Namaste Montessori School

February 21, 2025School Eventsalternative education, child development, Community, elementary, literacy, Montessori, primary

Montessori Education and Literacy – Panel Discussion

Join us for a presentation of current literacy research and its application in the Montessori curriculum. Bruce Howlett, reading specialist and author of “Sparking the Reading Shift” with join us. Additionally, our Primary and Elementary teachers, Bridgid Beames, Lauren Lougher, and Lex Thompson will be part of our panel. Learn more about why some children read easily and some find …

September 22, 2024School Eventsalternative education, child development, Community, elementary, Montessori

Upper Elementary Annual Camping Trip

Each year, the upper elementary heads out on a fall two-night camping adventure to an area state park. This trip offers valuable experience planning, preparing, and packing, as well as a opportunities to cook meals, explore the area, and bond with peers. Before the camping trip, the students decided on meals and went on a field trip to Wegmans to …

September 19, 2024School Projectsalternative education, child development, Montessori, primary, Science

The Indoor/Outdoor Classroom

The Montessori Primary program prioritizes an indoor/outdoor classroom, incorporating the natural world into the curriculum. Whenever possible, the doors are opened, allowing children freedom to go outdoors (when the weather is mild). This freedom allows young children to move as needed and participate in activities that are inspiring and meaningful to them! The primary environment is connected to a fenced …

September 9, 2024School Eventsalternative education, child development, Community, elementary, Montessori, primary

Namaste Celebrates 20 Years of Serving Children and Families

The Namaste community gathered to celebrate 20 years of excellent early-childhood education with food, music, activities, and memories! Many current and former families joined the festivities and offered their congratulations. Namaste sponsored free carousel rides for visitors to the park for the day. History Bridgid and Stanley Beames founded Namaste Montessori School 20 years ago, in August of 2004. The …

August 31, 2024School Projectschild development, Montessori, primary, Science

Butterflies are Miracles!

The primary children raised swallowtail and painted lady butterflies/caterpillars this summer! They watched the tiny caterpillars eat SO MUCH, grow very fast, make their chrysalis, finally hatch, and then fly off into the garden. Their experience ignited interest in insects and other small creatures we find around the school, such as toads, frogs, salamanders, and arachnids. The children had many …

June 30, 2024School Events, School Projectsalternative education, child development, Community, elementary, Montessori, Music and Art Education, technology

Elementary Annual City Trip for 5th and 6th Years

Each Spring, our 5th and 6th year elementary students plan a field trip to a nearby city. This year the students chose Philadelphia and planned for a very busy three days of activities. The activities included a visit to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Museum for a private tour and art lesson. The students visited the Philadelphia Mint to …

June 23, 2024School Eventsalternative education, child development, Community, elementary, Montessori, Music and Art Education, primary

Spring Festival

What a joy to be together as a community at our annual spring festival! Families spread blankets across the lawn at Jacksonville Community Park and watched the children’s performances. The spring festival is an opportunity for the children to share songs, rhythms, and dances from their music classes with their families. It is also an opportunity for our community to …

June 18, 2024School Projectsalternative education, Careers, child development, Community, elementary, Montessori, Science

Making Bread From Seed to Loaf

Our elementary students learned about the growing of wheat and milling of flour, the creation of sourdough starters, and the kneading, shaping, and baking of bread this spring! With guidance and support from staff from Wide Awake Bakery and Farmer Ground Flour, the children enjoyed in-class visits and field trips to gain hand-on experiences with the processes of farming grain …

May 14, 2024School Projectsalternative education, Careers, child development, elementary, Montessori, Science, technology

Poultry Sciences

Poultry sciences are part of our annual curriculum at Namaste. Our chickens laid fertile eggs, thanks to our not-so-friendly rooster, and the elementary children were able to incubate and raise three chicks this spring! The children were able to observe at every step of the process. They candled the eggs to see the embryos form, and watched them hatch and …

March 19, 2024School Projectschild development, Community, literacy, Montessori, primary

Thank You for Making our Book Sale a Success!

We are grateful for all the people that participated in our “We Love Books!” Barefoot Books, Book sale last month! With the credit we earned, we were able to purchase some beautiful books for our classrooms. To fit with the Montessori theme of Grace and Courtesy and building community, we selected some sweet short stories. These books included short chapter …

November 16, 2023School EventsAdult Education, child development, Early Childhood, Montessori, Montessori Primary

Workshop: Primary Level Curriculum

Do you wonder how a Montessori Primary classroom environment supports children’s growth and development? Join us for hands-on lessons, exploration of the materials, and the magic of Montessori for the young child!We hope to see you on Thursday, December 7th at 6:00 – 7:30 PM. This event will be at the Primary Campus (1608 Trumansburg Rd). This special event offers …

November 7, 2023School EventsAdult Education, alternative education, child development, media, technology, Workshop

Workshop: Technology, Media, and Child Development

The internet and modern technology make media exposure almost unavoidable even for young children. While technology can provide education and entertainment, it can also impact children in a less positive way. As parents and caregivers, how do we consider child development and find that right balance of what to offer our children and when? With the holidays approaching, it can …

child development