Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS)

According to the contemporary cognitive development research, Montessori is an educational philosophy based on the fundamental principle that children learn best in a nurturing environment that facilitates and encourages their individual development and contributes to their growth as self-motivated, independent and life-long learners.  Montessori is also a holistic approach to learning and education, with the primary goal of helping children to develop their potential to the fullest extent not only in the cognitive area, but also physically, emotionally and socially. This Montessori approach, readily practiced and available at RMS, provides children with “Freedom in Education within a prepared environment”, and respects the fact that children as individuals are different from one another (child centred and individualized teaching-learning programs).

At RMS (Rowntree Montessori Schools), it’s never too soon for your child(ren) to embark on a path of achievement. Children from 12 months to six years old (at our 4 Pre-Primary Campuses) and children from Kindergarten to Grade 10 (at our Academy campus) are all equipped with the tools, instruments, and guidance they need to succeed.

Our unique take on Montessori education is not only about surpassing curriculum expectations, it’s about learning how to live. With a unique mix of Montessori-based principles and traditional educational practices focusing on the whole child, RMS students become academic leaders and outstanding citizens.  Based on this groundbreaking approach, education exceeds expectations at RMS. While tremendously important, exceptional academics are not the only defining feature of the RMS unique brand of the Montessori philosophy. Our environment focuses on community and the development of the whole child, building character and teaching children to become outstanding citizens based on principles of collective role modeling, leading towards structured independence.

Being the largest and longest-running Montessori school in Brampton, we tap into children’s natural curiosity and love for learning, giving them freedom to learn at their own pace.  Combining the Montessori-based principles with the structure and philosophy of a traditional education, RMS offers students the best of both worlds. Between ages of 2-6, children are like sponges in a stage that the Montessori tradition identifies as the “Absorbent Mind” stage.  In this stage, children are eager to learn everything and anything!  It is our job as educators to capitalize on the child’s inborn curiosity by directing, shaping and forming their need to learn and continue their learning in a nurturing environment, which at RMS continues well beyond the “Absorbent Mind” stage. And that’s how an RMS student becomes a life-long learner!

At RMS, we expose children to a prepared environment featuring sensory and interactive activities wherein learning takes place through pure and unadulterated fun and glee. We prepare an environment that allows us to identify a learner type. Our teaching faculty prepares an environment that allows us to identify a learner type from the earliest age.  Since one of the fundamental principles of the Montessori philosophy is that all children learn differently and at his/her own pace, our job is to prepare a multi-functional environment that will address the needs of unique individuals. The earlier we identify each learner’s unique learning style, the earlier we begin the process of building his/her identity, sense of belonging, and character development.  In the long run, this will help each learner in his/her acquisition of learning skills necessary to develop good work habits and a sense of responsibility that will eventually last them for the rest of their lives.

We identify our students’ Multiple Intelligences and then accommodate them to their learning style. For example, some children are verbally/linguistically minded. Others learn best through logic and mathematical thinking. Most of the kids learn visually or spatially.  In that case, graphic and colourful transfers of knowledge may best explore their strengths. Others, yet, learn best through interpersonal settings wherein high-energy group involvement and people skills rule the day. Tactile/kinesthetically minded students learn best by example and enjoy working with their hands. They definitely learn better by doing (i.e. touching, moving, and interacting). Musical/rhythmical learners best respond to creative activities that are somehow connected to a beat or a tone, and are usually trying to be “in tune” with themselves and then with the outside world. Last but not least, an experiential/naturalist learner likes to be in tune with his/or her environment. This is a type of child that likes to go on school excursions and likes to collect things (i.e. shells, mugs, rocks, or hockey cards).

At RMS, we advance this very unique approach well beyond the ECE (Early Childhood Education) years.  From the very beginning of a child’s education, RMS teachers are in charge of preparing and facilitating the sense of structured environment.  Later on, as the years of education advance into Elementary and Secondary Programs, the students themselves will produce outstanding learning environment through numerous extracurricular clubs, academic competitions, festivals and community activities.

With small class sizes and enrichment infused into every program, it is little wonder that our students have a consistent record of academic success.  They are, on average, one full grade ahead of the Ontario Curriculum according to their results in the CTBS (Canadian Test of Basic Skills), a national standardized academic achievement test, preferred by up-scale private schools, which measures vocabulary, reading, language, mathematics and science for Grades 3-8. RMS best achievement on the last standardized test in the spring of 2011 was boasted by our Grade 7s, who, according to the provincial curriculum grade equivalency, were performing at Grade 10 provincial standard, almost 3 academic grades ahead of their peers in other schools. As a result, all five RMS Campuses are constantly exceeding provincial curriculum expectations.

At RMS, we take pride in our Canadian National Math League results, where our Grades 6 and 8 students, based on the last academic year’s test results, achieved first-place rankings both provincially and nationally whereas Grade 7 was #1 provincially and #2 nationally.

We are also pleased to announce the “Rowntree Readers Express” program that the RMS Academy will introduce in September of 2012. The program is designed to bolster your children’s literacy skills and further develop their love of reading. The premise is that the children bring their own reading material, which will be, of course, both teacher and parent sanctioned, since at RMS we consider teachers and parents Partners in Education!

According to the newest research, a consistent, focused, and regimented daily reading schedule, where the school enters “the reading mode”, improves the powers of concentration and literacy skills, thus creating the environment of collective role modeling or collectively doing the right thing, while giving youngsters a chance to exercise their own unique reading preferences and choices. This approach is in keeping with the Rowntree tradition since it also promotes structured independence and independent research skills: the children themselves will take the ownership of responsibility to select and bring their own favourite book to school to read and share with their peers as well as adults in charge.  This approach worked very well in the past, and we anticipate seeing similar results at Rowntree in the near future. Should you decide to invest in your children’s education with us, expect the aforementioned readers’ programs to become a common topic and one of your favorites around your family’s dinner table.

Promoting a healthy lifestyle also goes beyond the standardized curriculum expectations: RMS ensures its students get at least 20 Minutes of the Daily Physical Activity (DPA) above and beyond their Physical Education classes. The most popular DPA days are those that start early in the morning, allowing the students to begin their day the right way, right away!

And to be sure, in our school, life is brimming with activity. A wide range of extracurriculars are available– from sports and track and field events, to its own Festival of Arts judged by local artists, and Model United Nations Competitions which always take place at renowned private schools of similar ilk. The last time around, for example, the event was hosted by Appleby College and the RMS students had a superb showing, representing their schools with pride, knowledge and maturity.

Our school’s strong community focus extends education outside school boundaries.  Students can be found cleaning local parks, marching in Brampton Christmas Parades upon the student designed Floats, or singing the National Anthem at Brampton Battalion hockey games in front of thousands of spectators.      

Last but not least, our before care program begins as early as 7:00 AM and our aftercare program conveniently ends as late as 6:00 PM. The school is also known for building a close-knit family-like relationship with our parents, who value education and the potential of their children.

For an informative on-campus tour, parents and their children can visit Rowntree Montessori Schools, at all of our five convenient locations daily, from 10 AM to 3:00 PM. I encourage you to come in so that you may see first-hand how RMS can enrich your child’s life for life at all five of its Brampton locations. Indeed, our teachers remember why they love to teach; our students remember why they love to learn; and our parents remember why they sent their children to Rowntree to begin with.

Sincerely,

D.Zebeljan  
Director of Education and Academy Principal

Rowntree Montessori Schools

Contact: Registrar Christine Peel at 905-790-3838 or email admin@rowntreemontessori.com