The Program
Compass Star Montessori is an Elementary Montessori program, serving students from six to twelve years of age.  The program is conducted in a combined classroom, as is traditional in a Montessori setting.  Students participate in group lessons and individual lessons with the Guide (teacher), and practice the lessons and work with materials in order to meet the weekly goals they have set for themselves with the input of the Guide.  The structure of the lessons and the design of the materials allows for the social needs of the Elementary child by providing opportunities for interaction and two-person works.  This also gives students who are accelerating a chance to practice their leadership and teaching skills while allowing students who need more time on a lesson to review it with a stronger peer.  Cooperation, not competition, is emphasized as part of the community declaration to maintain Respect for Others and Respect for Self. 

The Curriculum
Dr. Maria Montessori instructed “Follow the child.”  This philosophy is maintained in the Compass Star Montessori Elementary classroom.  Students are guided through core areas of study—math, language, science, and history, while following their own interests and inspirations.  A student who’s focused on the Paleozoic Era may practice his grammar on sentences describing the plants and animals of that time.  A child with a flair for the dramatic may assemble a troupe to play out the “Dance of the Molecules,” or a historical event.  A student who is drawn to the gardens may be challenged to plant the next crop of strawberries, including finding the area necessary for the number of seedlings she is given, staking the perimeter, and measuring the spaces between the plants.  The traditional Montessori Materials also draw the children in, making the work enjoyable, and solidifying the concepts being presented.  By offering a wide range of possibilities each child may find the spark they need to engage them in study.  

The Environment
The classroom in Compass Star Montessori is unique in its design, indoors and out.  A large open area provides space for group lessons and working with materials on the floor.  Low tables, tables with chairs, and traditional desks are also available to students for completing their work. The materials themselves allow students to work independent of the Guide by providing a concrete display of abstract concepts, and giving the students the ability to check their own work before consulting a Guide or older student. The interior gardens allow students a place to work out-of-doors, spreading out large materials or participating in lessons where real examples of living things are required. Students also use the interior gardens to participate in the Garden to Table project which will provide supplementary produce to the student’s snacks and meals.  By giving the students freedom to move about or out of the classroom, Compass Star Montessori meets a fundamental need of the Elementary child.