Our Curriculum and Guiding Principles

“The children and nature movement is fueled by this fundamental idea: the child in nature is an endangered species, and the health of children and the health of the Earth are inseparable.” -Richard Louv

At Meraki Montessori we are lucky to have an amazing outdoor environment for the children to interact with. We have a bush walk onsite, numerous fruit trees and a large playing field. Our Botany curriculum allows children to be connected with their surroundings. Children study leaf shapes, ecology, classify different types of plants and participate in gardening and caring for the environment.

“Our task must be to free ourselves.by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures – Albert Einstein.

At Meraki Montessori we are passionate about animals and the learning that can arise from having them included in our environment. We are lucky enough to have guinea pigs and a pet dog as part of our community. We also have a beehive onsite and numerous native birds that frequent our grounds. We study the timeline of life and how animals evolved and the different classifications within the animal kingdoms. We also learn how to care for animals and what habitats and environments they live within.

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton

The study of history is closely tied to the study of geography and ignites in the child an empathy and gratitude for those who have come before us and what their impact might be on the future. History helps to provide context to other learning areas and holds many fascinating stories to help ignite the children’s imagination. We study timelines on differing subjects, looking at calendars and how time and human’s relationship with it has changed throughout history. We also learn to tell the time and study different civilisations that existed in our past and what we have learnt from them.

“Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Language, reading and writing form a vital part of our curriculum and stretches across all subject areas. Wherever possible it is integrated and taught in context with an experience it relates to. Language is only taught as a separate subject when a child has to understand special points that center around areas such as spelling, word study, handwriting, grammar and punctuation. Language is a means of human expression and we visit it in many different forms including dance, drama and music. Here at Meraki Montessori we are also lucky enough to experience other languages such as German or French and enjoy celebrating our bilingual heritage here in New Zealand by embracing Te Reo Maori throughout our day in the form of customs, language and cultural expression.

“The things that he sees are not just remembered, they form a part of his soul” – Dr Maria Montessori

The Montessori math curriculum is extremely visual and tactile. It moves from the concrete to the more abstract but always allows children the opportunity to manipulate materials to further absorb mathematical concepts and attain a deeper understanding. The materials are introduced at an early age to allow for indirect preparation for higher level concepts.  The math curriculum also isolates concepts to their greatest simplicity to help children build on their knowledge as they work their way through materials. Geometry is also a large part of our math curriculum and is often interrelated with other subjects such as art and botany. The work in Geometry is arranged so that children can wherever possible discover the relationships, theorums and formulae themselves.

“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”

Buddha

At Meraki Montessori we place great importance on good health and well being because we know that this is essential for growth, development and learning. We view health as a holistic area, encompassing social, emotional, physical and spiritual learning. We foster an environment that values and encourages healthy eating, as we know that this nourishes the body. Discussions around food choice and what the body requires, with the practical application of making food that promotes good health are common as we enjoy morning nourishment and lunchtimes in each others company. Our students learn to prepare and cook snacks for others by using practical life skills in the kitchen. By participating in classroom responsibilities the students are also learning about how they can make important contributions to their school community, increasing their sense of confidence in their own abilities. We have an active sports programme that invites experts in the field to share their skills with the children, while encouraging daily exercise and activity. The children visit the community to practise and learn skills that our school environment cannot cover, such as swimming and skiing at the local Snow Planet.

“The stars, earth, the stones, life of all kinds form a whole universe in relation with each other and so close is this relation, that we cannot understand a stone without some understanding of the great sun!” Maria Montessori

Being a scientist Maria Montessori was very passionate about areas such as Geography being included in the primary curriculum. The study of Geography is made up of several different connecting areas including physical, political and economic geography and also a mapping and graphing perspective. Children learn about their universe, stories about how it formed, the planets that exist within it and the science that happens around us on a daily basis. They also do in-depth studies into countries and earth systems science.