IN Pine-Richland Spring 2018 | Page 25

SPONSORED CONTENT BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED CONTENT An Exceptional School in Your Neighborhood WHO WE ARE Montessori Centre Academy, Inc., a school nestled in Glenshaw on 20 acres of private woodlands and accredited by the Middle States Association, is celebrating 50+ years of quality education. Our staff has over a century of experience in education, and is committed to the learning principles of Montessori. Rolling hills, several playgrounds, gym equipment and animals dot the landscape, providing a wholesome atmosphere for children. The school itself is a large white farmhouse, a landmark dating back to the early 1800s, and was a land grant to a Civil War veteran. The school grounds provide a creative environment not only for the children but for the parents involved. Montessori serves toddlers two, three, and five days a week. Additionally, 3- to 6-year-old preschoolers and elementary students through 6th grade are served five days a week. The school also offers wraparound child care from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. HOW WE EXCEL For 50+ years, we have been educating children using the Montessori and current higher education standards and innovative curriculum to impact each child’s development. Every year we work, as all educators do, to refine and enhance the curriculum to meet the needs of the children and prepare them for the future. Our delivery system is considered to be gifted, from Toddler to Preschool to Elementary. This gifted curriculum allows a child to learn strategies for independent problem solving. The way the concepts overlap allows the child a depth of understanding and produces a continuum of learning. THE MONTESSORI METHOD The Montessori Method can provide an exceptional learning experience for all children. Parents of young children, and of school age, have a variety of schools to select from. Most parents seek the best opportunity for their children to learn socially, emotionally, and academically. What does a good Montessori school offer a child to learn and grow? If we examine the new research in learning and brain development that is currently available to all schools, we find that 50% of all learning begins with the right side of the brain – visual. It has been proven that efficiency in their learning increases when children have the opportunity to manipulate, play with, and explore a concept with their hands. This is evident in all the preschool toys and puzzles available today. Montessori is not a franchise nor is it copyrighted. Montessori schools may have the same materials but will implement the materials in a different way. We suggest that you visit schools to find one of your liking. The Montessori curriculum is supported by a vast array of hands-on materials to support the learning of a concept. Color-coded materials, for example the number rods, allow the child to explore a concept of numbers. These counting rods that alternate red and blue teach sequence of numbers: one more or one less, subtracting, etc. The Spindle boxes teach counting and visualizing the quantity associated with the number. These materials teach focus and develop a sense of mind mapping, persistence and initiative. They are laid out on shelves with short-term and long- term goals that provide the child with choices and engaging manipulation. There is a hierarchy of the materials that will transfer through upper elementary use for algebra and fractions. In the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, children experience physics, biology, and chemistry. They create an opportunity for collaboration, group learning, research, and peer teaching. Please contact us today to schedule a tour! 412.486.6239 PINE-RICHLAND ❘ SPRING 2018 23