" In the special environment prepared for them in our schools, the children themselves found a sentence that expressed their inner need: 'Help me to do it by myself!'"
-Maria Montessori
How the Classroom is Structured
The room is divided into specific subject areas with materials from which the child may select his work.
A specially prepared environment in the Montessori tradition can be likened to a garden. The child is introduced to a variety of materials that nurture interest and skill in all aspects of the child's world. Some of these areas include:
- Everyday tasks concerning care of the person and the environment.
- Those the child can taste, feel, see, touch and hear.
- The fundamentals of language, writing, and numbers.
- Geography, art, biology, music, and the physical sciences.
The child engages in self-formation and the discovery of independence through independent work that is guided and directed, not "taught". The Montessori teacher puts the child in direct contact with the materials.
To learn to think for one's self, to have a sense of awe and wonder and to truly own the feeling of purposeful accomplishment form the basis for the classroom. The environment is a rich soil for the growth of each child tended by the observant and careful eye of the Montessori trained guide.
The FWMS loves to have family gatherings to allow all families to get to know each other and enjoy a variety of fun events during the school year. For example, the month of October we celebrate our community helpers. The FWMS invites out a variety of community workers; Pediatrician, Pilot, Dentist, Fire Stations, State Troopers, Postal Workers, Armed Forces personnel and Sister the Cow.
Classroom Setup
Primary 5
Ages: 3-6
Ratio: 7 students to 1 teacher
In each classroom we have 1 teacher and 1 assistant.
Primary 4
Ages: 3-6
Ratio: 7 students to 1 teacher
In each classroom we have 1 teacher and 1 assistant.
Primary 3
Ages: 3-6
Ratio: 7 students to 1 teacher
In each classroom we have 1 teacher and 1 assistant.
Toddler 1
Ages: 18 mos to early 3 years
Ratio: 6 students to 1 teacher
We always have 1 or 2 assistants helping the teacher in both toddler classrooms.
Infants 1 and 2
Ages: 6 weeks through the 12 months
Ratio: 2 students to 1 teacher
