The Element, Ottawa's first Montessori High School, is moving to Lansdowne for September 2015. This dynamic location was chosen to support The Element’s integrated program which encourages students to be active, participating members of the adult community. At The Element, students grocery shop for their cooking program, run micro-businesses, volunteer in the community and participate in public fitness classes while simultaneously completing credits towards the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Montessori pedagogy supports student development and education by encouraging focused engagement within a supportive, mentoring community and adolescents are engaged by the adult world they are about to enter.
Montessori high schools have been part of the education system in the United States for some time (Clark Montessori High School in Cincinnati was one of six national finalists in the “Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge,” a public school competition) and The Element brings this tradition to Ottawa. The Element grew out of the Junior High Program that was established at OMS Montessori in 2003 but is now growing to serve students from Grades 7 to 12.
While students from Montessori elementary programs such as OMS Montessori and Glebe Montessori will be welcomed at The Element, other youth are welcome also; previous Montessori education is not required, a passion for life is.
