Kindergarten Montessori

2020/09/15 by Natalie

RMS Offers Award-Winning Programmes In-Person and Online

A Kindergarten Montessori student on the first day of school

RMS Focuses on Student Safety, Health and Well-Being

During these unprecedented times, RMS continues to deliver our award-winning programmes to our students. The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected everyone, but especially our students and their families. Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS) has taken steps to support and ensure our students’ safety, health and well-being during their pursuit of academic excellence. We have increased our hand hygiene, coughing etiquette lessons, and school sanitation protocols. In addition to these practices, we continue to offer smaller class sizes, child-centered and teacher directed learning with high academic and social challenges for children. Our Kindergarten and Prep-ONE programmes include structured learning, complemented with Montessori activities. RMS ensures a strong foundation in the areas of Arithmetic, Reading, Writing and Problem Solving. Our students even begin French and Robotics in Kindergarten!

Some of Online/Remote Learning Kindergarten students on the first day of school

For parents with concerns about sending their children to school, RMS is offering our award-winning, structured academic programmes to students in the comfort of their home, from Kindergarten to Grades 8. We have made significant investments to our “best-in-class” online/synchronous and live learning programme where students are able to see and interact with their teachers and classmates, from home, through a webcam placed in each classroom.

Ensuring Balance

To ensure a balance of structured learning, and the maintenance of good health and well-being, RMS students have plenty of opportunities to engage safely with their classmates. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to develop online resources for our students that provide them with tips on how to manage anxiety and stress during these times. RMS encourages our students to be active with Daily Physical Activities. Students are also encouraged to eat a balanced diet and maintain strong communications with their friends and families. Our students will also be able to participate in Virtual Field Trips this fall. Additionally, our students have worked on various Passion Projects where they’ve had the opportunity to learn about something they love. Students have shared these passions and experiences with their fellow students. To check out some of these amazing Passion Projects, please click here.

Still Accepting Applications

We are still accepting applications for admission to our school for the current Academic year. RMS offers low student to teacher ratios with small classroom sizes, therefore, spots in our classrooms are limited! We encourage any interested families to quickly and easily fill out our online application! Someone from our Admissions department will be in touch with you shortly. Click here to submit an application for the 2020-21 academic year.

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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 .

2020/08/18 by Natalie

Remote Learning in Kindergarten

Back in March, when it was becoming increasingly apparent that at least part of the remainder of the school year was going to include remote teaching and learning, we immediately recognized that our school’s biggest challenge was how we were going to engage our youngest children in this new teaching and learning environment. For our students in Grades 4-8, all of whom had been using their own Chromebooks as an educational tool for at least one school year, we had very few concerns. Even our Grade 1-3 students, who had significant in-class experience with the school-owned Chromebooks and who had the literacy skills needed to learn online, were well-equipped to engage in on-line learning. However, we wanted to ensure we had a world-class Remote Learning programme for our Kindergarten students.

The Kindergarten Remote Learning Environment

However, the most significant question was how we were going to meaningfully engage our 3, 4 and 5-year old learners in this remote environment. How would this be even possible? Generally, our youngest students have emerging and modest reading skills and were certainly not used to reading extensive instructions or passages on a digital device. Furthermore, even though they are very comfortable with using such devices, they are naturally limited in terms of effectiveness and efficiency in using a computer keyboard. Also, and this tends to vary from child to child, younger students tend to have more difficulty than their older schoolmates remaining focused (or sometimes sitting still) for longer periods of time. With these potential limitations in mind, and with the invaluable feedback from our Kindergarten parents, we developed a dynamic and highly effective online programme that maximized engagement for our youngest learners and minimized any technological or developmentally related barriers.

Providing a Sense of Normalcy for Our Kindergarten Students

A child displaying her school work — A child displaying her “Bucket Filling” assignment for her fellow students. This was one of many activities used to ensure the social-emotional needs of our students was met.

From the very beginning of this very challenging time, we understood that the social-emotional needs of all of our students, and perhaps more so for our Kindergarten students was at least as important as the Math and Language lessons that they were learning. Implementing lessons on emotions related to their “new normal” and how to combat feelings of boredom and missing their classmates and teachers, enriched each student’s learning experience during these challenging times. Rowntree parents, and especially those of our youngest students, consistently reported that these aspects of our programming were of great benefit to their children: it provided a sense of normalcy; it provided an opportunity to stay connected to their classmates and teachers; and, it provided a nurturing experience.

The Importance of Maintaining Routines

While these ideals were central to all of our remote programming, we specifically knew the importance of maintaining routines for our youngest students and ensuring that, despite their inability to see them in person, their teachers and the other adults at the school continued to genuinely care about them. Morning Circle Time has long been an important part of each of our Kindergarten classroom’s routine and its continuation through the remote teaching and learning programme set the tone each day for our students’ sense of normalcy and connectedness, both of which were absolutely vital for their well-being during the ongoing pandemic. Daily calendar, weather, number and letter review, and “good morning” songs transitioned seamlessly on to our digital platform. Perhaps most importantly, the children were able to continue to see their teachers’ and classmates’ smiling faces and hear the teacher say “Good Morning” to each child, in turn. The delivery of the online academic programme was also tailored, as much as possible, to meet the developmental needs unique to our Kindergarten students.

From the start we did everything possible in order to optimize the online learning of our youngest students, including some of the following:

Organization of each teaching block beginning with either a live lesson or a teacher-created video, followed by off-screen activities that reinforced the lessons and opportunities for students to check back in and ask questions along the way
Simplified navigation of the “clickable” daily schedule
Ongoing individual face-to-face assessments
Daily “readalouds” and “singalongs” that both reinforced the learning and heightened the students’ sense of connectedness within their classes
Integration of physical workbooks/worksheets into the learning, so the students could continue to practice pencil-and-paper skills
Ongoing encouragement of the students to share their talents/passions with their classmates (similar to the Grade 1-8 Passion Project initiative)
Creative integration of at-home Montessori Practical Life activities (folding, pouring, spooning, scissor skills, etc.)
Use of innovative, age-appropriate educational apps for reading and math

The Virtual Classroom

While the students and teachers were very happy to continue with their usual daily routines, the speed with which they all adapted to the use of our “virtual classroom” platform was truly extraordinary. Our youngest Rowntree online learners quickly adapted to the muting and unmuting of their microphone as appropriate, and even became proficient in using the Chat feature within the system. Not only did it become a great way for them to interact (ask questions and provide encouragement to their classmates while they were presenting their work), it also provided real-world, real-time opportunities to practice their developing literacy and typing skills.

The remote learning experience of our Kindergarten students was certainly not as easy to deliver compared to what we provided to their older schoolmates (I often used the term “Plug and Play” to describe the ease with which our older grades took to their new learning environment). In speaking with parents, teachers and administrators from other schools, I believe that what we accomplished between March and June was truly extraordinary. I am so proud of the Rowntree Kindergarten teachers and students who demonstrated grit, determination, and 21st Century technology skills in achieving success amidst a most challenging situation.

Please enjoy this video summary of some of the amazing things that happened in our online Kindergarten classroom.

You can also read some of the feedback we received about our Remote Learning in this following post: Best Private School in Brampton.

Mr. Harris, Director of Education

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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 .

2020/07/24 by Natalie

Why choose RMS: A Mother’s Perspective

How does a parent ever know that they have made the right choice when making difficult decisions for their child, such as where to send them to school for Kindergarten?

A male PrepOne (SK) student using popsicle sticks to build cubes — A Kindergarten student using popsicle sticks during a Montessori activity

Every day when my 4.5-year-old son comes home from Rowntree Montessori School (RMS), I can see the wonder and excitement on his face and in his discussions at the dinner table. “Mommy, do you know what Black History Month is?!” “Mama, I spelled my name!” “Mom, I counted 100 beads today!” With each passing day, I continue to be amazed at his growth and development not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. I truly believe that it is his exposure to the Kindergarten Montessori programme that has helped him to develop into an intelligent, caring, compassionate, and curious little boy. Each of the skills he learns at school is evident in our home-life as well.

Using Montessori Materials

At school, he is exposed to sensorial Montessori materials, such as pouring, scooping, and lacing, all of which have helped develop his fine-motor and self-help skills. This hands-on approach to learning aids him in being able to master tasks such as dressing himself, precision with pouring, and even printing. The Rowntree Montessori approach to learning has really helped to develop his independence in completing his school-work and in self-care. He also uses various Montessori materials to aid in his understanding of mathematics and language. With Kindergarten expectations set higher than the Ministry of Education, students benefit from the use of apparatuses such as the Spindle boxes and the Addition Strip Board. These strengthen his understanding of concepts, such as numeration and addition. Watching my 4.5-year-old son complete addition questions of sums over 10 is just one example of the reassurance I am given in my choice to have him attend Rowntree Montessori Schools.

Kindergarten Montessori students using the sandpaper alphabet

I will never forget the evening my son came home with a list of spelling words to work on for homework. I was surprised to see that my little boy could not only identify the phonetic sound of each letter but could read each list word! The RMS Kindergarten Montessori programme focuses on the importance of reading and writing right from the beginning. Students are taught to correctly print letters, with the use of the Montessori Sandpaper Letters. The importance of reading is also evident through their Reading program where students are given a weekly reader to practice. In just a few short months I was amazed to see that my son has advanced so remarkably in his language and reading skills. At such a young age, I can already see the early signs in my son of a strong reader!

One of the most notable areas of growth I have witnessed in my son since he began the RMS Kindergarten Montessori programme in September is in his character building. His participation in class has helped him to build healthy peer-relationships. He has become more respectful, caring and responsible. All of these traits are evident in his home-life, particularly in the way he interacts with his siblings at home, with extended family and to people in our community. He shows compassion and understanding to his younger sister and models the importance of using manners, sharing and being kind to others.

The enriched curriculum that he is being taught at school has given him every opportunity to reach his highest potential. The curriculum being taught is current, cross-curricular, and challenging. Classroom sizes are smaller and allow for more one-on-one attention with each student. I am confident that my child receives the individualized attention that he requires to succeed at school. As a parent, we all want to ensure that we provide our children with the very best, and what better place to start than at the Top Choice Award-winning school, Rowntree Montessori Schools.

If you want your child to have the best start to their education, complete an enquiry form today. Someone from our Admissions Team will contact you and discuss how RMS can help your child reach their full potential.

2020/01/10 by Natalie

The Benefits of using Montessori Materials to Teach Math

Recently in our PrepOne Math class, we have been using our workbooks a lot lately. So to try something new for our unit on creating 3D shapes, we implemented a hands-on STEM activity that helped students learn this skill. This teaching method is especially helpful to students who are kinesthetic or tactile learners. It provides them with a better understanding of the points and sides of each shape. Savera, has always done well in Math and she really loves to take part in any hands-on Montessori activities. During this lesson, she created 3D shapes using marshmallows and toothpicks and was able to identify each shape with its points and sides.

Rowntree’s mission is to use differentiated learning to teach our students various concepts and core skills. With this particular activity, students really benefited from the lesson because they were actively involved in joining sides and points of the 3D shape and were able to actively see the shapes come to life.

As today’s teachers, it is our responsibility to identify the various ways our students learn and encourage learning through different methods.
Savera was really excited as this was the first 3D shape she had created independently, without any assistance from her teacher.

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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2019/12/31 by Natalie

Young Anatomy Students at Rowntree Montessori Schools

With access to literally thousands of on-line videos of animated and real-life bodies that demonstrate how our various organs work, today’s teachers have no end of choice of how to introduce their students to complex topics such as the major human organ systems. But what if their students were 4 years old and the on-line content was much too sophisticated? In an increasingly digitized educational world, sometimes the simplest of materials provide for the deepest learning. Using scaled-down organ-shaped cardboard cutouts and some Velcro, our students were able to better visualize where, on one of their classmates’ bodies, each of the organs is located. Our young anatomy students were absolutely thrilled with the results as they now can readily understand where they could find a brain, heart, lungs, stomach and both intestines on someone their very own size. At Rowntree, Kindergarten teaching and learning is a rich combination of Montessori, traditional and more modern methodologies. While technology often plays a key role, sometimes the simplicity of a low-tech solution made of cardboard and tape is just what is needed to truly capture the imagination of our youngest students.

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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2019/12/20 by Natalie

Incorporating New and Traditional Methodologies in our Kindergarten Programme

In our balanced and integrated Kindergarten programme, Rowntree students benefit from the best of new and traditional methodologies. By combining the principles of Maria Montessori with both more traditional approaches as well as 21st Century teaching and learning, we can lead our students on an educational journey that we believe will prepare them for success in school and in life. This student has used available materials to creatively build 3-dimensional solids (a cube, in this case) in a lesson that has been reinforced with Montessori activities, on an interactive whiteboard, and with pencil-and-paper tasks. Our multifaceted approach is designed to engage and excite various learning styles and allows our students to achieve success across different contexts. Early STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) lessons encourage students to act as young engineers as they work to solve simple real-world problems using basic household materials. The foundation built in our Kindergarten classrooms leads seamlessly into our Elementary programme in which cross-curricular problem-solving of real-world problems is supported by a robust delivery of both traditional and 21st Century skills. Rowntree students of all ages are being nurtured and prepared today for success in tomorrow’s academic and occupational 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 .

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2019/10/22 by Natalie

Kindergarten Students Learning to Spell and Read Using Montessori Materials

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

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

A Movable Alphabet is a tool used in a Montessori learning environment to teach reading, spelling, and writing. The Movable Alphabet makes it fun for the child to practice alphabetical order, beginning sounds, ending sounds, middle sounds, and the formation of entire words. It is a wooden box containing 26 wooden letters.

Typically students are approximately 3.5 years old or older when they start using and learning with the movable alphabet. You will know when they are ready to use the movable alphabet when they are able to recognize 3-4 consonant sounds and one vowel sound.

The goals of this lesson are to familiarize the child with the movable alphabet, to teach students to be conscientious of their work by being careful with the letters, and by organizing and straightening letters in the box.

To learn more about the benefits of using Montessori materials in reading and writing, 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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2019/10/08 by Natalie

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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2019/08/23 by Natalie

Supporting Mental Health in Kindergarten

According to experts on mental health, there are multiple factors which can impact the positive well-being and mental health of children in Kindergarten. Below is a description of these factors, and how we at Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS) make an effort to offer each child the most positive mental health experience while at school.

Positive Regard Builds Self-Esteem:

The safety and well-being of children should always be of the utmost importance for educators. At RMS, we know that small children need to feel that they are welcome, enjoyed, and valued among the people in their world and environment. A child entering the classroom with a high-five or pleasant “Good morning” from his or her teacher will have a positive morning experience and joyous reaction. We believe that positive regard is more than being nice. It is wholehearted acceptance that helps children feel that they matter.

Emotional-Regulation:

The small everyday things that teachers do to encourage self-regulation can instill mental health skills that children can use throughout their lives. The occasional overreaction or meltdown and having negative reactions in unfamiliar situations is common in a Kindergarten classroom. Therefore, preparing young children for what is to come next helps build emotional-regulation. Giving children time to solve problems or giving them advanced notice before needing to tidy up can help students by offering them sufficient time to respond, as opposed to being impulsive which can cause fear or overreaction. We also know that teaching children to wait their turn when sharing toys or materials in class, helps them learn patience.

Creating Awareness for Mental Health:

Having a Mental Awareness week at school and integrating it as part of the curriculum helps children understand their varied emotions. The children in this age group generally have a difficult time communicating their feelings at the beginning of the year. Oral communication techniques, such as asking “How do I feel?” – happy or sad – can help a child become aware of how to act in any given moment. At RMS, we offer activities such as reading books about feelings and conduct puppet plays, among many other things to build an awareness of emotions. This enhances each student’s ability to comprehend his or her own feelings, as well as those of their peers and teachers.

For more helpful information about how to have a conversation with your children about Mental Health Issues, click 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.

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 .

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 .