Why no Montessori Upper Grades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Not uncommon for 3-5 year old montessori students to be multiplying a 4 digit number by another 4 digit number, really? For example, 5289 x 4178 = 22,097,442?

That's not what I've observed at LAMB or Shining Stars. I saw kids playing with blocks and such. Which is just fine for that age, BTW. I guess I was there on the playing with blocks day. Need to return on the multiplying 4 digit numbers day.

No, it's more like 2,476 x 3 = 7,428 and it's the Montessori early childhood curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Capitol Hill goes to the 8th grade...and the best fit after that is School Without Walls a natural progression.

I have to disagree. The best fit after Montessori depends on the child. I'm a parent of two former CHML (my oldest went when the program was at Watkins) and I've seen many kids graduate and go to many different schools. I"m thinking of some past and current high schoolers that have gone through the program with my older kid and off the top of my head I know Montessori grads at SWW, Banneker, McKinley, Wilson, Basis, Latin, Eastern, Duke, Dematha and other privates I can't recall - all doing well and thriving and enjoying the traditional high school experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capitol Hill goes to the 8th grade...and the best fit after that is School Without Walls a natural progression.

I have to disagree. The best fit after Montessori depends on the child. I'm a parent of two former CHML (my oldest went when the program was at Watkins) and I've seen many kids graduate and go to many different schools. I"m thinking of some past and current high schoolers that have gone through the program with my older kid and off the top of my head I know Montessori grads at SWW, Banneker, McKinley, Wilson, Basis, Latin, Eastern, Duke, Dematha and other privates I can't recall - all doing well and thriving and enjoying the traditional high school experience.

All of which sound better than a Montessori HS - which is almost as wacky as homeschooling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't schools let kids into Montessori schools at higher grade levels?

Going back to the original question, sort of: If a student was in a Montessori school in Pre-K, Pre-School, Kindergarten, maybe even 1st grade, then left to go to a more traditional school, would they be able to return to a Montessori school later?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I think if they left for a couple of years, they could come back and finish. By first grade, the prerequisites and "coding" system of all the upper el materials are already in place. Othersmight disagree, but I'm a long time Montessori teacher if that counts for anything. Now, if a particular school would take them back is a totally different question.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if having a Montessori high school would cause more parents to keep their children in Montessori? For instance, I have heard many parents say that they love Montessori, but plan to transfer their children to a traditional school around kindergarten; their reasoning being that their children will have to transfer at some point, and they want them to be able to make the change when they are younger, and before homework and testing becomes really heavy...

If so, it could really solve the problem of student retention for the city's Montessori schools (when 30 three year olds get whittled down to ten students by 1st grade...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not DCPS, but Waterfront Academy in SW (near stadium) is opening a middle school portion next year. Grades 5-8, I believe. Sounds like a great option for a kid who needs more attention and a smaller environment. According to the principal, Montessori middle school is very project-based, lots of individual and group projects. I am very intrigued at this option for my own child.

I have no beef with waterfront academy. However the head of school was an educational aide 4 years ago in DCPS. Not sure if that's the kind of instructional leadership I'd trust my kid and 15k to.

You are crazy! If you check the website you'd she has years of teaching experience. She was most likely an aide while she was in college (clearly more than 4 years ago as well), which is pretty typical. Check your facts before you say something like that! http://www.waterfrontacademy.org/the-team.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not DCPS, but Waterfront Academy in SW (near stadium) is opening a middle school portion next year. Grades 5-8, I believe. Sounds like a great option for a kid who needs more attention and a smaller environment. According to the principal, Montessori middle school is very project-based, lots of individual and group projects. I am very intrigued at this option for my own child.

I have no beef with waterfront academy. However the head of school was an educational aide 4 years ago in DCPS. Not sure if that's the kind of instructional leadership I'd trust my kid and 15k to.

You are crazy! If you check the website you'd she has years of teaching experience. She was most likely an aide while she was in college (clearly more than 4 years ago as well), which is pretty typical. Check your facts before you say something like that! http://www.waterfrontacademy.org/the-team.html

Check your facts. She has no Montessori certificate, and completed less than three years as a classroom teacher anywhere. Not a solid track record staying in one place and making things work.

[Anonymous]

I don't know anyone successful that stays anywhere for more than a couple of years, that is how you move up. Duh.

And she does have a Montessori certificate - from Mexico, that is what makes her qualified at a dual-immersion school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anyone successful that stays anywhere for more than a couple of years, that is how you move up. Duh.

And she does have a Montessori certificate - from Mexico, that is what makes her qualified at a dual-immersion school.

I don't know all the details about her credentials, but just have a 5 minute conversation with her. She's amazing, clearly was meant to teach and lead and is all around a great person as well. She is not leading the school in a vacuum, there's also a Founder and a Board who oversee things. Plus the school is starting small and building so she has time to learn as she goes. I am seriously looking at the middle school Montessori program at Waterfront and her vision for it is really impressive. She clearly knows what she is doing and I'm excited to see what the future will hold. It might just be the perfect fit for those of us who want our kids off the BASIS/Latin/DCPS test test test track. Not that that's a bad track for many kids, but projects and independent work sound just fabulous for mine.

[Anonymous]

Please take your discussion of a private school to the private school forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anyone successful that stays anywhere for more than a couple of years, that is how you move up. Duh.

And she does have a Montessori certificate - from Mexico, that is what makes her qualified at a dual-immersion school.

Have you seen it? Notice the bio doesn't say anything about completed her training or earned her Montessori certification. "Received her Montessori education" is a fairly passive statement, no?

She might talk a good game, but $15K is a lot of money, and a look under the surface is warranted here before you give up on Basis, Latin, etc. Proceed with caution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anyone successful that stays anywhere for more than a couple of years, that is how you move up. Duh.

And she does have a Montessori certificate - from Mexico, that is what makes her qualified at a dual-immersion school.

Have you seen it? Notice the bio doesn't say anything about completed her training or earned her Montessori certification. "Received her Montessori education" is a fairly passive statement, no?

She might talk a good game, but $15K is a lot of money, and a look under the surface is warranted here before you give up on Basis, Latin, etc. Proceed with caution.

New poster here. I went to look at that school because I was interested in their bilingual summer camp. A quick look at their facilities and the way they were interacting with the kids made me changed my mind. But that's just my opinion.

[Anonymous]

I thought the whole point of this thread was Montessori in upper grades. I don't believe that Basis or Latin offer that. Waterfront Academy is one school that does and they happen to be private.

That said you can't have a true Montessori school in a public setting, it is only "Montessori-inspired". There are no guarantees in an "inspired" setting. Only the true form of the method has research backing it up...can't say the same for the "inspired" stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anyone successful that stays anywhere for more than a couple of years, that is how you move up. Duh.

And she does have a Montessori certificate - from Mexico, that is what makes her qualified at a dual-immersion school.

Have you seen it? Notice the bio doesn't say anything about completed her training or earned her Montessori certification. "Received her Montessori education" is a fairly passive statement, no?

She might talk a good game, but $15K is a lot of money, and a look under the surface is warranted here before you give up on Basis, Latin, etc. Proceed with caution.

New poster here. I went to look at that school because I was interested in their bilingual summer camp. A quick look at their facilities and the way they were interacting with the kids made me changed my mind. But that's just my opinion.

We did the summer camp at Waterfront and it was a joke. Overpriced for pretty much nothing. DCPR camp was better. DC loved it though. No way I would pay $15k for that school and those facilities.