BILINGUAL ELEMENTARY PROGRAMME

The Elementary programme at Hatch House Montessori School is offered for students from 6 to 14 years old (Grade 1 – 8). True to the discoveries of Dr. Maria Montessori the programme is organized into two three-year cycles:  Lower Elementary from Grades 1 – 3 are for 6 to 9 year olds, Upper Elementary from Grades 4 – 6 are for 9 to 12 year olds and from Grade 7 - 8 are for 13 - 14 year olds.  Our elementary students continue their studies in the same classroom year after year, which allows for building a strong community with one another and intensifying their relationships with the teachers, who will stay with the students through their elementary years.  Similarly to the Casa programme, Elementary children continue to learn through the manipulation and aid of concrete materials as they move gradually toward increasingly abstract thinking. The Elementary Montessori materials engage multiple senses, the lessons are dramatic, and impressionistic to spark the imagination and curiosity of the students.The spiral curriculum of the Montessori classroom exposes students to many interrelated topics repeatedly over time.  With each repetition, children build on the knowledge they already have about a topic, delving deeper into the details, seeing the connections more clearly, and ultimately developing a deep understanding of our complex world. In the rich Elementary environment, there are no limits to what the child may learn and explore. 

The Montessori Elementary curriculum is based on the Montessori philosophy of ‘Cosmic Education.’ Cosmic education is an ingenious method devised by Dr. Maria Montessori to use as the primary means of education in the period 6-9 years; it is a bold, and exciting method of learning about the origin of our universe, life on Earth, the emergence of humans, and the history of math and writing, designed to awaken and spark the imaginations of the elementary students. These insightful lessons become the springboard of all curriculum areas of learning explorations of culture, science, mathematics, language and social rules and morals from grades 1 - 6. 

HHMS Bilingual Elementary Programme

Inspired by the vision of our HHMS Principal and Dr. Maria Montessori’s discovery that a child goes through two "sensitive periods" for language development; HHMS is the proud innovator of our unique French Inclusive Elementary Programme.

According to Dr. Montessori the first sensitive period for language occurs during the first plane of development (birth - 6 years) and the second one happens during the second plane of development (6 -12 years). 

Sensitive periods are certain times in a child's life when he/she becomes especially interested in and extremely receptive to a particular area of studies. It is like a light shining onto a certain area, making it much more attractive than others, captivating the child’s full attention to absorb anything and everything about that exact area. These periods of special sensitivity do not last long and once they pass they could never again be replicated.

Dr. Montessori had learnt through her observations that the second sensitive period for language in the lower Elementary ages is for grammar in particular. It involves a fascination with the construction of a language.

At Hatch House Montessori School we pioneered a French Inclusive Elementary Programme, where we take advantage of the irreplaceable opportunity of this precious time and this exceptional ability of our children while it is present. 

This is where the uniqueness of our French Inclusive Elementary Program lies and this is why we are the only Montessori School in the Durham Region offering this programme. While our children are immersed in the French language during their daily studies of every area of the curriculum we do not abandon English either. We treat both languages equally important therefore they are instructed simultaneously by our English teacher in partnership with our French teacher all day and every day.

Our unique program considers the presence of the sensitive period for grammar and exploits the extraordinary capabilities and receptiveness of the children to master the intricacies of the languages with ease in a bilingual environment.

Lower Elementary

Our Lower Elementary Programme at Hatch House Montessori School provides a continuation of the Montessori philosophy and inspires, promotes intellectual curiosity, creativity and individual growth through academics, arts, athletics and a variety of enrichment activities.

The transition from our Casa Classes to our Bilingual Elementary Class is smooth within our classrooms. Many materials overlap in the beginning and are used in a resourceful manner so that children adapt easily to the next level of education.

Our Lower Elementary Programme at Hatch House Montessori School is a rich community where children’s passion for learning is evident. Students, greatly motivated by their soaring imagination, are provided with the opportunity to fully realize their learning potentials, while receiving ongoing customized support for each of their academic, social and emotional needs. The many brilliant Montessori materials enable open-ended exploration allowing the children to develop according to individual abilities and skills. They also fulfill their interest in exploring not only their immediate surroundings, but in knowing and understanding the bigger world.

After attaining physical independence during their younger years, the elementary students’ need for intellectual independence is now apparent. Lower Elementary children are also becoming very social, being with friends and working out issues of friendship and the appropriate behavior for groups becomes very important. In our thoughtfully designed and prepared environment children are encouraged to work both in groups and individually, learning to manage group dynamics, while they also master academic skills.

Our unique multi-age bilingual classroom provides children with the opportunity for extensive social development and enriched learning in both English and French. We greatly encourage supportive learning that allows the children to engage in peer teaching and social interaction.

Our highly trained teachers strive to meet the developmental needs and learning styles of each child. Children are taught in small groups or on an individual basis which allows them to master their skills at their own pace in a non-competitive atmosphere. As concepts are mastered, new ones are introduced.

Upper Elementary

Hatch House Montessori School’s Upper Elementary classroom is a dynamic continuation of the Montessori educational experience and curriculum that has already been established throughout the Lower Elementary years. Students attending this program acquire a strong foundation in academic skills and a genuine love of learning.

Students gradually move away from more concrete, fact-based learning, into an age of abstraction and reason. The use of Montessori materials helps the classification, organization and solidification of concepts that the students are presently learning. The programme is designed to lead students, who are ready, to more abstract work. Fueled by exceptionally strong imaginations and a desire to understand how things work, children will do their own research, analyze the information they have gathered and reach their own conclusions. They are eager to move beyond basic facts and begin to look at connections, cause and effect, and patterns in their learning and understanding of the world. Students benefit from continued use of Montessori materials in combination with advanced educational materials as required, fulfilling the Ontario Education curriculum.  

Our Upper Elementary students are given opportunities to work together or alone to pursue individual or group interests. Our classroom encourages social interaction and group work as part of each student's academic work, creating a productive and positive social community. Ongoing independent work is also vital, and allows students to challenge themselves, refine organizational skills and build a solid foundation of academic skills. Fairness, justice, and morality are of great interest in our Upper Elementary classroom. In response to this need, social and moral development are intertwined into all aspects of the curriculum. The academic program fosters intellectual independence, exactitude and a love of learning.

At Hatch House Montessori School, our classroom facilitates creativity, independent thinking, personal responsibility, and leadership skills. Students develop intellectually, socially and morally, as active participants in their classroom communities and their own learning. By the end of the Upper Elementary Montessori programme, students will have acquired the skill of being an independent learner.

The core curriculum for the Upper Elementary students challenges them with advanced ideas in the following areas of learning: Language, Math, Cosmic education (History - Formation of Universe to Present Day, Physical Geography, and Political Geography), Sciences (Chemistry, Physics, Botany and Zoology).