LOWER FIRST GRADE-ELEMENTARY BASED CURRICULUM
Children acquire the basic skills in the early elementary years for reading, writing, and mathematics. They continue to refine and apply these skills in the later years. Children will be shown how to use the many resources in the classrooms. Each area is structured so as to allow the child to apply their natural curiosity in learning new material.

The teachers devote immeasurable time and energy in developing the environment, presenting materials to each student, encouraging performance, observing, noting progress, and helping the children with expression. All of this is the basis for all future intellectual development.

The curriculum includes continuous, integrated experiences for developing strong language, mathematics, reading, geography, and art skills. The students are also involved in the study of the sciences, history, and Spanish.

MONTESSORI MATERIALS
Each classroom environment is enhanced by the MONTESSORI WORKS. These materials are designed to attract the child's attention plus stimulate their curiosity and interest in learning.

MONTESSORI CLASSES
Montessori classes are multi-age groupings spanning three years. This allows for development of social relationships, more experienced children assisting less experienced children, plus encouragement of both shared learning and independent growth.

Because of the different ages and abilities, teaching one another becomes a reality. This leads to an atmosphere of respect, generosity, and cooperation that children find satisfying. Children are free to move purposefully around a Montessori classroom, to talk to and work with other children, to work with materials with purpose they understand, to work on their own educationally relevant projects, or to ask the teacher to introduce new material.

MONTESSORI TEACHER'S ROLE
The role of the Montessori teacher in the classroom is less directive than is customary in the traditional classroom. The classrooms are designed for the needs of the children. The teacher's role is to be a guide, observer, and caretaker of the environment. The teacher carefully prepares the classrooms by providing a stimulating environment and by removing obstacles to learning. The teacher presents a lesson to a child or small group of children and then steps back to allow them to pursue the work independently. The teacher will observe the child, help them overcome difficulties, and redirect the child when necessary.

PARENTS AND MONTESSORI
Your child will be bringing home the new skills learned at school. They will discover a sense of independence that will become very apparent in their home life. They may want to enjoy similar activities at home. If you allow your child to become involved in household chores, your child will develop the skills to care for others, as well as himself or herself. You can help the child by slowing down to their pace, maintaining consistent discipline, tolerate mistakes, and reinforce the child's learning process through doing and observing. These are all parallel to the skills they learn in a Montessori classroom.

STEPS TO REGISTERING FOR A GUARANTEED SPACE
The procedure for registering your child/children at NMS is:
1. The parents must visit the school (by appointment).

2. The child/children must visit the school with the parents by appointment.

3. The child/children must spend at least two hours at the school without the parents.

4. If space is available, the registration fee and half of the first months tuition must be paid with a completed brief registration form.

We do not allow walk-in visits. Please call 251-2979 for an appointment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. We are looking forward to your visit.

Questions