1. Welcome to Wauwatosa Montessori School
Parent Information Meeting

2. Agenda Overview and Information - 10 min
The Montessori Learning Environment - 20min
Questions - 10min
Facility Walk-Thru and Tour - 20 min

3. Our Staff William Anderson Principal
Jessica Bahr Teaching Assistant Upper Ele
Tyler Burmeister Band
Sarah Crabtree Music
Tierra DiCarlo Children’s House
Suzanne Graber Music
Kathryn Hartung World Language
Shannon Kobinsky Children’s House
Melissa Lang Phy Ed
Char Murphy Administrative Assistant
Jenny Leigh Art
Linda O’Brien Teaching Assistant Lower Ele
Tracy Raasch Upper Elementary
Margaret Sezemsky Lower Elementary
Haley Stozek Orchestra
Erica Tome TA Children’s House (JK & SK)
Kristee Yardly-Catlett TA Children’s House (JK & SK)

4. Background
Wauwatosa Montessori School is built upon the educational legacy of Dr. Maria Montessori, which began more than 100 years ago.
Dr. Montessori was the first female physician to graduate from the University of Rome Medical School.
In 1907, Dr. Montessori discerned a fundamental premise about children – all children are uniquely intelligent. This was a unique concept for this time and continues to be innovative.

5. More Recent Research
Piaget, Gardner, Goleman and many other current educational theorist validate this premise.
Dr. Montessori’s focus on the whole child moves away from the traditional adult-centered classroom to an environment and methodology that is designed to facilitate the development of the child’s independence and sense of personal empowerment.

6. Our Goal
To provide children with an authentic Montessori education that will foster a love of learning, self-confidence, personal creativity, and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Our academic program will assist children in discovering their true potential through the nurturing of their intelligence and creativity.
You are giving your children an outstanding preparation for middle school, high school, college and life.

7. Our Journey
Wauwatosa Montessori School opened its doors September 2011.
Student population of 63 students.
3 teachers, 3 teacher assistants
3 classrooms and Multi-purpose room
One section of Children’s House
One section of Lower Elementary
One section of Upper Elementary
Kitchen – not staffed

8. Our Journey - 2012 Student population of 87 students.
3.5 teachers, 4 teacher assistants, 1 administrator and 1 administrative assistant.
3 classrooms and multi-purpose room
Two section of Children’s House
One section of Lower Elementary
One section of Upper Elementary
New children’s house classroom
Art/World Language classroom
New gym

9. 2012 continued New main office Kitchen – Staffed
Front lobby and entryway
New signage
Outside landscape upgrades along building
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
Cub Scout Pack 111
STEM club (students and parents)
Communication and webpage improvements
Parent education opportunities (Book Club)

10. 2013-14 School Year Add second classroom of lower elementary
Classroom expansion – need parent input
Breitlow Field up-grades
Weather Station – WeatherBug Network
Gardens …….
Outdoor main entrance – murals
Before & After school program
Wednesday afternoon program Rec Programming (2:20pm – 3:20pm)

11. Enrollment/Application
Lottery
Sibling Preference
Prior Montessori Experience (4K and Beyond)
Application Window
February 4-22nd Lottery drawing on March 1st.
Applications can be turned in Student Services, Our office, or home school main office.
You must be a current Wauwatosa resident or currently enrolled in the District
Info and applications are located on our web

12. Wauwatosa Public Montessori School
Parent Information – Overview of Montessori at the Children’s House level
2013

13. Welcome to Wauwatosa Montessori School!
Wauwatosa is a leader in Public Montessori education
We have both a Children’s House and an Elementary Training Institute here in Milwaukee

14. Maria Montessori 1870-1952 Born in Italy
Italy’s 1st female medical doctor
Began her teaching career by working with children with disabilities
Approached education using the Scientific Method

16. Montessori philosophy used to instruct children

17. Sensitive Periods Language Order Refinement of the senses
Social behavior
Movement

18. Observation
Montessori discovered all children go through Sensitive Periods in which they can learn concepts with virtually no effort.

19. Language

20. Order

21. Refinement of the Senses

22. Social Behavior

23. Movement

24. Areas of Children’s House
Practical Life
Sensorial
Language
Math
Culture

25. Practical Life
Children gain skills that are essential for Independence :
Concentration
Coordination
Control of Movement
Independence

26. Concentration

27. Coordination

28. Control Of Movement

29. Independence

30. The Prepared Environment Fosters Independence

31. Practical Life also teaches and encourages:
Care of Self
Care of Others
Care of the Environment

32. Care of Self

33. Care of Others

34. Care of Environment

35. Sensorial
Sensorial helps the child to order & classify, as well as refine the senses.

36. Sensorial Materials
Pink Tower
Brown Stair

37. Sensorial Materials
Color Tablets
Botany Cabinets

38. Constructive Triangles Constructive Triangles
Sensorial Materials
Constructive Triangles
Constructive Triangles

39. Language
Language allows us to interact, communicate, contribute and relate to one another.
Language in Children’s House consists of Spoken Language, Writing, and Reading.

40. Metal Insets

41. Sandpaper Letters

42. Moveable Alphabet

43. Map Making

44. Writing

45. Reading

46. Language
Cursive Practice in sand
Reading in the Library

47. Mathematics
The Mathematics in Children’s House involve both the hand and the mind. Montessori realized that it is essential for the child to have orderly sensorial impressions; repeated concrete experiences are the basis of mathematical concepts.

48. Mathematics
The 4 year old on the left is practicing tracing numbers on a chalkboard while the 5 year old on the right has completed the Hundred Board~ organizing the #’s in the correct order.

49. Number Rods

50. Mathematics Formation of numbers with beads and cards
Cards and Counters
Formation of numbers with beads and cards

51. Stamp Game

52. Linear Counting
Short Chain
Long Chain

53. Snake Game

54. Addition Practice Chart
Mathematics
Strip Board
Addition Practice Chart

55. Small Bead Frame

56. Scientific research has shown that:
Cognition is optimized when movement is consistent with thinking.
We learn best when we are interested in what we are learning about.
Extrinsic rewards reduce motivation and level of performance once the rewards are removed.
People thrive when they feel a sense of choice and control.
We learn best when our learning is situated in meaningful contexts.
Children can learn very well from and with peers; after age 6, children respond well to collaborative learning situations.

57. Famous Montessori Advocates
Jean Piaget: noted Swiss psychologist and head of the Swiss Montessori Society
Erik Erikson: noted anthropologist, author and trained Montessori teacher
Thomas Edison: scientist, inventor and founder of a Montessori school
Mister Rogers: children’s television personality and strong supporter of Montessori education

58. Famous Montessori Graduates
Lary Page & Sergey Brin: Founders of Google
Jeff Bezos: Founder & CEO of Amazon.com
Jimmy Wales: Founder of Wikipedia
Will Wright: Creator of “The Sims” video game
Anne Frank (deceased), famous diarist from WWII
Julia Child: Chef & author
When Larry Page & Sergey Brin (founders of Google) were asked if the fact that their parents were college professors was a factor behind their success, they said no, that it was their going to a Montessori school where they learned to be self-directed and self-starters. They said that Montessori education allowed them to learn to think for themselves and gave them freedom to pursue their own interests.

59. Suggested Reading:

60. Thank you for your interest in our School community
Contact Information:
Bill Anderson