English

2018/12/06 by Natalie

Stepping into Media Literacy

At Rowntree Montessori Schools Academy Campus, the students learn about Media Literacy as part of the English Programme. The year begins with an introduction to Digital Citizenship, which is a necessary lesson for students to gain digital privileges within the school community. The students are expected to learn the following seven Digital Citizenship Rules (www.topdogteaching.com):

I am building my digital footprint every day
I will make safe and appropriate choices while on my device
I will keep my private information private
I will be respectful of myself and others while on my device
I will never share my passwords
I will report all bullying I see while on my device
I will always give credit to sources I use

Students in Grade 6 at Brampton Private School learning about media literacy — Students in Grade 6 showcasing their digital footprints

After learning about Digital Citizenship and passing the required test, the Grade 6 class this year began to explore their digital footprints. The students were asked: “What would we find if we looked at your digital footprint?” This question prompted the students to look at the search history on their school Chromebooks and other devices that they had at home to have a better understanding of their digital life. The students began to write down the patterns they noticed like websites and apps that they regularly visited. Next came the fun part, the students drew pictures and words on an actual footprint to represent themselves. A few of the most common additions were pictures of apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Google apps (docs, slides, etc.). The students coloured them brightly, and together we cut them out and posted them on the classroom ceiling. They now act as a daily reminder to the students that they are always leaving a digital trail behind them.

Participating in this activity has helped encourage the Grade 6 students to act responsibly in their digital lives. As the school year progresses, the students often return to these conversations of digital citizenship when scenarios arise, and they use the tools they learned to navigate through various situations. We cannot wait to watch these students become digital leaders!

“Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo or update your status, you are contributing to your digital footprint and personal brand.” – Amy Jo Martin

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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2016/11/09 by Natalie

Give Me Five: The Essentials of Early Literacy

Our Grade 1 students have fun learning to read and write as they move through the five components of their Literacy Centres – small areas of the classroom where they can independently, or in a group, embark on a learning experience through self-directed activities. Within one literacy period, students have the opportunity to visit each centre for ten to fifteen minutes.

Students learning individually in their Literacy Centres

We know that students learn differently, have a variety of strengths and struggles, and find different topics interesting. Literacy needs and ability levels vary from one student to the next. As such, it is important that we provide a variety of ways for students to learn reading, writing, and speaking, using both traditional methods as well as newer technology.

Students using our technology to consolidate their learning

Each centre focuses on a specific literacy skill, all of which are essential parts of our young students’ academic development. The centres are organized as follows:

Reading to Self – Students independently read leveled readers, either in hard copy or on a computer.
Reading to Someone – Working in pairs, students take turns reading to one another.
Listening to Reading – Students can listen to an adult reading, or they can listen to an audiobook, while following along with a paper copy. Listening to Reading activities can also include interactive activities on the Smartboard.
Word Work – Students work on vocabulary-building activities.
Work on Writing – Depending on their level, students can do pencil-and-paper writing activities or use word tiles to create sentences accompanied by an illustration.

Working together in Literacy Centres to complete the tasks assigned

Beyond strengthening reading comprehension, writing development, and other literacy skills, the structure of our program also promotes the development of classroom routines and organizational skills. Since the content and skill level of each centre can be tailored to the needs of our students, we are able to provide them with active, fun and accessible learning as they work towards becoming the best readers and writers that they can be.

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 9:00am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:00am-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.

2016/10/27 by Natalie

Spelling Bee Success

On Wednesday, October 19, a group of Grades 2 to 5 RMS students competed in a Spelling Bee at the Four Corners Branch of the Brampton Public Library. We had just started a Spelling Bee group in our extended-care activities and thought that this local competition would be a good place to start! The students practiced very hard within a short time frame in order to get prepared. We are very proud of the amazing job that our students did, competing with such great skill and confidence. We are very pleased to announce that in the first round, Kayla M. (Grade 2) and Reyaansh G. (Grade 3) both earned first place in their grade levels. During the Championship round, that hosted all of the winners from all of the library branches in Brampton, Reayaansh G. took 1^st place for all of Grade 3. We are so very proud of all of the students and their accomplishments, and we are looking into other Spelling Bee events in which the students of RMS can participate.

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 9:00am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:00am-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.

2016/03/03 by Natalie

Fostering Creative Literacy with Poetry

One of the many literary units taught at school is poetry. In fact, poetry is a great way to foster creative literacy in the elementary classroom. It lets students be imaginative, and allows for flexibility in writing because they do not have to worry about grammar and spelling. Poetry allows you to bend (or even break) all the rules. Poetry builds community and allows students to share their thoughts and feelings; the quiet students get a chance to find their voices. Plus, it is a fun way to experiment with rhythm and oral communication. In the words of Robert Frost, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”

Poetry at RMS — Pen to paper – the moment a thought finds its words

Throughout the month of May, the Grade 5 students study poetry. We look at various poets, such as William Shakespeare and Alfred Lord Tennyson. We explore different poetic devices that are used to give poetry texture and deeper meaning, such as metaphor, simile, alliteration, and hyperbole. Students read poems aloud, both individually and as a chorus, and of course we write! We play with acrostic, cinquain, and haiku poems, just to name a few.

To wrap up the unit, students create a poetry anthology with some of the poems they have written. The kids have a blast. Here are some samples :

Hockey

Leafs

Competitive, hardcore

Skating, shooting, scoring

With huge fans

Marlies

The Bird

The bird flies around in the air

Picks up some worms, feeds it to her babies

Then eats for herself

Then goes fly some more and poops on a person’s head

Then the bird gets happy for not missing

The human says, “Not cool, bird”

The bird flies around in the air and then leaves

It sleeps

The next day it repeats

Birds and Worms

Bird

Colourful, smart

Flying, eating, building

Tweet, egg, pink, underground

Slithering, sleeping, exploring

Slimy, dirty,

Worms.

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 9:00am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:00am-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.

2016/02/02 by Natalie

“Celebrating Black History”

The month of February is a significant month, as it is a time to reflect, honour, and celebrate the achievements of African American and Black Canadian citizens. It is encouraging to see that this event is gaining international recognition and is being celebrated all over the world.

At RMS, the month of February is dedicated to instilling in our students the importance of recognizing the accomplishments of famous African American and Black Canadian individuals.

A display of project work for Black History Month

Each class is assigned a specific topic of research and presentation. Students have the opportunity to pick one famous African American or Black Canadian of their choice to research. Each grade has a different theme such as: Sports, Music, Government, Science, Engineering, or the Arts. The purpose of this exercise is not just to celebrate the heritage, but also to educate our future generation on the remarkable contributions made by African American and Black Canadian populations during the past and present. Our students gain valuable knowledge and insight into some historic personalities of Black heritage and take great pride in presenting their findings to their classmates.

My chosen famous person for Black History Month is Whitney Houston

Proudly displaying a completed Black History Month project

As with any oral presentation of this sort, it is the perfect opportunity for students to increase their confidence and to enhance their public-speaking skills.

Rowntree Montessori invites you to come in and experience our celebration of Black History in February. You will certainly be amazed at the vast array of presentations on display.

The celebration of Black History teaches our generation the value of hard work, determination, and courage, all of which are invaluable qualities which will mould our generation to bring about meaningful change for a new and better tomorrow.

For more in-depth information about famous Black Historians, click on the following link www.greatblackheroes.com

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 9:00am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:00am-3:00pm.

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

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