Villa Montessori Preschool in Columbus recently held a Graduation Parade for its students and to celebrate its staff. Members of the community can see pictures of the event at https://www.facebook.com/VillaMontessoriPolaris/posts/1404796119721480, where the school practiced social distancing while having a special event to mark this graduation.
Spokesperson for the school, Tamye Crutchfield, said, “We were happy to have the support of people in the community on this special day for the children and which also honored our wonderful teachers.”
For those who are not aware, a Montessori school offers a special way of teaching children that has been used all over the world since the 1920s. It is based around self-directed activities chosen by the children, hands-on learning and collaborative play. In Montessori classrooms children make creative choices in their learning, while the classroom and the highly trained teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process. Children work in groups and individually to discover and explore the world and to develop as fully as possible.
The school’s website, located at: https://polaris.villamontessoripreschool.com, explains a great deal about the school and the subjects it offers. Centrally located in Polaris, Villa Montessori Preschool welcomes families from Columbus and the surrounding areas. They are currently accepting new students. “We differ from other Montessori schools in that we also incorporate Reggio inspired Art and Science themes to enhance the Montessori curriculum,” Ms. Crutchfield continued.
Reggio curriculums are derived from the Reggio Emilia philosophy founded by Loris Malaguzzi. Similar to Montessori, Reggio operates with the belief that the child should be free to choose his/her educational path based on interests. Materials and supplies are always on hand to explore and imagine, expanding knowledge through creativity.
Another way in which Montessori schools differ from regular “Pre-Kindergarten” or Kindergarten is that children are not split off completely from each other by age. Despite the fact that this is an unusual way to run a school, it’s part of the Montessori approach. Montessori has found that the older children become natural leaders in the classroom. The older children begin to help facilitate the younger children’s learning by becoming good role models. Having mixed groups also aids in becoming goal oriented.
With the current COVID-19 situation, the school now offers the parents of prospective new students (from ages of six weeks to six years) the option of a virtual tour of the facility.
Parents who have enrolled the children at Polaris are very complimentary about their school and the children’s experiences. One parent, Nate O. wrote, “Villa Montessori is an amazing school that allows every child to grow into the person they were created to be. My son started attending the school in August and his development has increased in all areas. I’m thankful to be able to place my child in a school with great teachers/staff and an awesome learning environment.”
The Montessori approach to learning also means that the facility itself is designed with an eye to beauty in addition to function. The Villa Montessori school offers a great deal of natural light as well as beautiful environments feature comfortable spaces to learn, collaborate and grow. The Montessori tradition considers the physical classroom “the third teacher.” Materials and projects are easy to reach, allowing children to explore independently. Everything our students interact with is designed to develop their interests and spark new discoveries.
Ms. Crutchfield said, “I am sometimes asked if the Montessori approach is just unstructured play and nothing could be further than the truth. Students may even think that they are ‘just’ playing but the truth is that all activities are designed scientifically to build on each other and to create self-driven learning. Teachers are there as guides, and there is method to all that we do.”
Villa Montessori Preschool Columbus is ideally situated to provide educational services for families from Columbus and the surrounding areas of Canal Winchester, Delaware, Dublin, Easton, Gahanna. Galena, Hiliard, Lewis Center, New Albany, Upper Arlington, Westerville, and Worthington.
Interested parents who would like to find out more about Villa Montessori’s Columbus preschool programs can visit its website at https://polaris.villamontessoripreschool.com, or contact them by telephone or via email. The school is open from Monday to Friday 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.
For those interested in more information and the physical location of the school, see: https://goo.gl/maps/3KMW4ki6wop.
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For more information about Villa Montessori Preschool Columbus, contact the company here:
Villa Montessori Preschool Columbus
Tamye Crutchfield
(614) 721-4410
info@villamontessoripolaris.com
Villa Montessori
8999 Gemini Pkwy STE A
Columbus, OH 43240
