THE SCHOOL AND ITS CLASSROOMS
The school is composed of 3 large classrooms with direct access to the toilets for the youngest, a multipurpose room/canteen and a 200 m2 PLAYGROUND/schoolyard where vegetable gardens and games are installed.
For Maria Montessori, classrooms are places where “the conditions have been prepared that allow for the manifestation of the child’s natural behavior” . This is why she prefers to speak of classroom’s ambiance rather than basic classrooms.
Our Classrooms Ambiances
In the classrooms, the children find a warm and stimulating environment in which they can work with enthusiasm and meet friends.
On the shelves, installed within their reach, they find the Montessori material (see Montessori Pedagogy) to advance their learning.
The classroom is a flexible environment where tables can be moved to free up space and work can be done on the small mats provided.
In a Montessori classroom ambiance, children are not restricted in their movements. However, they must always respect the work of others.
A reading corner, installed in each classroom, provides children a place of calm and gives them the opportunity to have a reading break. There are also plants, a music listening corner, etc. ….
Composition of the School
The school is composed of three classes (which are multi-grade as recommended by the Montessori pedagogy):
- 1 class of children from 15 months to 3 years (children must be able to walk to enter/join this class)
- 1 class for children from 3 to 6 years old
Integration into the next class can be done in the middle of the year if the organization and the balance of the classes allow it.
Autonomy
Classroom Ambiance for 15 months-3-year-old Class
Level P2 (ratio of 1 adult to 8 children)
1 Spanish-Catalan Montessori educator and 1 French-speaking assistant
Classroom ambiance for 3–6-year-old Class
Level P3/PS (7 children) + P4/MS (7 children) + P5/GS (7 children)
1 French-speaking Montessori educator and 1 Spanish-speaking assistant