Indirect Support:
The only Catholic based Montessori School in the GTA (curriculum encouraged and supported by the Archbishop of Toronto). We provide an intimate environment for students aged 2.5 - 6 yrs that stimulates independent thinking and enriches moral development. Faculty and parents work together to foster, within each child, the early habits, attitudes and skills necessary to establish a lifelong joy in learning. Our responsibility is to guide the whole child - spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually.
When Edgerton Ryerson established a national, public education system, he highlighted the need for consistency: every school should be the same, offer the same things, from coast to coast. Sadly, that conception of what schools should be, and what they should provide, remains doggedly with us today. Thankfully, schools like Shepherd Montessori step away from that model, choosing rather to offer something as unique as the community they are formed to serve. Shepherd is a school using the Montessori method to deliver a program that is also based in the values of the Catholic church. In that, it’s happily one of a kind. Further, the student population is small, allowing a heightened level of individual attention, something that is also a primary draw. The community of the school is diverse, and while not all families are active within the Catholic church, all nevertheless appreciate the school’s attention to developing the students’ understanding of their spiritual selves. The approach in the classroom is child-centered, child-directed, and project oriented. The ideal student is one able to thrive with a close-knit learning environment.
Gallery showcasing school life and general photos of Shepherd Montessori Private Catholic School.
| Program | offered |
|---|---|
| Montessori toddler | |
| Casa | |
| Elementary | |
| Middle School | |
| High School |
| Focus | Religious-based |
|---|---|
| Academic | Christian (Roman Catholic) |
If you want to learn more about faith-based education, check out our comprehensive guide.
If you want to learn more about Christian education, check out our comprehensive guide.
If you want to learn more about Catholic education, check out our comprehensive guide.
DIBELS Testing: This school does not use DIBELS testing to assess reading progress.
| Subject | offered |
|---|---|
| Biology | |
| Chemistry | |
| Ecology | |
| Geology | |
| Meteorology | |
| Physics | |
| Physiology | |
| Zoology |
| Subject | offered |
|---|---|
| Evolution as consensus theory | |
| Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
| Evolution is not taught |
| Subject | offered |
|---|---|
| Acting | |
| Dance | |
| Drama/Theatre | |
| Graphic Design | |
| Music | |
| Visual Arts |
| Subject | offered |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Robotics | |
| Web design |
| Toddler | Primary | Lower Elementary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age groupings How children are grouped by age for each class.' |
25 to 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Uninterrupted work periods The longest uninterrupted work period for each class.' |
6 hours | 6 hours | 6 hours |
| Tests and assignments How often students are given tests or assignments in each class.' |
Never (Orthodox) | Regularly (Non-Orthodox) | Regularly (Non-Orthodox) |
| Graded work How often students have their work graded in each class.' |
Never (Orthodox) | – | – |
| Arts and crafts The percentage of a typical student's day that is spent on arts and crafts in each class.' |
20% | – | – |
Whole-class lectures should be given often (e.g., every day). While group and independent learning is important, teachers need to provide lectures on a regular basis to provide the foundation for learning.
External special education support is quite important. Outside specialists are needed for a fairly wide range of special needs, such as developmental and learning disabilities.
We only use specialist teachers and classes in rare cases (for instance, to teach a second language). Core teachers are well-equipped to teach almost all subjects.
Modern-day technology is very rarely used in class, since it can be a distraction and interfere with development. Students at the upper levels, though, might be permitted to use a computer or a tablet to do research for a specific project.
Overall approach : Which option best describes your overall curricular approach?
Schools that are faithful to the original Montessori program and principles, but often supplement it with modern curricular approaches or materials.
| Flexible pacing style | offered |
|---|---|
| Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
| Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
| Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
| Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
| Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
| Differentiated assessment |
SMPCS offers no/limited support for students with learning difficulties or special needs.
| Subject Type | offered |
|---|---|
| Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
| Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
| Subject Type | offered |
|---|---|
| Accommodations | |
| Modifications | |
| Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
| Program | offered |
|---|---|
| Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school) | |
| Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class) |
Curriculum delivery: Enrichment (The main focus is on enrichment. This means that while students may work at a marginally quicker pace than public school peers, the primary aim is to study subject in broader and deeper ways.)
| Program | offered |
|---|---|
| Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
| Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
| Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
| Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
| Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
| Sports Offered | Competitive | Recreational |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | ||
| Basketball | ||
| Ice Hockey | ||
| Lacrosse | ||
| Martial Arts | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Softball | ||
| Swimming | ||
| Tennis | ||
| Track & Field | ||
| Volleyball |
| Clubs Offered |
|---|
| Outdoor Education |
| PS | JK | SK | ||||
| Day | $11,000 | |||||
| Day (Half day) | $6,500 | |||||
Discounts
| Discount Type | Enrollment Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd child (sibling) | all students | 5% |
This information is not currently available.
This information is not currently available.
| Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Nursery/Toddler to Gr. 1 | Coed | Day | 24 |
| Total enrollment | 24 |
| Average enrollment per grade | 4 |
| Average class size | 10 to 15 |
| Gender (grades) | Nursery/Toddler to Gr. 1 (Coed) |
| Boarding offered | No |
| Percentage of students are international students | |
| Number of different nationalities within student population | |
| Five-day boarding programs offfered |
| NS | PS | JK | SK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day Enrollment | 2 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| Assessment | Required | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Interview | ||
| SSAT | ||
| SSAT (out of province) | ||
| Entrance Exam(s) | ||
| Entrance Essay | ||
| Application Fee |
Day students: N/A
Student Entry Points
| Student Type | NS | PS | JK | SK | K | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Below, find stories and testimonials about Shepherd Montessori Private Catholic School.
Shepherd Montessori is a very special school, and our decision to send our children to there is the best parenting decision we have made thus far.
Our son had attended morning nursery school elsewhere a few days per week, but when it was time to send him to Junior Kindergarten, we felt he did not have the motor skills, the attention span, the self-control or social skills to be in a large, full-day kindergarten classroom. He did not want to put on his own shoes, nor zip up his coat, and while he was pretty good with his academic development milestones, we worried that he was not socially ready to be in a large, all-day class. We did our research, decided upon Shepherd Montessori, and we have never looked back.
Under the warm, consistent care of their amazing team, our son completely blossomed. He became a “zipper expert” in no time, became better at sharing, caring, reading, writing, and grew spiritually as well. Mrs. Fariba Naujoks is an amazing educator and put our son on a path to success. Once he left Shepherd and went into the Catholic school system, his teachers regularly remarked about what great habits our son exhibits. We know, without a doubt, that the individualized attention and support he received while at Shepherd set him up for success in the school system. Sending our son to Shepherd for his JK and SK years was the absolute right choice for our child. In fact, although we did not have the same concerns with our daughter, we subsequently sent her to Shepherd Montessori for her JK and SK years too. We wanted to ensure she received the same, strong, full foundation for school success as her brother. Warmest thank you to the DiMichele Family and staff. We would unequivocally recommend this amazing little school to other parents.
Paul & Sandra
...Shepherd Montessori Private Catholic School (SMPCS) has been asked to take part in "Touched by God," a Catholic Focus program on Salt + Light television that aired on February 12 and 15, 2009. Highlighting Catholic education at a young age, students and teachers at SMPCAS were interviewed for the program. Julia Di Michele, Director of SMPCS says she was "very happy about sharing the studentâs stories and showing families the importance of a Catholic education". "My daughter Morgan is 2 ½ and always says Grace before meals, prayers before going to bed, prayers for the sick, openly sings religious hymns wherever she is, knows the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and participates during weekly Sunday Masses. This is all because of what was started and reinforced by the unique program at the school. I consider Morgan very privileged to have been introduced to the Roman Catholic faith at her age." SMPCS teaches The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (also known as the Good Shepherd Atrium), based on core Catholic theology and the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church. This in partnership with the CCMA montessori program makes the Catholic Montessori School very unique and one of only a handful across the country that provide this education philosophy. ...
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