Guadalupe Montessori School Online - Silver City, New Mexico
 
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About the GMS Teaching Staff and Programs

The Primary Program (ages 3 - 6 years old)

Primary Class

Primary Teacher
Misha Engel

Misha Engel has been a Primary guide at GMS for seven years. She earned her AMI certification at the Montessori Institute of Atlanta (Georgia) in 1991. She also has a BA degree in French and and a second BA in Comparative Literature from the University of Georgia. Misha lives in Gila, NM with her daughter and her two dogs.

Primary Teacher
Liz Morales

Liz Morales begins a new phase in her life this year. She will open our second Primary classroom at GMS. Liz is both a parent and staff member. She has two boys in the GMS and has been in charge of our After School Care the past two years, as well as working in the Summer Programs at the school. She has spent much of this last summer in San Diego doing Montessori training and is looking forward to working with your children.

Our Primary Montessori classrooms are designed for children two and one-half through six years old, in a mixed-age group. The classroom provides a place where children have freedom to choose their activities within a carefully prepared and enriching environment.

The children attend the school five days a week as the consistency of going to school each day increases the children's security with the classroom and aids the child in developing a self-directed learning style.

Parents are asked to consider that this is a three-year commitment to their child's education, as one year's work builds upon the next in the classroom. The three year program and age span encourages beneficial social interaction, and allows children to develop their skills year by year in the same environment.

Typically, our school day goes something like this:

8:15 - 8:30 The children arrive. The school day begins at 8:30.

8:30 - 11:40 The children choose activities from a wide variety available to them. Much of the time is spent in individual ''work, but the children may choose to join a small group game, sharing, or story time. The teacher gives lessons to the children and supports their work. Large motor activity is included in the schedule, as well as music, rhythm, and creative expression. The children gather together for sharing, stories, singing, and games.

11:40 - 12:00 The Half Day students have outdoor playtime and students are picked up to go home. The children who are staying for Extended Day and Half Day Plus help prepare the classroom for lunch.

12:00 - 12:30 The children serve each other the meal and eat together. This is a social time to learn the gracious and courteous way to take meals together.

12:30 - 1:00 The Extended Day and Half Day Plus children have outdoor play time.

1:00 - 3:00 "Extended day." The five and six year old children gather for circle and have individual work time. This very important time together allows the child to bring to fruition the efforts made and skills learned in the first two years in the classroom. It is equivalent to a child's kindergarten year. Half Day Plus children have rest time in the nap room.

3:00 Dismissal outside