls from the middle circle, and bring them back to their bowl as quickly as possible. The students quickly began to strategize, problem solve and work with their partner to be successful and accomplish the activity with a win. This was a great learning experience for students, as it involved multiple grades and ages, and challenged them to work together to create a space where meaningful social interactions and teamwork could occur.

Physical education is not just about being active, it develops skills when solving challenges, competing against a peer or developing fine motor abilities. Phys-Ed at RMS develops self-discipline, responsibility and improved judgement. Students have the opportunity to assume leadership roles, cooperate with others and learn regulations. With a strong Phys-Ed programme, students are supported in their mental health by using the class as an outlet for releasing tension and anxiety. It is a time for them to facilitate their emotional stability and build resilience. A great Phys-Ed programme can be a major positive influence in helping young children successfully socialize with others, and is an important part of peer culture.

At RMS, building a child’s self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth are important to us. During Phys-Ed class, children feel included and are part of something great! They feel proud when mastering new skills and concepts, which helps them become more confident, assertive and independent.

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.

2019/08/02 by R.M.S.

Problem Solving in Lego Works

At Rowntree Montessori Schools, we provide activities before and after school that allow students to explore additional extracurricular talents and interests in fun and engaging ways. One of the activities that our students enjoy is called Lego Works. This activity gives students an opportunity to collaborate on creating 3D structures in an imaginative way out of Lego. According to experts, playing with Lego has eight educational benefits. Firstly it promotes fine motor skills and encourages teamwork. It also helps improve creativity, develops problem-solving and mathematical thinking, and can help improve communication skills. Playing with Lego has also helped children develop skills to become persistent, improve self-esteem, and can help develop lateral thinking and planning skills (as noted by A. Akotva at the Scot College from Sydney, Australia in 2017).

Students during after school Lego Works activity.

The use of Lego during our activity time often helps students (especially younger students) learn and improve on many important skills. For example, we often see that the usage of Lego helps to improve fine motor skills with young students. As they learn to connect different sizes and shapes of these pieces using varying amounts of hand pressure, it seems to help the child control the pressure they assert when using a pencil to either write or draw. During our activity time with the Lego, we also see students learn about teamwork, especially as young students learn to share the pieces, while negotiating about their roles and responsibilities and the idea of how to extend the construction of their ideas. Our Lego Works activity also promotes creativity, as we allow the students to explore their imaginative side without limitations and fear of failure. Students also learn problem-solving skills related to mathematical concepts when using Lego, by understanding that certain smaller pieces can be fitted to larger ones to explain fractions.

Lego helps improve communication skills as students need to explain their ideas, their process, their work and the challenges they faced to create the structure or model. Plus we see that the use of Lego during our assigned time helps students develop persistence and grit, as they must keep on working even when the structure falls over. When students complete their final structure with the Lego during activity time, they often proudly show off their work, which helps to boost their self-esteem and confidence. Finally, time with 3D Lego constructions seems to help students develop lateral thinking and planning skills, as they face many challenges when constructing their ideas and often have to retrace their steps in the process and figure out a solution to any problem that arises. Overall, we see that allowing students to explore their creative ideas through Lego construction increases their ability to think critically, and helps students to improve their problem-solving skills, which is important for our 21st Century learners.

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.

2019/07/26 by R.M.S.

Collaboration has No Age Limit

At Rowntree Montessori Schools, our students are very familiar with the art of collaboration. Walk into any classroom, and you will see the children working together to accomplish a common goal. This does not only happen during regular school day work time, where our children can be found making wonderful things together, but it also occurs in our before and after school activities. In the Kindergarten rooms, there are many different hands-on resources to work with and explore. These resources may look like ordinary toys to a passer-by, but when someone takes the time to sit and observe children working and playing with them, they will soon realize that they are so much more than that!

Kindergarten and Grade 1 student at Rowntree Montessori Schools collaboarating on a STEM project bridge. — Kindergarten and Grade 1 student collaborating.

A very exciting example (as seen above), of a collaborative creation between a Kindergarten Montessori student and a Grade 1 student happened recently during an after school activity. Two students began building their own connecting structures, and then soon began to take their thinking one step further. Our Kindergarten student started to talk about his plan to make something that could span from one table to the other. The Grade 1 student then followed along with the idea, and soon after their collaboration began. Their goal was to build a bridge that could connect their two tables. The Grade 1 student was able to offer many valuable insights as an older child, such as helping build supports to keep the bridge up in the middle space between the two tables. Their conversations were full of rich ideas and kind words, and the two were able to work together to accomplish their goal. It was truly an amazing situation to witness!

Older students teaching a younger student how to read at Rowntree Montessori Schools in Brampton. — Older student helping a younger student learn how to read.

This particular situation shows the value of having hands-on manipulatives in the Kindergarten classrooms, and in allowing students of various age ranges to work together. It also highlights the wonderful STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programme that we have at RMS, starting in our youngest classrooms, which carries forward from learning to everyday life, as children integrate the skills that they have learned into their imaginative play. Lastly, it helps shine a light on the great sense of community that Rowntree Montessori Schools helps to foster. It does not matter what the age difference between the students is, they all get along and can make wonderful, creative, insightful things together, when given the opportunity. Collaboration has no age limit!

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.

2019/07/19 by R.M.S.

Exploring a Pioneer’s Life in 3D

“Hooray! It’s the project we’ve been waiting for in Grade 3, and it is here!” These were the words echoed by our Grade 3 students this year, as they were assigned the much awaited project of building a “3D Pioneer House”. The project assigned to them was done in three parts, where students were expected to research 1 of 4 types of pioneer homes, build a model of the home with a surrounding landscape, and prepare an oral presentation of the finished model in front of classmates and a green screen. The Grade 3 students could barely contain their excitement as Presentation Day began. Within minutes, the classroom started to take the shape of a mini gallery, with intricately decorated projects on display. Seen below is a student presenting her 3D shelter in front of a green screen.

Projects (whether a homework project or a classroom project), offer children the chance to be imaginative. They open the door for students to fully discover their artistic talents and creative skills, and to demonstrate their knowledge of the material learned in class. The oral presentation component of this project encouraged the generally timid children to build-up their public speaking skills, as they presented to a familiar audience of classmates.

As the students explored the lives of early settlers in Canada, it was evident by their enthusiasm and curiosity, that the 3D Pioneer House project was the highlight of their yearly learning experience. Their positive attitudes and yearning for active hands-on learning, was a clear indication of the success of Rowntree Montessori Schools’ award-winning approach to teaching, and our continued commitment to educating the next generation.

Student presenting his 3D shelter project at RMS

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.

– Albert Einstein

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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