You've Come A Long Way Baby!

Monarch Montessori of Denver opened its doors in April 2010 with 90 students and has grown to 200 students almost two years later.  Many of those students had a Montessori head start in other programs and now are successful, independent, self-guided pre-school students at Monarch.

Parents think very hard about what is the best methodology so that their child gets the very best beginning in education.  They invision a school as a commitment for years to come, especially with Montessori.  Monarch Montessori of Denver is very fortunate to offer an authentic Montessori program that starts at 6 weeks through Kindergarten with plans to expand to an elementary school of choice with Denver Public Schools.  That means that a child from 6 weeks old can be at Monarch Montessori for 10 years!

Lisa Avery Krug had this to say about her daughter, “Choosing a Montessori education was the perfect platform for Campbell's launch into academia. It was amazing to see Campbell transform from this dependent little infant into a self assured, self reliant and self confident preschooler.”

The Montessori Method has been implemented all over the world for over 100 years and it works for all types of learners. Montessori was originally developed in Italy by Dr. Maria Montessori for three to six year olds and then adapted for younger children and older children.  From the infant stage, children are allowed to explore their environment and have no restraints such as cribs or playpens.  The materials in the room are natural and enticing to encourage the child to explore and learn gross motor skills.  This ideology continues and sets a foundation for the continuing years into toddlers, pre-school and beyond.

When Lisa was asked about the growth she has seen she responded. “Over the years, we have observed Campbell grow into a collaborator, who is respectful of her community, and someone who takes pride in her own individual accomplishments. My husband and I will often stand back silently and observe Campbell growing into a budding leader who has been groomed to look beyond her own personal limitations. This is because of Montessori's multi-age grouping where she once was the mentee, and now she is the mentor. Who would have thought that these kids would be developing leadership skills so young?! With that role, there is a certain level of maturity that I certainly didn't expect from a child so young. This is directly attributable to the kind of environment that she is in. A traditional (school) environment can appear very linear (i.e. You go to school and the teacher has an agenda and the children follow that agenda. The End.) On the other hand, a Montessori environment encourages the children to create their own agenda for the day, thereby taking responsibility for their own actions. For our daughters, it allowed them to figure things out, encouraging curiosity but without imposing a ceiling. Ultimately, this builds such a great sense of self, which is so important in the early years.”

Montessori follows the child’s level of learning, so there is no comparing of children of the same age.  This alleviates any stigma associated with learning.  Learning becomes a self exploratory experience guided by the teacher.  Pre-school teacher and Director of Primary, Tori Virlee said, “Every child benefits from the Montessori environment and philosophy even when starting after the age of three.  However, it is amazing to watch a child with the Montessori foundation from infants and toddlers come into the pre-school environment.  Imagine what a three year old with a strong foundation of order, concentration, coordination and independence can accomplish in the following years.  These children learn without limits.” 

If you are interested in learning more about the Montessori Method, there are many books and websites that can give you the basics, but to really see the proof in the pudding, you have to see with your own eyes. You will be amazed!

Peace, Love and Montessori

How do you go from acroyaoga to teaching 3, 4, and 5 year olds?  Hayde Mitchell, originally from Mexico, studied contemporary dance in Monterrey, Mexico but due to an injury had to change directions to her second love, children.  She studied ECE just before coming to the U.S. four years ago.  Her first taste of Montessori was in Boulder where she became an assistant in a Montessori school.  She only spoke Spanish at the time, but very quickly learned English as she began to study the Montessori Method here in Denver.  Hayde became a lead teacher this last October and her passion for her kids shows in her photography of the children.  You can find her photos in recent Stapleton Front Porch ads for Monarch Montessori and on the walls of her students’ homes.

Hayde is an amazing teacher at Monarch and also is the Spanish speaking voice on interviews with KBNO radio.  She is helping spread the word about our elementary charter plans for fall of 2012 to all the Spanish speaking families.

Nancy Radkiewicz, Principal of Monarch Montessori said, ”Hayde is the epitome of a creative soul. She brings a peaceful energy to her room everyday.”

Living a very natural, peace loving lifestyle, Hayde Mitchell is a true example of the kind of person Maria Montessori would love to be around.  Along with photography, Hayde has many creative pursuits in painting, drawing, acroyoga (blending of yoga and acrobatics), yoga, and of course her first love…dancing!

Traditional Teacher Chooses Montessori

Melissa Cantu, one of Monarch Montessori of Denver’s finest teachers came to us for a tour, wanting to learn more about Montessori for her infant son and to get him enrolled.  Who knew that only a month later she would be working in a toddler classroom?  Melissa began her teaching career as an assistant while finishing up her Master’s degree in German at Georgetown University.  She then moved to Austria to teach English for two years and when she returned to the US, she got her second Master’s degree in Special Education.  Before coming to Monarch Montessori, she taught for six years in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas Nevada.  Her husband, Lupe got a job in Denver, just after the birth of their first son, Brennan, and they are surviving their first winter here.  As a parent, having a strong background in education, Melissa originally was looking for the very best opportunity for her son and in return has fallen in love with the Montessori method and has decided to get her certification in Montessori.  She has gained knowledge and appreciation of the Montessori Method from her co-teacher Colleen Toohey in toddler room 7.  Although this is her first experience with toddlers, she is learning very quickly and will be ready for baby Brennan when he is ready for potty training and other toddler triumphs.  On her lunch breaks you will find Melissa spending quality feeding time with her son in the rocking chair just outside of his classroom in the Infant (Nido) wing.