Princeton Montessori School offers many enriching activities in the course of the school day. Primary through Middle School students participate in weekly music, fitness, art, Spanish and mindfulness classes. Toddlers participate in Music and Spanish classes. The programs are adjusting to allow for safe, distance learning.
ART
This year, the art program with Mrs. Stolzer is undergoing an exciting new transformation. It is now a TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) classroom! TAB is a studio approach to art education which aligns beautifully with the Montessori method of teaching and learning.
This method is well suited to art learning in the time of COVID-19, as students will not need to share materials, making it easier to maintain a high level of sanitation. The Imaginarium has also been redesigned to allow for distanced seating, and we now have access to two outdoor spaces to bring creativity into the fresh air.
MUSIC
New this fall, each Primary and Toddler student will have their own music kit! This will allow the children to still make music but not share any materials.
The primary students will join Mrs. Wasden for an outdoor music class each week. We have many beautiful, new rhythm instruments to create an individual instrument kit for each child. They will bring their own instrument bag and a mat. Our goal is to participate in a community music experience during which the children can explore movement, rhythm, and singing together while staying distanced in their own space with their own, individual materials. We also have new sound systems and microphones to facilitate an effective learning experience while spread out outdoors.
Once the weather gets cooler, music class will be in the Vitality Room. When indoors, our classes will focus on rhythmic development and percussion as well as guided listening and simple movement. Mrs. Wasden is really looking forward to continuing this part of our holistic approach to children’s development through music.
TUNE IN
Tune In is an important time for students to practice what is real and true – our connection to ourselves and others. Mrs. Galbraith will help students to increase their awareness of their bodies, breath, thoughts and emotions. Tune In allows students the space and time to practice flexibility and equanimity in the face of challenges and change.
This fall offers the students the unique opportunity to be outside and all the sensory exploration that comes with it. It also offers more space for children to move mindfully as they practice yoga and other movement based meditation practices.
SPANISH
Spanish class will be taught through Zoom this year. Mrs. Soto uses books, classroom materials, and plays music to help the children to learn Spanish vocabulary words. Reading is a powerful learning tool for second language learning and a great way to the class interested and productive.
Each month Mrs. Soto will focus on one topic and expand each week on that topic. In September the topic will be “fruits”, learning the colors, the size of the fruit, and how and where they grow.
Spanish classes for the Upper School will also be remote, through a new online learning platform called ‘Transparent Language’. This program will be guided by Mrs. Perez.
