Smiles and salutations abound in the hallways and classrooms at Coastal Montessori Charter School.  New faces shine amongst the familiar, each eagerly anticipating what the year holds.  First years are all eyes and ears as they take in new sounds, sights, and smells. Rising third years are now fourth years treading lightly as they find their place in a new space.  Each classroom is alive with kinetic energy.  The first Great Lesson, known as "The Beginning," took place last Friday in the Celebration Room.  Students gathered around a large tarp covering the experience known in the Montessori curriculum as The Coming of the Universe.  This experience is full of drama and scientific experiments designed to entice the student.  The first Great Lesson sets the stage for the entire Montessori Elementary curriculum.  It places in front of the child numerous opportunities to wonder and ask questions resulting in future student research and discovery.  Dozens of our students have heard this Great Lesson five or more times in their Montessori lives. They look forward to it with great anticipation and they will tell you, "It never gets old."

Student research is an important component of the Montessori experience.  It honors that students have questions and it allows each student to pursue the answer on their own with the teacher as a guide.  Students use multiple resources in their pursuit of knowledge.  They also use creativity and visuals to display their knowledge as it unfolds culminating in a peer presentation where students teach their classmates what they learned.  Research involves self-initiation, discovery, organization, creativity, and self-confidence.  It's quite an empowering experience for students. Parents are invited to classroom research presentations. If you do drop by, please abide by our Montessori visitor rules of respectful observation and please don't hesitate to ask our scholars thought-provoking questions.  They love showing what they know!

Kindly,
Dr. Hunt