Jill's Smith Family Adventures: Cadence at Tempe Montessori

Cadence has had a hard time settling in to one place for daycare/preschool. And by that I mean that I have had a hard time finding the perfect place. We had a great infant room at a school, but then I didn't like the 1 year old program. The school she eventually went to when she was one had the kids routinely watching movies at school, which I am really against! Kids get enough TV at home, they really don't need it at school! To make things worse, when she turned two she was transitioned into another classroom away from her closest friend and she had a really hard time with it. So...during my maternity leave I was determined to tour the Montessori schools nearby. Chloe did Montessori for a year for preschool and we fell in love with that school. As I have a tendency to wait until the last minute for things, I didn't start looking at schools until August. Eventually I came to visit Tempe Montessori. I loved it immediately. And they were opening a second toddler classroom Sept. 1. Perfect.

The campus is down the street from where I went to preschool and reminds me of that preschool that I loved to much. I am all for tradition, so this school scores major points with me in that category. As I drive Cadence to school each morning I actually think about my mom making the same drive with me as a kid. And actually as a kid, there was a group of moms and kids that carpooled. With today's car seat rules, that would never happen! Sad...but I digress.

The school itself is two homes or so that have been converted into classroom. The south side of the campus is the elementary school and the north side is the toddler rooms and the primary classrooms. On the north side of the campus they have a goat, a sheep, a coi pond, and a large desert tortoise! There are two fruit trees that grow around a low tree house that the kids are encouraged to play on. And there are chickens and rooseters and rabbits! Oh, my! I love all the animals. It is so great that the kids get to interact with them. I love what animal interation does to teach children.

The inside of the classrooms are very nice too. The Montessori materials are all displayed with easy access for the kids to each of the different works. The teachers and staff are all wonderful and really passionate about Montessori. I feel that Montessori is the most logical way of teaching children by experiencing things. It has always been how I have learned best.

An added benefit in Cadence's class is that it is a bilingual classroom. The new director at TMS is really excited about bilingual education and is working to have a spanish speaking teacher in each class. In the toddler classroom, Ms. Laura is the lead teacher and she teaches the children lessons only in Spanish. Her assistant, Ms. Felicia, speaks to the children only in English. Cadence had only been in the school for three months when she told Ben "platito in la basura." When we were eating breakfast at a hotel. Or over Christmas when she picked up an apple ornament and said, "apple, manzana" or even last week, when we went on a walk she repied to my question, "si" - I am so excited knowing that she is learning the language now so she will have a solid foundation for language enrichment later in her life!

For now Cadence is one of the older kids in the toddler class, which has kids ranging in age from 18 months to 36 months. With her semester of experience, she can help the younger children with their work. Which reinforces all kinds of good things! Soon she will be transitioning into the primary classroom where she will be with kids from ages 2 1/2 through kindergarten age. She will begin by observing the older students and then will jump into her next level of learning! We love Ms. Laura's class but are excited for the new challenges that await her in the primary classroom too!

Occasionally the teachers take pictures of the kids in their classes doing the various lessons, or what they call "works." It has been fun getting little glimpses into her day. It allows me to imagine all the fun and learning she must be doing all day long! I have saved the pictures of Cadence with the intent to post them someday. I like that they show how she has physically grown too (especially her hair!).

Doing pasting in Ms. Cindy's class during aftercare. This has been one of Cadence's favorite activities.

The pink tower is the first lesson introduced to the children in the primary classroom, it allows them to distinguish between size and weight.

Early November 2009.

Pictures of the new toddler classroom, Cadence's classroom!

September 2009

Riding the bikes with her classmate during outdoor time. Although we got Cadence a tricycle for her 2nd birthday, we don't spend a lot of time at home outside. So it was fun one afternoon to come home and see her jump on it and ride around like a pro. Clearly, she learned it at school.

Reading books with her classmate.

Some of the practical life works. They have real class plates and glasses for the kids to use. In practical life Cadence has learned to peel and egg and peel an organge. It amazes me to see her do it at home!