Lisa wrote:Hello there,
Does anyone have any feedback on Richmond Hill Montessori School ?
Thanks!

Hi Lisa

I am a Montessori teacher and have dealt with RHMS in several capacities over the last 12 years. The school is professionally run and has qualified teachers.

However, essentially RHMS is a private school in every sense of the term, and is not a true Montessori school in that they do not follow the Montessori curriculum after the age of 4. The preschool and JK years are the only classes that follow the Montessori curriculum and once the children are at the SK age, they no longer use the Montessori materials, which are the entire philosophy of Montessori. In my experience, the most important year to use the materials is the final year before Grade One (age 5/6), and it is unfortunate that they choose to run the program this way.

So ultimately it is a decision of whether you are truly interested in a Montessori experience for your child or a more traditional private school experience. It is my understanding that the programme is accademically accelerated but without following the Montessori theories there will be a lack of foundation for these students in the end.

The best advice I can offer is to visit the school, and others, and when making these decisions about where to send your child, use your instincts. You know best, and if it feels right then it will be.

Good luck!

Michelle

Tatiana wrote:Thanks Michelle for posting; I'm also very interested in Montessori schools in the York Region, and also possibly in Barrie (where we might be moving next year)... I was wondering if you could give me any tips on how to identify a 'good' Montessori school, that stays true to the Montessori philosophy as you mentioned, versus others that are not...? Either here in the discussion forum or by email to t_ouvarova@hotmail.com; it would be greatly appreciated! (My son is turning 1 very soon, so we won't be putting him into a program probably until next September, but I'd like to do my research well in advance, to pick the right school.)

Hi Tatiana

I am sorry I missed your message!

It can be difficult to identify a good school, but I firmly believe that you should trust your instincts. You will get a feeling, good or otherwise, from visiting a school during operating hours when the children are there. You should be able to go into, or at least observe from a window or door, a functioning classroom. There should be lots of purposeful movement, meaning the children will be active but very busy with their work. There should be beautiful, natural materials on the shelves and children working at tables and on mats on the floor. The good teachers will not be the centre of the room but possible hard to find at first glance - sitting at a child sized table or perhaps giving a lesson to one child on the carpet.

One way of ensuring the school truly follows the Montessori curriculum is to choose an accredited school listed on the CCMA website. (www.ccma.ca).

I would strongly recommend visiting the school at open houses as well, so you have a chance to meet the teachers. Ask about the curriculum, and have him or her explain about the 5 distinct areas - Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math and Culture. This will give you a good idea of the qualifications of the teachers.

Hope this helps - if you would like further info pls feel free to email me at michelleApatterson @ gmail dot com

Take care

Michelle