“Every night we hear our daughter read to us we know we made the right decision to keep our kindergartener at Greene Towne.”
Excerpt from a letter written by a GTS parent concerning their decision to stay in Montessori for the Kindergarten year, in this case, the child’s 4th year in the Primary classroom.
We often have occasion to speak with Admissions staff and Heads of Schools at the various area schools. They tell us how valued Montessori children are in general and in particular, Greene Towne graduates. They tell us that there is almost always room for GTS students. They point out the natural attrition that often occurs between kindergarten and first grade due, in part, to families moving. We also talk about families understanding the commitment to a school program and the importance for a child to finish a cycle of learning. I am planning more meetings to talk to schools to confirm placement in first grades. Our commitment is to your children and giving them the best Montessori education possible—it is our mission.
This question is on the minds of many Montessori parents at this time of year at Montessori schools around the country. The Montessori 3 to 6-year-old classroom is, by design, an environment intended to respond to the intellectual, social and emotional development of a 31/2 year range of ages. Allowing a child to progress and complete this cycle, in which they begin as a novice and transform and grow into a class leader, offers skills and confidence that the child carries with him or her for a lifetime.
Year after year as our graduating Kindergarteners receive acceptances from the schools where they will continue in the following year, their parents learn, first hand, the value of these qualities, coming to fruition in the full Kindergarten year, when the child is developmentally primed for them. Parents relate how glad and relieved they are to have made the decision to keep their child in Montessori for the full Kindergarten year, (in most cases the child’s third year, but for some the fourth year). This sense of relief comes as they apply to schools and find out how well appreciated and sought after children who have completed the full Montessori program are. Greene Towne graduates have a reputation of being extremely well prepared for their new schools, not only in academic areas but in social-emotional areas as well. In the majority of cases, our graduates enter 1st grade in their new school. Sometimes, due to a summer birthday and the school’s policy, a GTS graduate may enter the Kindergarten class in their new school, and typically these Kindergartens have older students and more rigorous programs.
The parents of one of our “four-year” primary students, accepted for admission to three of the schools they applied to, shared the following reflections with us, supporting their decision to have their child complete the Montessori program.
1. The GTS Kindergarten (graduate) child knows the drill. There is continuity with the teachers, the facility and many of the same classmates.
2. The subject matter that was being discussed in some of the kindergartens we visited seemed to be pretty basic and looked a little bit like the toddler class at GTS.
3. All of the Elementary schools value Greene Towne students who have completed the Kindergarten year.
As parents of our current four-year-olds look ahead to their child’s Kindergarten Year we recommend you consider the following:
Richness of materials: The richness of materials afforded in the Montessori classroom is unparalleled in a traditional pre-school or Kindergarten classroom. Many of the materials used by our oldest students (some of which are used in the Montessori Elementary classroom as well): bead chains, world maps, sentence diagramming, story writing, multiplication bead board, the list is endless!
Opportunities for leadership: In a Montessori classroom, the oldest children are leaders! You see it in the way they walk around the school, delivering messages and younger children to the nap room; the pride in which they help a younger child with a zipper; giving a lesson; completing a map of Asia ; reading aloud to a group of rapt 3 year olds. In traditional school environments, students are not given the opportunity to take a leadership role until 4th, 8th, or 12th grade!
The bond of community: Greene Towne Kindergartners are a tight set. They have grown together for 3, 4, or in some cases, 5 years! They know each other and have developed deep friendships from interaction not only within the classroom but from movement class, music, recess, and after school programs. Now, in their final year, they have art, trips to the library, organizing for the Thanksgiving Food drive, field trips and Lunch-Around-the-World to share. These bonds last for years, even into adulthood. Did you know that the founders of Google were childhood Montessori friends?
Learning about what kind of learner your child is: When your child reaches 5 to 5½ years of age they have come into their own and we see a glimpse of the adult to be. Parents can better understand what kind of learner the child is and can explore new schools with this information in hand. Philadelphia has with a wide selection of elementary schools to choose from. Take a look at their Kindergarten program and compare it to the bustling activity of the Montessori environment. It is not unusual for parents to feel strongly about a specific school until they visit some of the alternatives and find another school they like even better. Our 25 graduates from last year are attending 18 different schools.
Now is great time to start visiting schools as you consider your child’s education after Greene Towne. Winter and Spring Open Houses offer a calm and unhurried way to see schools and some schools will not accept an application or schedule a tour/visit unless you’ve attended an Open House. You can check the schools’ web sites or the free monthly parenting papers: Parents Express and MetroKids, available in the GTS lobby. If you’d like a copy of the long list of schools that Greene Towne graduates typically go to, please contact us and we can email it to you.
SAVE THE DATE for our February 22nd
Parent Workshop: Applying to First Grade.
Picture Day envelopes went home last week. If you didn't get one or misplaced it, we have extra forms at the front desk. Please return the envelopes with payment to Memory Mate Photo by Wednesday, January 25.
Make sure to get to school EARLY (Primary students take pictures on Thursday, January 26 and Toddlers take pictures at the Primary School on Friday, January 27) as we will start taking pics at 9am SHARP, or before if a class is ready to go!
Toddler arrival will happen at the Primary School on Friday, January 27.