Montessori 3-6 years old
The prepared environment of the Montessori 3-6 class is a learning laboratory in which children explore, discover and select their own work.
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At our centre, children learn how to socialise with other children and adults while developing themselves as individuals and becoming independent learners.
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At City Heights we have two parallel classrooms for our children aged 3-6; Te Whare Pounamu and Te Whare Tawhito. One classroom is open and airy, while the other class is cosy and homely. They both share a large playground and gardens.
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Our Programme
The day usually begins with a short mat time to welcome the children and share any news or stories with each other. Young children entering the room for the first time begin with the practical life activities which serve to settle the child and helps to make them feel at home. These activities include helping to prepare the morning tea, cutting fruit, pouring and spooning skills and how to care for the environment.
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The rest of the Montessori curriculum gradually becomes available to the child as they develop their confidence, skills and knowledge and are gently guided by their teacher.
The children all enjoy a cooked lunch together in the middle of the day. The afternoons wind down with relaxed activities and a different range of materials for the children to play with.
Forest walks
Our centre is fortunate to be located on the edge of the Town Belt which contains numerous walking tracks and is ecologically significant in providing habitat for both common and rare plants and animals.
Forest walks are a fundamental part of our programme. Every Thursday we take our senior children out for a forest walk to enjoy and discover our beautiful surroundings. The play-based experiences in the forest "classroom" include climbing over mossy fallen tree trunks, scrambling along a creek bed looking for fresh water koura, listening to the sounds of birds, exploring natural textures and filling pockets with acorns and pine cones. As part of the city's Town Belt initiative we collaborate with other schools to protect endangered animals by predator tracking and monitoring.
Photo Gallery
