CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

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The Montessori principles of independence, respect and responsibility for children are woven throughout all we do at SGM. The school's values of community, respect, individualized and experiential education and self-reliance are reflective of these key philosophical concepts. Each program is tailored to the specific developmental needs of the varied ages of children while the common curriculum areas and principles remain the same across all our program offerings.

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There are five main academic areas and two main socio-emotional developmental areas which make up the integrated prepared environment:

Practical Life: Activities which link the home and class, developing grace and courtesy, care of self and care of the environment.

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Sensorial: Games which enable the child to order, classify and describe the world through the senses.

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Mathematics: Use of manipulative materials allows children to internalize math and number concepts.

Language arts: Oral and written opportunities for expression lead to reading, grammar and drama.

Cultural study: Geography, history and life science as well as art, music and dance integrated into the daily work of the class. 

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Grace and Courtesy: Each interaction in the classroom offers students the opportunity to engage in exercises of grace and courtesy.  Experiences such as learning to move elegantly through space, setting a tea table, or extending an offer of help to a friend are but a few examples of how Grace and Courtesy manifest in the Montessori classroom

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Peace Education: Montessori understood that meaningful pathways to living peacefully would only be successful if forged through children's experiences. Some of the many ways this is done in our classroom is through things such as exposure to and appreciation for all of the worlds peoples, meaningful conflict resolution and mindfulness-based activities.