Our Programs


Currently at Maple Tree Montessori Academy, we are pleased to offer the following programs for children:


Primary

Preschool/Primary Classroom

This is the 33 months through Kindergarten classroom. There are both morning and afternoon full 3 hour sessions; 8:30 to 11:30 or 12:30 to 3:30 offered. We also offer a full day option for our primary students; 8:30 to 3:30 this includes two full mixed age classroom sessions, lunch and outdoor time. All of our sessions are five day a week programs as required by the American Montessori Society for accreditation.

The classrooms are fully equipped with the complete complement of Montessori materials, Sensorial, Practical Life, Math, Language and Cultural. Academic presentations and practice are recorded and charted by the head teacher. Reading is taught through hands on phonetic activities presented individually or in small groups. Spanish groups are 3 days per week and cultural presentations including cooking are an ongoing part of our classroom.


AMS Primary Video




Elementary Programs

Why choose Maple Tree Montessori for my child’s Elementary School?

Maple Tree Montessori Academy offers Brighton parents a choice of a fully Montessori Elementary Education. Maple Tree Montessori currently enrolls students through the 6th grade and we are the only Private School in Livingston County that offers an Elementary Program that is not parochial or religiously affiliated. We are a registered Private School with the Michigan Department of Education and we provide a rich, diverse, stimulating and nurturing community.

Parents who are searching for a quality private school experience for their children should consider this; books, articles and studies have been recently published which compare the outcomes of middle school children very similar in many respects except for one, Montessori education vs. Traditional education. Minhaly Csikszentmihalyi and Kevin Rathunde, University of Utah in 2003, focused on these two groups and reached the following conclusions:

  1. Montessori educated children were much more likely to show high levels of intrinsic motivation.
  2. Montessori educated children were much more likely to engage in periods of deep concentration.
  3. Montessori children were much more likely to identify their teachers as supportive, fair and interested in them as people.
  4. Montessori children were much more likely to identify their classmates as friends.

Montessori children were generally accepted to be academically more advanced, but the social and intangible outcomes were both unexpected and important. The research showed that Montessori adolescents have a deep and satisfying community life that increases, as they get older. They feel that they are learning with friends. The students reported a stronger sense of psychological and emotional safety, they felt safe from the emotional pain associated with putdowns from teachers and other students and they were much more positive about the quality of their school community.

In a discussion of “flow” and “style of engagement”, the relevance to lifelong learning becomes apparent. The Montessori children, because of their greater interest level; higher intrinsic motivation and strong investment in their work were able to show greater persistence when faced with challenges and a stronger feeling of pleasure and enjoyment of task solution. Montessori children had a strong sense of being actively involved in learning and enjoying learning. Further it can be speculated that Montessori adolescents will look forward to their careers and social interactions as a part of their service to society and the world.

We at Maple Tree Montessori Academy are proud to be a continuing part of Dr. Maria Montessori’s legacy to the children of the world. We invite you to visit, we invite your questions and we invite your research into her work and ours.

Lower Elementary

The Lower Elementary classroom is composed of students between the ages of 6 - 9 years. These students, in Maria Montessori's second plane of development, often do group research projects and continue to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. The Great Lessons, Time lines, concrete materials for Math, Grammar, Geography and Science all inspire continued academic growth and increased proficiency in basic areas. This lays a strong and comprehensive foundation for later, more abstract concepts and learning. The child is developing an increased moral and social awareness, they seek true justice and so they play a very active part in the rule making and structure of the classroom. They begin to become socially aware and often organize fundraisers and early level community projects. Art, Music, Yoga, Cooking and Physical Education are incorporated into a holistic approach to curriculum. Spanish instruction is 3 days a week and done in small group and large group sessions, vocabulary increases and writing begins. The child discovers and relishes the experiences available in this new, expanding environment.



AMS Elementary Video




Upper Elementary

We are pleased to announce the opening of our Upper Elementary classroom for Fall 2008. This class continues the child's development along, and based upon, the foundations of learning that have been established in the earlier classes. Open ended research is the focus, with an emphasis on in-depth study. This allows for a cohesive program that connects The Great Lessons and aids the child's awareness of the expansive knowledge of History, Geography and the Sciences. Concrete materials continue to aid in the development of Mathematical and Scientific abstract thought and learning. Moral development and social responsibility become a continuity linking the child to the newly developing Citizen of the World in a gentle but constant progression that follows the child's own inner development. Going Out, out into nature, out into the community, out to research, experience, and share with each other and the world this newly emerging understanding of the interrelatedness of all life, this is the heart of the Montessori Upper Elementary. Spanish becomes more fluent and composition is becoming a reality. Music, art, yoga and culinary experiences are integrated into the classroom on a continuing basis. The ages of the students in this class are 9 - 12 years, rounding out Maria Montessori's second plane of development.



Before and After Care Program


Our daycare service for students begins at 6:30 am and ends at 6:00 pm. Our goal is to provide a consistently loving environment for children who need all day care. When they are not in their regular classroom they may stay for extended hours in our daycare program. Our daycare is also a Montessori classroom, equipped with Montessori materials, and the same loving and secure environment found in their original classroom. The only difference is that there is no recording and charting of academics. The children still choose their own activities, when to have snack, and how long they will nap if needed. There is no television, only caring interactions with daycare staff and hands on activities. We find that this is the perfect compliment to our classrooms and provides our students with a nurturing and stimulating all day experience.

Parents may choose the hours that their child will attend and schedule this with the daycare supervisor. They are billed only for the hours that they use the daycare and the billing is scaled according to hours used. Children bring their own lunch and play outside everyday, weather permitting.


Enrollment

To enroll your child for any of the above programs or to express an interest in our proposed expansion programs please contact the school at (810)225-8321. The process for enrollment involves:

  1. Information - We will be happy to send you more information about our school and programs offered. This will include Montessori information and enrollment forms.
  2. Observe - We suggest that you come in, observe our classroom and meet our staff. The best way to truly appreciate the difference in a Montessori environment is to see the Montessori philosophy in action.
  3. Enroll - Send in your enrollment form along with a $35.00 application fee ( not refundable) and a $200.00 enrollment fee.

You will be notified in writing of your child's enrollment status and sent any forms as needed to complete the enrollment process. Before the first day of school each fall we have a mandatory new parent orientation night, however all parents are welcome and encouraged to attend to prepare for the start of school.


Summer Camp


Maple Tree Montessori Academy offers three Summer Camp programs and each camp has a theme:

  1. June 16th through June 27th - Montessori: A Children's House
  2. June 30th through July 25th - Journey to the Center of the Earth
  3. July 28th through August 22nd - Undersea Adventure

And offers 3 levels of attendance:

  1. Class only - 8:30 to 11:30
  2. Class and Camp - 8:30 to 1:30 includes lunch, outside and special activity time
  3. Full Day Camp - Extended hours between 6:30am and 6:00pm

The camps are staffed by Montessori trained teachers and assistants. Special additional and trained staff will provide Music, Art and Gymnastics instruction.

Our summer programs offer a wonderful balance of intellectual stimulation, physical activity, creative expression and fun!!



Maple Tree Montessori Academy - Brighton Michigan