Montessori Happenings

Back to School (at Night!)

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Published: Wednesday, 24 October 2018 16:51

Each semester, the Primary and Young Children's classrooms at both the Westside and Sunnyside Campuses host a very special Back to School Night for families. Students proudly bring their parents, siblings and even grandparents into their classrooms and become the presenters of their lessons. Parents enjoy seeing what their children work on during the Montessori work cycle, and students seem to be especially focused and careful with their materials. Even the youngest students at 18 months old take pride in sharing their classroom work with their families. We had a great turnout this year at both campuses and look forward to showing families how much students have grown and progressed at the next Back to School Night in the spring.

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Behind the Scenes at the NAU Dome

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Published: Tuesday, 23 October 2018 20:40

The kindergarten students from Westside were invited by the Northern Arizona University Athletic Department to tour the NAU Walkup Dome. The students bundled up for their mile walk from school to the Dome and set off first thing in the morning. They were greeted by Mr. Carlos, the head equipment manager for all of the sports teams at NAU. 

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Montessori Sings Peace

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Published: Tuesday, 16 October 2018 21:48

Light a candle for peace

Light a candle for love

Light a candle that shines

All the way around the world

Light a candle for me

Light a candle for you

That our wish for world peace 

Will one day come true

On International Peace Day 2018, Montessori School of Flagstaff joined hundreds of children from Montessori schools across the globe to "sing peace around the world."

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Kindergarten Trip to the Arboretum

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Published: Tuesday, 16 October 2018 20:09

In September, the kindergarten students from the Westside and Sunnyside Campuses united for their very first field trip! It was a beautifully sunny day and perfect for a visit to the Arboretum. The bumpy bus ride down the dirt road was an exciting way to start the morning!

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Montessori School of Flagstaff Cedar Student's Charity Work Impresses

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Published: Monday, 29 February 2016 16:59

The following is an excerpt from Flagstaff Family Food Center Volunteer Director, Michael Van Ness' correspondence with the school,

"On behalf of the Flagstaff Family Food Center: Food Bank and Kitchen I want to say "Thank You!" for having your students come and build emergency food boxes with us this morning. I seldom see such dedication and focus from the ADULTS who come and volunteer with us - it was a pleasure to host."

A group of students from Montessori School of Flagstaff's Cedar Middle School spent time at the Flagstaff Family Food Center packing emergency food boxes for those in need. From the photos and Mr. Van Ness' response it is clear that all those involved had a great time for a great cause.

Montessori Students Clean up Urban Trail

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Published: Wednesday, 24 February 2016 23:30

It was hard to get lost along a segment of the Flagstaff urban trail near Coconino High School while it was littered with seventh and eighth graders during a trash cleanup last Friday morning.

The students of the Montessori School of Flagstaff Middle School sported their brightest vests and most comfortable shoes to collect the empty beer bottles and left-behind dog droppings that were scattered along the Sego Lily Trail, which winds up the hill behind the high school to the crest of McMillan Mesa.

“It’s pretty fun, but it’s sad that there’s a lot of trash out here,” said Kevin Willden, a seventh grader at the school.

Every seven weeks, the students rotate for a chance to sit on a planning team – made up of a group of four – to research, make phone calls and strategize a community service project. So far, they have made sandwiches at the Northern Arizona Food Bank and landscaped at the other Montessori campuses.

“We haven’t done too many yet but it’s really fun,” said seventh-grader Alyssa Prager. “It’s a fun way to end the week.”

The Sego Lily Trail was previously known as the Sixth Avenue Trail; the new name reflects the presence of sego lilies, a small, white wildflower native to the West.

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International Peace Day

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Published: Thursday, 03 October 2013 16:28

In celebration of International Peace Day, Switzer campus held their annual Peace ceremony. Students designed and hung flags adorned with symbols and pictures of peace, and sang "Light a Candle for Peace".

B1 Masterpiece Art

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Published: Thursday, 03 October 2013 16:28

Many thanks to Julie Lancaster and Jennifer Morris for a great Masterpiece Art Lesson. Students were treated to the art of Claude Monet and the rewards of painting in plein air.

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Virtues: Cooperation is Key!

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Published: Tuesday, 17 September 2013 03:10

One of the first weeks of school, we talked about the importance of the virtue of cooperation. We use cooperation in nearly every aspect of our classroom, from working on lessons together to keeping our classroom organized and clean. We use cooperation when we listen to each others ideas and come up with the best solution. Without cooperation, our classroom environment wouldn't be the peaceful place we know! 

To demonstrate cooperation, the children attempted to get two balloons into a tub using two yardsticks. When just one person tries this, it's a very difficult task! Balloons end up going everywhere! But when two people use cooperation, it's much easier to get the balloons into the tub! Here are some photos from our fun cooperation activity:

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Classroom Highlights from August

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Published: Monday, 16 September 2013 03:52

The Westside Campus is busy with children excited to be back in the classroom.  Here are a few highlights from the past two weeks:

1. The children explore color mixing the primary colors blue and yellow to make the secondary color green.
2. Each child will have the opportunity to take home the “All About Me Bag” and present their meaningful items to their new friends. This is a time where we get to learn more about our classmates, practice the art of speaking to a group and learn the importance of asking questions.
3. One of the major focuses at the beginning of the year is handwriting.  The children use various types of tools to practice fine-tuning their skills.
4. In our classrooms we sing skip-counting songs, rote counting songs and use Montessori Materials to help reinforce this concept.

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