Burien Montessori School Inc

Programs: Part iii statement of program service accomplishments 2015/2016: three tree montessori school offers montessori learning environments in which children ages 18 months through 12 years are encouraged to explore, learn and interact in a diverse community that fosters independence, critical thinking and learning for life. The school offers five main program services: academic school year, academic year before and after school care, language program, summer program, and parent education. A. The academic school year program served a total of 210 students in ten classrooms. The toddler program consisted of two classrooms serving children ages one and a half year and walking to three years. Both classrooms offered full day programs and half day program. The half day program served a total of 11 children. The all day programs served 14 children. Children transitioned from toddler to primary classrooms during the course of the year. The primary program consisted of five classrooms serving children ages two and one half years to six years. Each classroom offered a morning program for all students and an afternoon, or extended day, program for the older students. A total of 103 students were served by the primary program, with 43 of them participating in extended day. Children transitioned from primary to the elementary classroom during the course of the year. The elementary program consisted of three classrooms; two lower elementary and an upper elementary. The lower elementary served children ages six through nine years and the upper elementary served ages nine through twelve. A total of 53 students attended the lower elementary program and a total of 29 students attended the upper elementary program. All three programs offer an opportunity for children to participate in a multi-day and night field trip. The two lower elementary classrooms spent several days on a local island learning about the environment through forest and wetlands studies. The upper elementary classroom started the year studying at camp disappointment state park at the mouth of the columbia river. That trip is linked to their annual curriculum which focuses on the history and government of the united states. This trip gave our students the opportunity to learn about the us exploration and expansion in the pacific northwest. They visited the lewis and clark interpretive center and fort clatsop where lewis and clark spent their winter and learned about early maritime exploration at the maritime museum in astoria. At the campsite our students also built their basic survival skills with fire building and team building activities, and they spoke with a park ranger to learn about how the native americans made early tools from localrocks and stones. In the spring of 2017, the students traveled to washington, d. C. Where they expanded their education and understanding of the government and legislative branches of the united states. As part of their expanding awareness of community and service to the community,the elementary students organized participationin several local projects. The children were directly involved in sponsoring holiday giving events, organizing fundraisingevents and organizing a volunteer project to clean up the neighborhood. The children also volunteered at a local food bankhelping to serve its clientele. B. The before and after school care programs served families enrolled in the school who needed extra hours of care beyond the academic program hours. This program offered care for approximately 120 toddlers, primary and elementary aged children. Staff members who are familiar with the montessori philosophy oversee these before and after school programs resulting in a continuity of learning and a familiarity with staff. C. The language program was temporarily suspended for this school year due to some staffing issues. We anticipate this program to continue in the 2016/2017 school year. D. The summer program offered care for toddlers, primary and elementary aged children during an eight week period. This program was offered 5 days a week, from 7am until 6pm and offered the study of the pacific northwest cultures over the eight weeks. Participants could enroll by the week, allowing more flexibility for family schedules. Over 100 children were served during the summer program. E. The parent education program continued with strong offerings for the 2016-2017 school year. A parents and infants class was introduced to our community during the school year as a drop in class for parents wanting more information on caring for their infant child. Communication between home and school was addressed with an updated parent handbook, weekly bulletins, a parent information web site, and formal and informal parent/teacher conferences. In addition, eight free parent workshops were held both at the school and at a local venue. More specifically, the school offered educational events focused on each level of the toddler, primary and elementary programs. Social events for the school community were expanded outside of school hours. Parents were also invited to a variety of celebration events during the school day. Families contributed over 3750 service hours for a wide variety of tasks.