remote learning

2020/10/27 by Natalie

The New Normal

An image of the words "New Normal" in wooden boxes — Teaching and Learning During the New “Normal”

Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS) has just completed our seventh week of a new school year that began amid the Covid-19 pandemic and our teachers and students are adjusting well to the new “normal”. This past spring, as Ontario schools shut down over the March Break, our school quickly pivoted from a typical year in the life of Rowntree to one in which all teaching and learning was done online. The public health situation evolved over the course of the summer, and by September, we found ourselves in a very unique circumstance in which approximately 60% of our families were comfortable returning to school, while the remainder preferred to continue learning from home.

Using a Concurrent Teaching and Learning Model

With the summer to prepare for any number of outcomes, we decided upon a concurrent teaching and learning model in which each of our classrooms included both in-class and at-home students. The overwhelming advantage of this approach has been the school’s ability to maintain consistency for our students, as it has allowed for a seamless transition between in-school and at-home learning. For a student experiencing minor symptoms, staying at home could be achieved without any disruption of academic continuity. He or she could simply join the same class, with the same teacher and the same classmates, from the comfort and safety of home. This model also has considerable benefits should it again become necessary to close our physical campuses for any period of time. Furthermore, when it is ultimately safe for all students to return to school, they will be able to do so within a consistent classroom community that has developed over the course of the academic year.

A Pandemic Proof Programme

While the development and execution of our concurrent teaching and learning model has been far from easy, the school’s faculty has been able to transform what we learned last spring into an extremely effective, yet flexible, and essentially pandemic-proof programme. What is perhaps most striking of all is how quickly our new model has truly become a new normal. Just a year ago, none of us could have imagined a school functioning as ours is today. Firstly last March, in a matter of a few days, and now, after only a few months, we have been able to ensure the continuity of the Rowntree school experience throughout the many challenges that we have all faced in 2020. While our tech-forward approach over the last several years positioned us very well to make the necessary changes, it has been the overall resilience of our organization, especially that of the students and teachers, that has our current reality possible. The unique combination of collective skill and character that has come to define Rowntree in 2020 has allowed us to create a new normal in an ever-changing and unpredictable world.

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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 .

2020/10/09 by Natalie

A Balanced Approach to Education

A Kindergarten student showing his spelling work. It’s all about BALANCE at RMS!

At RMS, it’s all about Balance!

The last few months have given Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS) a unique opportunity to demonstrate everything that is great about our school and how we take a balanced approach to education. For several years, we have been on the leading edge of 21st Century teaching and learning, including the use of educational technology and the implementation of cross-curricular and real-world STEM problem-solving from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8. While these aspects of our programme have long been great features of our school, they became absolutely essential in 2020, as we were able to quickly and very effectively adjust our teaching and learning within a changing environment.

While Rowntree is an extremely forward-thinking school, this does not mean that we are exclusively focused on technology and the latest trends or fads in education. We have always believed that a balanced approach is what our students most need in order to best be prepared for success in the 21st Century. We strive to ensure that our more modern lessons and activities are balanced with traditional academic skills, such as handwriting, public speaking and the Arts.

Over the last few months, however, we have come to even further understand how fundamental our commitment to balance has become for Rowntree students. As we moved through our period of Remote Learning last Spring and into our present “concurrent learning” model (in which some children are learning at school and others are learning at home from the live-stream of their teacher in the school classroom), we have had to ensure that the teaching and learning provided an effective balance between digital and hands-on or pen and paper tasks. RMS has had to intentionally plan lessons that would equitably meet the needs of all of our students, whether they are learning from within our physical classrooms or from their kitchen table or bedroom.

Balancing Academics and Physical and Emotional Well-Being

We also, perhaps now more than ever, need to find an effective balance between our students’ pursuit of academic excellence and their physical and emotional well-being. We take time each day to work through our new Wellness curriculum in order to ensure that our students, whether they are in-school or at home, continue to take good care of themselves and feel cared for by their teachers and the school administration. While we want to do everything to ensure that, regardless of what is happening in the world, our students can continue on their first-rate academic journeys, we recognize that an overall balanced approach to our programming is what will most likely lead to an increased sense of normalcy that is so vital for children today. RMS truly believes that providing balance to our students ensures that they are Ready for Anything!

To learn more about RMS’ balanced approach to education and learning, watch a great video our Director of Education has put together by clicking here. It’s not too late to register your child for the current academic year for in-person classes or our leading-edge online (live stream from the classroom) learning programmes. To discuss enrollment, please contact one of our Admissions Coordinators at: 905-790-3838.

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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 .

2020/09/15 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 .

2020/06/03 by Natalie

Virtual Student of the Month Assembly

A photo displaying the May 2020 Students of the Month at the Academy Campus — May 2020 Rowntree Montessori Schools Student of the Month

Rowntree Montessori Schools’ Student of the Month is a long-time tradition at our school. Every month, in conjunction with focusing on teaching our students core values, we hold a Student of the Month Assembly. The Student of the Month Assembly recognizes students from grades 1 to 8. These students have demonstrated the chosen value for that particular month. These values include leadership, responsibility, grit, honesty, kindness, among others. Due to the unique times presented by the current COVID-19 Pandemic, and our learning programme, this month’s value was Digital Responsibility. This month, RMS held our first Virtual Student of the Month Assembly.

Virtual Student of the Month

RMS’ Student of the Month Assembly is unique because it is organized and executed by the Rowntree Leadership Council (RLC). Guidance is also provided by one of our grade 8 teachers. The Assembly provides our students with an opportunity to use their top-notch public speaking skills, in addition to using their leadership skills.

The Show Must Go On!

With the COVID-19 Pandemic closing our physical schools, the RLC decided that the “Show Must Go On!” and students organized a Virtual Student of the Month Assembly. The Assembly took place on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Our MC, Mia and presenters Anthony and Tamanna led the Assembly and recognized students who have best displayed this month’s value, Digital Responsibility.

What is Digital Responsibility?

Digital Responsibility is essentially about making the right decisions online. Rowntree Montessori Schools encourages our students to always hold, model, and share this value during our normal school routines, and especially during this period of the virtual school. RMS students are required to demonstrate digital responsibility in order to become better role models for each other. Additionally, we want our students to become better digital citizens in our Rowntree Community and in the world.

How Do You Demonstrate Digital Responsibility?

Anyone can demonstrate Digital Responsibility simply by using technology appropriately by simply logging into class on time. We teach our students to stay focused on their work and be sure to communicate respectively with their fellow classmates and teachers. We encourage our students to be honest when doing their work. In the spirit of 21st-century learning, our students create and develop their work using digital creations, using various software and platforms.

This month’s Virtual Student of the Month Assembly was a huge success! It provided our students with an opportunity to celebrate each other’s accomplishments over the past month. Students high-fived one another and virtually “patted” each other on the back! Congratulations to all of our Student of the Month recipients. It was wonderful to see all of your smiling faces.

Want to see a great video from one of our past Student of the Month Assemblies? Click here

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

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

2020/05/29 by Natalie

Keeping students active with DPA!

With our students participating in our Remote and Interactive Teaching and Learning Programme, DPA (Daily Physical Activity) has never been more important. Keeping children active during the day is always good for their physical and mental health, especially during challenging times like these.

Because our students have not had their regular physical education classes, our Physical Education teacher, Mr. S has been creative! Recent DPA and Phys. Ed class includes daily dynamic full-body workouts, with two to three sets of different exercises.

Dynamic and Static Stretching is Part of DPA

To ward off stiff muscles from sitting at a computer all day, our Physical Education teacher takes our students through a series of dynamic and static movements and stretches. Typically, two sets of these stretches is sufficient to keep stiff muscles loose. Mr S recommends that students do their stretches at least twice per day.

Dynamic stretches are active movements in which joints and muscles go through a full range of motion. They can be used to help warm up your body before exercising. Dynamic stretches include such things as walking lunges, leg swings, high knees or jumping jacks.

Static stretches, on the other hand, require extended muscle-use and are held for a period of time. Some examples of static stretches include a triceps stretch, downward dog, child’s pose or even the butterfly stretch. For some great examples of Dynamic and Static stretches that you can do at home, please click here.

Keep DPA Interesting With a Variety of Exercises

To keep DPA fun, Rowntree students have also participated in various movement games such as Simon Says and Charades. Each game includes students doing push-ups, situps, jumping jacks, lunges or squats, etc. Bodyweight exercises keep students moving throughout the day. Students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8 participate in Daily Physical Activity.

Another great form of DPA to do at home is dancing, through online dance competitions or tournaments. This provides students with an opportunity to showcase their latest dance moves and have a few laughs with fellow students via their remote learning. Once again, this is a great form of DPA for students in all grades.

Rowntree Montessori students also regularly participate in yoga-like and mindfulness activities. These are a great form of exercise that have many benefits including keeping muscles limber as well as calming the mind. Children, aged 6 to 12, have improved physical and mental health with yoga-like exercises and mindfulness, according to Harvard Medical School.

Running Drills as Part of DPA

Lastly, our Physical Education teacher has been taking our students through a full course of running drills that are beneficial in preparation for any type of sport and will help aid their cardiovascular health. Running is also a great sport for children of all ages to participate in as it provides an opportunity to get outside and get some fresh air with their families. Running is also a sport that anyone can do while at home during COVID-19.

We encourage our students to stay active and take a break from their screens and get outside (when the weather is good, and with parental permission). A recent student survey revealed that most RMS students are doing at least 2 hours of their own physical activity each day, and the most popular forms of exercise include cycling, running, walking, and basketball.

During challenging times like these, it is so important to keep children active. Physical activity keeps our students’ bodies healthy and helps manage stress, anxiety, and even boredom.

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

2020/05/18 by Natalie

Novel Study Learning, Remotely

It has been two months since our students began their remote learning adventure. This has meant that we have had to come up with creative ways to teach different lesson units. Our grade 4s took their remote learning to a new level by adding a dimension to their novel study unit.

What is a novel study?

A novel study refers to the process of reading (studying) a text (novel) together. One copy of the text is provided to the teacher to read aloud to the students. Alternatively, the teacher provides a copy of the book for every student to follow along with. Reading a textbook can be dull but using a Novel Study to learn a lesson unit makes it more engaging for students.

The novel study is used to practice comprehension and fluency. In addition to this, a novel study also focuses on Literacy concepts such as cause and effect, summarization, and making inferences. The content of the book is just as important as the skills readers are using to understand the text.

Reading novels, taking part in discussions, chalking our character sketches, and answering questions can become boring at times. To address this, one of our grade 4 classes decided to take action! Students generated Apps for James and his team to help them cruise around with ease to reach their destination. There are many benefits to teaching students through Novel Studies. For a list of five key benefits of a novel study, please click here.

Our grade 4 class rewrote their stories to give a different perspective to Roald Dahl’s famous novel, James and the Giant Peach!

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

2020/05/07 by Natalie

Students Go on A Virtual Field Trip!

An image of students taking a Virtual Field Trip to Famous Structures Around the Globe — An image of our grade 3 students taking a Virtual Field Trip around the globe, visiting famous structures

Grade 3 Students Go on a Trip Around the World, with a Virtual Field Trip!

With another week of virtual learning under their belts, our grade 3 class took their remote learning skills to a new level by going on Virtual Field Trip! Our students took a field trip this week as part of a unit on Stability in Science. Our student “globetrotters” visited landmarks around the world locating both ancient and modern structures on every continent. Students identified the stable features of these structures while exploring why these structures have stood the test of time! This virtual field trip provided students with an opportunity to visit famous structures. These online “trips” provide students with a broader experience of the world around them.

For more information on different virtual field trips that are available to you and your children, click here. For a list of some benefits of virtual field trips, please click here.

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

2020/05/06 by Natalie

Passion Projects at RMS!

A male student working on a craft at home as part of his Passion Project
A student working on a craft as part of his Passion Project
Cooking at home at part of his Passion Project
Helping out in the kitchen during time spent on their Passion Project
RMS Passion Projects
Planting seeds for an outdoor vegetable garden during Passion Project

On April 27th, 2020, Rowntree Montessori Schools’ students from Grade One to Eight had the opportunity to start their very own RMS Passion Project.

What is an RMS Passion Project?

The goals of the RMS Passion Project are to tap into students’ talents, the things they love, and the things that bring them joy. Further, this creative initiative provides students with a chance to start learning more about what they love. With the ongoing challenges that the COVID1-19 Pandemic has brought us, and with students working remotely away from their classmates and teachers, the timing of this creative project was perfect.

The Framework

In addition, the framework, “Think, Do, Share” encourages students to first think about what they love, what they want to learn about or create, and finally which digital tool would they like to choose to share their Passion Project with others. Specifically, activities have covered a wide variety of creative projects; such as cooking, dancing, baking, lego, coding, gardening, art, and more. Even RMS teachers, principals, and the Director of Education has been delving into their RMS Passion Projects!

We Love Learning

Our schools foster a love of learning and we want to further enrich our students’ learning experience by providing them with opportunities to share and inspire others with their RMS Passion Projects.

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

2020/04/24 by Natalie

Remote Learning at RMS

RMS student working remotely — A grade 3 student working hard from home during RMS’ Remote Learning Programme

Learning About Values while Learning Remotely

One of the many skills our students learn at Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS) is grit and we have truly put this skill to test in the past six weeks. Grit has helped our students adapt to our Remote Learning Programme. RMS’ award-winning, structured academic programme includes a focus on character building and core values. Grit is one of the many values that we encourage our students to display.

Our dedicated and committed teachers have really stepped up to the challenge and helped us implement a robust Remote Academic learning programme. However, it’s truly our students who upped their game with their remote learning skills. And they have done so while displaying kindness, thoughtfulness, and care. This video of the past week’s learning can really attest to that.

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 .