Hub Staff

Twenty-two young minds will soon have new opportunities as Port Elgin Montessori Preschool undergoes construction. The school is accepting students between the ages of 30 months and 5 years with an expected start date of January 8, 2018.

For the past four years Montessori educator Sarah Bacchus has been teaching from her home business and found a suitable location to facilitate an expansion in Port Elgin. The expansion has allowed her the opportunity to hire three teachers, Early Childhood Educators, to help teach values that stem from a Montessori education. “I’m excited, I really am,” said Bacchus about her 281 Goderich Street location, formerly Subway.

“Teaching is in my blood, I've always taken to kids, if I wasn't teaching I don’t know what I’d be doing,” she said. Bacchus graduated from Sheridan College’s ECE program and the Montessori International Institute of Canada.

Parents have the flexibility to enrol their children in classes from one day a week to five. The program is diversified by inviting special guests who will attend on various days throughout the week. Music Mondays will feature Dan Slinger and Christina Edwards of Blackboard Sound teaching different aspects of music. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be groove days as dance teacher Sandra Belanger, owner of SB Dance Academy, will teach dance. Wednesdays will see students apprendre une nouvelle langues (learn a new language) with help from an educator who is fluent in French, German and Italian. Fridays will be relaxed wind-down days with Yoga instructor Melissa Pinnegar.

“Montessori is a structured curriculum that focusses on the child as a whole, academically, socially and emotionally. Aiding children to gain independence is a huge part of the early learning development,” said Bacchus. “Children are like sponges at this age, they are always eager to learn. If we introduce it they're going to be encouraged learn it.”

Bacchus said that the special guests will help children gain exposure to new activities while also allowing them to make friends. However, she added, apart from the extra curricular daily activities the core foundation of the Montessori curriculum will be implemented by the five main learning areas: Practical Life, Language (including cursive writing), Sensorial, Math, and Culture.

“Teachers are not always there to take control, we are there as facilitators,” said Bacchus about the Montessori teaching style. “The teachers take a step back and let the children work at the activities, work amongst themselves, and socialize. A big part of teaching is being able to take children one on one or in small groups to conduct lessons,” she said.

Bacchus understands that some parents and guardians might be apprehensive about the different age groups learning together. “The mixed age grouping works out to be a better approach to learning,” she said. “You see children taking it upon themselves to teach others and help each other out.” Bacchus said it nurtures a sense of community.

“As a teacher it is important to have students leave the program asking questions and being inquisitive. When they start asking questions you know you've done your job.”

Enrolment for 2018 is already half full. Parents or guardians interested in the Montessori approach are asked to check out the school’s website at www.portelginmontessori.ca or contact Sarah Bacchus at portelginmontessoripreschool@gmail.com or by phone at 519-386-8087.