Montessori School Keeps Growing

By Tanjua Damon

BROOKFIELD — The Montessori Community School in Brookfield has a growing population and has recently opened a new site at 940 Federal Road enabling them to offer a Montessori education to students up to age 12.

Director Deb Laemmerhirt explained that the school has over 70 students ranging from ages 21/2 to 12. Some go to school for a half-day (8:30 am to 12:30 pm) and others attend for a full day (8:30 am to 3 pm) from 13 different towns.

There are ten families from Newtown with children in the Community School.

The Montessori style of teaching allows children to learn at their own desired pace.

“The philosophy is an individual approach to each child,” Ms Laemmerhirt said. “The idea is the multi-age range, children have significant windows of opportunity to learn. Children move at their own pace. They do whatever it is they are ready for.”

The Montessori style is an alternative approach to education and was developed by Maria Montessori, who was an Italian psychologist and physician.

Teachers in the Montessori setting observe children each day and write down something about what that particular child’s day has been like, Ms Laemmerhirt said. There are three classrooms in which children age 21/2  to 6 may interact. They may move from room to room when they complete a task. The three rooms are Practical Life, Math, and Language/Culture. French and music are also taught to the students.

“We observe a child and put into a classroom what that child needs for growth,” she said. “Everything is concrete. Children are able to approach learning in their own way. It’s a process that appeals to a child internally.”

The student/teacher ratio is about one to eight, Ms Laemmerhirt said. The 9 to 12 age group was added on this year for the school. There is a hope to have a Montessori high school since there is not one in New England. 

“That’s why the children are very successful,” she said. “It’s all here. The children from some inner sense gravitate to some kind of way; the child identifies how they will learn.”

Marge Kopsco of Newtown teaches music at the Montessori School in Brookfield. She taught in public schools for 25 years. She likes the hands-on and individualized approach students have in the Montessori setting.

“I like the hands-on. I like the individual approach that children do not have to learn at the same pace,” Ms Kopsco said. “We adjust our teaching for what they need. I think it’s unnatural to have all children doing the same thing at the same time.”

“If you don’t finish something, it’s okay,” she said. “If a child misses a day of school, they don’t miss everything here. Kids get to interact with each other on a real life basis.”

For more information about the Montessori Community School, contact Deb Laemmerhirt at 775-4016.