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Mountainside Montessori School offers Montessori programs for children
from birth to 6 years of age. These programs fulfill the needs of
children in the first plane of development.
Mountainside Mornings
This program serves children under the age of 3 years and their
parents. Mountainside Mornings meets every Friday morning that school
is in session from 9 to 11:30 a.m. This is a drop-in program and no
reservations are necessary. Each session includes time to explore the
Montessori environment, a discussion and literature on a topic of
Montessori education and how it applies to children under the age of 3,
and a movement session for the children. The first session is free, so
please drop in to explore all that we have to offer your family.
Assistants to Infancy Program
Our Assistants to Infancy program is for children 18 months to
approximately 3 years old. Children meet in our toddler environment
Monday through Thursday mornings from 8:30 to noon. Throughout the
morning, children work in Practical Life, Sensorial, and Language
areas. They read books, sing, count, do movement exercises, play
outside, prepare food, and eat together.
Primary Program
Children in the Primary environment range in age from approximately 3
to 6 years old. The Primary program is a three-year cycle that includes
the kindergarten year. The 3- and 4-year-olds attend Monday through
Friday mornings from 8:30 to noon. The kindergarten students stay until
2:30. The morning session in the Primary program includes time for the
children to greet each other and choose their work. They spend their
time working in the areas of Practical Life, Sensorial, Language,
Mathematics, and Cultural Extensions. Seasonal crafts, field trips, and
guests with knowledge to share are frequent parts of the Primary
curriculum. The morning session ends with time together for a story or
a song and outside play. In the afternoon, students first enjoy their
lunch followed by recreational time outdoors in the school playground.
Mountainside Montessori School encourages garbage-free lunches
(minimized packaging and waste of food) as well as nutritious contents
(please no candy, chocolate, or artificial flavors or colors). Reusable
containers and healthy dinner leftovers work well. After lunch, the
older students engage in more challenging work individually and as a
group. They often continue their work the next morning, encouraging
them to take responsibility for planning their day.
Extended Care Program
The Extended Care Program is designed to help parents who are working
and need to drop their children at school earlier and pick them up
later. We accommodate students needing extended care from 7:30 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. All children may enroll in the Extended Care Program.
Ski Program (optional)
During the winter we offer an optional ski program for a consecutive
series of Fridays including discount lift tickets, lessons and
equipment rental. Children 4 years or older may participate in this
program.
Parent Education
Mountainside parents meet monthly in the evenings to discuss topics of
Montessori education and how they apply to their children. These
sessions provide a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the
method, what happens in the classroom, and to get to know the other
parents.
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