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How did Ridgeline Montessori get
started?
Ridgeline Montessori is an Oregon charter school approved by
the Eugene School Board on June 21, 2000. The parents and teachers who
created Ridgeline Montessori worked for a year to secure start-up funding and a
charter to operate the school. We are committed to the Montessori
philosophy because of the positive learning experiences our children have had in
Montessori schools as three to six year olds.
Why is the role of a parent in the
Montessori classroom so different from the role of a parent in a more
traditional classroom?
The children
in a Montessori classroom actively create their learning environment. The
teacher provides the physical and behavioral structure, and acts as a guide.
Ideally all adults should strive to make the smallest impact possible.
Please enter the classroom only if you are an expected guest (parent volunteer
or scheduled observer) and, when you do, remember to keep your voice low and
your presence understated.
Whom do I call if my child will be late
or absent?
Please call
the office at 681-9662 before 8:30 am whenever your child will be late or
absent. You may leave a message in the general school mailbox if you reach
the answering machine. The Office Manager will be calling your home and
business, as well as emergency numbers, if you do not let the school know your
child will be absent or late.
Students
arriving after 9:00am must check-in at the office before going to their
classroom.
Can Ridgeline students take the school
bus to school?
Ridgeline Montessori, similar to the alternative schools in
Eugene, does not have school bus service. Parents must provide
transportation to school for their children. Fortunately, being located
near the corner of 29th and Willamette streets affords easy access to Ridgeline
Montessori by foot, car bike or LTD bus. Also, the school has been quite
successful in encouraging carpools. There currently are carpool
opportunities available from many different sections of the city.
Do you
offer child care before and after school?
Ridgeline
provides pre-care from 7:30-8:15 am for $4.00 per morning or $15.00 for the
entire week.
Eugene
Creative Care will be on-site to provide after-school care until 6:00 pm.
You may contact them directly at 683-7291 for more information. The YMCA,
U 0f O programs, and Kid City, in the past, have transported our students to
their site for after school care.
Why must all visitors (including
parents) check in at the office before entering the building?
The safety of
our students requires us to know who is entering our school. all visitors
must check in at the office, even if only for a minute. When taking a
student out early, they must be checked out at the office.
What should I do if I have questions
about anything that is happening in class?
In order to
ensure accurate information is being communicated, Ridgeline's policy is to
bring any questions or issues to the student's teacher first. Our teachers
are incredible problem solvers. If more assistance is needed you or the
teacher may then choose to seek further assistance through the office.
Is Montessori Right for My Child?
Underlying the Montessori curriculum is a
fundamental belief that each child has an instinctive and spontaneous desire
to learn and that self-motivation is the only true impulse to learning.
In the Montessori classroom, individual responsibility for behavior, along
with respect for people and property accompanies the freedom that students
enjoy. In collaboration with observant teachers who assist with
goal-setting and assure steady achievement, children move themselves toward
learning: They learn at their own pace and pursue materials and topics that
are of interest to them.
To be successful, entering students must be able
to learn to make choices, cooperate with peers, develop and maintain a sense
of order, demonstrate self-discipline, function independently, and
participate non-competitively in a classroom community. They must also
find intrinsic satisfaction in work well done instead of seeking extrinsic
rewards or pats on the back. Students whose learning style is
primarily auditory, visual, or kinesthetic will find many stimulating and
appropriate activities at Ridgeline. Students who are highly
distractible may find our environment too stimulating for their learning
needs.
What Makes Montessori different?
Pedagogy and teaching materials are the most
compelling difference between Ridgeline Montessori and other schools.
Although the basic academic content of the curriculum is the same, the
following elements are key to a Montessori classroom:
Montessori Material
Carefully
designed materials are at the heart of a Montessori classroom. Each material
embodies a particular concept or skill but addresses many levels of
understanding, beginning with the concrete and moving to the abstract. Many
materials are self-correcting and provide students with feedback, thus
reinforcing autonomy, confidence, and self-motivation. Used in the
non-competitive Montessori classroom, the materials allow each child to
develop at his or her individual rate. Extensive written materials in
each area of the classroom support the Montessori emphasis on research using
reference books and both primary and secondary sources. In the
elementary classroom, students study Zoology, Botany, History, Geography,
Chemistry and Cultural Studies. Concepts are introduced with a key
experience lesson from the teacher. Learning is reinforced as students
work with sequenced materials and record their activities in written form.
Prepared Environment Dr.
Montessori created what she called the “prepared environment,” designed to
encourage self-directed learning. The classroom is arranged in
learning areas, with clusters of student-sized tables and open areas for
floor work. Shelves of materials pertaining to a particular area of
study surround each learning area. The materials are arranged
systematically and in developmental sequence. Students are free to
move about the classroom choosing resources and working individually or in
small groups as they pursue their work plan.
Teachers and Their Roles
Montessori teachers are rarely the center of attention in the classroom.
Instead, the teacher is one source of information among many and the focus
during work times is on each student working at his or her challenge level.
The teachers prepare the environment, observe the children carefully to
determine skill levels and readiness, offer appropriate activities, and
facilitate the process of “learning how to learn.” Montessori teachers also
actively model appropriate, respectful behavior and positive conflict
resolution.
Individual Learning Contracts
Elementary
students work according to individual learning contracts (ILCs) that they
develop with their teachers and update periodically to reflect progress and
standardized test results. These contracts set forth how the student will
complete the curriculum requirements. Students and teachers track work
weekly to ensure they are fulfilling their ILC. Individual students
progress at their own rates and level of learning.
Long Continuous Work Periods
Whole-class instruction time is minimal; the school day
is structured to allow students to spend long blocks of time on work that
they choose within the framework of their contract. This schedule enables
students to explore a topic or material thoroughly and to carry it through
to completion.
Interdisciplinary Approach
Subjects
are not taught in isolation; they are related thematically to each other.
Students are taught to use reading, writing, and math as tools for the
pursuit of knowledge and skills. This approach motivates students to master
the basic skills and use them in understanding material in the content
areas.
Multi-age Classrooms
Students are grouped in multi-age clusters spanning three years
in the elementary program. Multi-age classrooms serve to: maximize
curriculum options available to students; encourage cooperation and minimize
competition; provide opportunities for indirect learning for younger
students; foster self-confidence in students who serve as role models; and
provide for long-term teacher/student relationships.
Enhanced Curriculum
Using the services of a Montessori consulting firm, we have correlated
the Montessori Scope and Sequence with the Oregon Curriculum Goals to ensure
full coverage of both curricula. The Montessori elementary curriculum
strongly emphasizes math and language, then uses them to study other
subjects including anthropology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, economics,
geography, geology, government, history, philosophy, physics, political
science, and sociology, referred to as the Cultural Curriculum. Art,
music, and physical education are part of the integrated Montessori prepared
environment as well as being subjects that are taught in their own right.
Technology is a tool that supports all other curriculum areas.
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