Trinity Montessori School ‘s Elementary Program was established in 2000, and has since been committed to facilitating an environment that fosters growth, success, and independence. Throughout the years, we have had the privilege of welcoming many Casa graduates to Grade one. The following are some highlights of what makes our Elementary Program special.
Enriched Academic Elementary Program (grade 1 to 6)
The objectives of our Enriched Academic Elementary Program are to provide our students with accelerated, enriched and quality education and to prepare our students for successful integration into other schools after they graduate from Trinity Montessori. Trinity Montessori School not only enables our students to achieve outstanding results on standardized testing such as EQAO and CAT (Canadian Achievement Test), we also provide our students with opportunities to learn and excel in a variety of other areas. ALL our elementary students regularly participate in various writing, art, mathematics and singing contests during the school year. To help better develop and maintain good physical and mental health, our students are regularly engage in various activities such as swimming, skating and indoor sports. From our experience, most of the students who graduate from our Elementary Program achieve an academic level that is at least 1 or 2 grade level(s) above their peers in public school.
Nurturing Environment
One of the most important feature of our Elementary Program is our small class size. The exceptionally low student-teacher ratio in our classes allows our teachers to focus and spend more time on each student. Students in small classes also have more opportunities to participate, ask questions, and gain confidence. Teachers are fundamental in establishing a nurturing environment. Our teachers are professional educators, guided by their passion for teaching, their love for children, and their commitment to professional development.
Curriculum
Trinity Montessori employs a unique curriculum that incorporates the key concepts of a Montessori Curriculum and also covers the Ontario Academic Curriculum. This ensures that our students enjoy and benefit from the best of both worlds and that there are no gaps between our curriculum and the provincial curriculum. Our curriculum is based on a holistic approach to learning and is centred on educating all aspects of the child. Our students are presented with “big ideas” from the beginning and learn about the world by means of classification and organization.
Customized Lessons and Differentiated Teaching
There is a large body of research suggesting a direct correlation between students’ level of engagement and their learning. One of the key components of a highly engaging environment is that it is sensitive to, and inclusive of, students’ different learning styles. Our elementary teachers are committed to facilitating such inclusive environment and invest a great deal of time and effort in designing lessons and activities that are differentiated and accessible to a wider range of learners. Furthermore, we understand that children have different strengths and weaknesses and as such, require appropriate lessons and activities customized to meet their individual needs. For this reason, our teachers focus not only on developing individualized lessons for each student, but also on assessing their progress throughout the course of the academic year.
Opportunities to shine
We feel it is our responsibility to provide our students with a variety of opportunities for success. These opportunities often extend beyond academic endeavours. Every year, our students participate in different writing, art, mathematics and singing contest. To ensure that the students’ have bother healthy body and mind, they regularly engage in a variety of physical activities such as swimming, ice-skating, and soccer or basketball etc.
Assessment and Accountability
Though it is not a requirement for private schools, every year, our students participate in both the National CAT (Canadian Achievement Test) and the Provincial EQAO (Educational Quality Accountability Office) assessments. By participating in EQAO, we make sure that our students meet the provincial expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Throughout the years, our students have consistently scored extremely well in these assessments and we take pride in the quality and standard we have set and continue to maintain.
Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN)
Recognizing the pressing need to incorporate the education of global citizenship and peace education into the curriculum, Trinity Montessori’s Grade 5 and 6 students had been participating in the Montessori Model United Nations in New York. We first participated in this prestigious annual international event in 2008 (one of the few participating schools in Canada), and have been participating regularly since. Through this program, the School hopes that the students will gain more exposure to and interest in global issues. The debating, negotiating, public speaking and presentation skills that they develop and strengthen in the process, will become invaluable tools of the students that will serve them well in becoming leaders of the future. As Ambassador Lorenzo of the Dominican Republic once stated during the conclusion of a MMUN General Assembly, ” The next generation of leaders will come from this program. Soon they will be sitting here, and it will be their responsibility to complete what we have left undone.” The MMUN event not only empowers students as they learn abut global citizenship and peace, the participation will also be an impressive addition to the child’s portfolio as he/she further pursues in his/her education.