ST. CLARE’S MONTESSORI
PREK3-6TH GRADE
“I have studied the child. I have taken what the child has given me and expressed it, and that is what is called the Montessori Method.” — Maria Montessori
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Joyfully Catholic
Inspired by our patron saint, Clare, at the heart of our program is our deep love for our Lord in the eucharist as the source and summit of our faith, as well as the incorporation of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a rich environment provided for the child’s exploration of his relationship with God.
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Authentically Montessori
With the opportunity to work for extended periods of time in peace and full concentration, children become calm and joyful. They learn with ease through their interaction with the environment, while the teacher serves as an observant guide, understanding each student's growth and providing the materials for deeper understanding at just the right time. The fruits of a successful Montessori program are children who love learning and are fully engaged in their own self-development.
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Boldly Adventurous
At Saint Clare's, we get our hands dirty--literally--spending as much time as possible out of doors. We take full advantage of the beautiful Lake Tahoe basin: weekly outings include hiking, kayaking, skiing and more. Saint Clare's enables each child to bloom in an experience that is dynamic, challenging, and filled with adventure, fun, and laughter.
Our Montessori Program
Saint Clare’s program is anchored in a deep reverence for each child and his/her own unique journey of “becoming.” We share Dr. Maria Montessori’s view of the child as a unique creation of God, created for eternity, and worthy of the greatest respect. We strive to honor Montessori’s understanding of each child as a being whose physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual parts are interrelated, by creating an educational environment that respects that unity. A Montessori education is meant to be an “aid to life,” and approaches the development of the child as a continuum in which each stage has its basis in the preceding one and which, in its turn, is a preparation for the next.
Our program provides the children with a rich learning environment which children are encouraged to collaborate and given the freedom to explore and engage their environment, which they do with enthusiasm, without the promise of reward or threat of punishment. The classic Montessori three hour work period allows each child to delve deeply into his work, learning and accomplishing much more than a teacher would normally require.
The Montessori combined-age classroom enables students to work academically at their own unique developmental stage rather than in strict grade levels. Our children learn to interact in a diverse mixed-age environment, providing invaluable opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and genuine leadership roles. Our days are structured with a wonderfully home-like rhythm. We sing together as we work, pause to pray the angelus, attend mass together and enjoy the seasons with stories and saints' day festivals which breathe life into our days.
We believe, as Dr. Montessori did, that sparking interest and enthusiasm in a child is the key to unlocking a life-long love of learning.
Primary (ages 3 - 6)
We are a fully licensed Nevada Childcare Facility offering the following drop-off programs:
HALF DAY PROGRAM 8:30-12:30 P.M.
(3 & 4 YEAR OLDS)
3, 4, and 5 days available. Recommended attendance for 3 and 4-year-olds is 5 half-days/week.
FULL DAY PROGRAM 8:30-2:50 P.M.
(5 & 6 YEAR OLDS)
The primary class, often called "the children's house," is an opportunity for children to discover their incredible capabilities. Young children are incredibly sensorial and our hands-on materials are designed to satisfy their inner drive to touch everything! The classroom environment is calm and peaceful and allows freedom to explore, work individually as well as with classmates, and begin to understand the fundamentals of peace-making. Integral to our program is time spent exploring outdoors, investigating the world and the wonders of imaginative play. Through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, each child is able to explore her own unique relationship with our loving God, as well as grow in her personal development of the virtues of peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.
The children's house is comprised of five main areas of explorative learning:
Sensorial - hands on experience making order with the five senses
Practical Life - care of self, care of the environment, grace & courtesy, gaining independence & concentration
Language Arts - the beginnings of phonetics, writing, grammar and composition
Mathematics - counting, arithmetic operations, geometry (shapes & planes), memory work, decimal system
Cultural Studies - geography, zoology, science, & botany
Elementary (ages 6 -12)
MONDAY - FRIDAY, 8:30 AM - 2:50 PM
An elementary child desires to know not just ‘what,’ but ‘how’ and ‘why,’ and is filled with curiosity about the world. This is heightened by his ability to explore not only with his senses but also with his reasoning mind and imagination. Each year, elementary students are introduced to a series of “Great Lessons” which introduce the six major subject areas: mathematics, language, geography, biology, history, and geometry. These stories introduce fundamental concepts, while subsequent lessons invite the child to study each area in more detail, coming to understand the interconnectedness of the universe.
The elementary years are a time of great personal and social growth. The child’s growth is aided through the Montessori concept of “going-outs” in which children plan trips into the community, building upon research begun in the classroom, coming to understand not only their place as members of their own families but also as part of a larger society. During the elementary years, children enter a sensitive period for moral formation which is fostered both through social learning experiences in the classroom and also through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. A focus on service and stewardship, as well the incorporation of music and art into the curriculum, and yearly theatre productions aid in the formation of the whole child: intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
If you have never experienced a Montessori elementary classroom at work, you are in for a treat. In a word, it is 'magical'. There is a low hum of activity and movement as students explore, work with incredible focus, collaborate, and move freely and purposefully about the classroom.