Our program is directed by Montessori guides who have lovingly curated an elementary learning environment according to the guidance of the Association Montessori Internationale and Montessori Canada.

At Mapleside Montessori, we sow seeds of knowledge and adventure that are the keys to life-long learning.

Mapleside offers an interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes the connections between subjects with creative and collaborative approaches to student work. The development of foundational skills in language and mathematics are essential to each child’s independence in pursuit of their passions and discovering the wider world. Similarly, guided investigation of science, culture, and the arts, makes the practice of foundational skills both playful and purposeful for elementary learners.

Montessori elementary programs are built around the core principle of presenting a cosmic education that recognizes that all things in the universe are connected. From a single atom to every natural and human-made object, everything has its own important role to play, no matter how small. This is their purpose or cosmic task, and how they contribute to our experience.

Each child’s elementary journey begins with the Great Lessons, a series of stories that ignite the imagination and provide a cosmic framework for academic areas and entice them to further exploration. Drawing upon the magic of story-telling, supported with hands-on demonstrations and impressionistic drawings, we introduce The Creation of the Universe, The Emergence of Life, The Story of Humans, The Story of Writing, and The Story of Numerals. These stories—spanning the universe’s origin to human invention—spark curiosity in geography, biology, history, language, and mathematics, serving as catalysts for further exploration.

At Mapleside, we focus on developing a strong classroom community, as well as fostering independence and connection to our neighbourhood, our city, and beyond. Children gain confidence through finding how they can use their unique personality, gifts, and strengths to contribute meaningfully within their social group and to the world around them.

By working and learning in a multi-age classroom, children experience learning as a social process, where individual identities and interests combine to be a valuable part of a diverse group. They have the opportunity to observe other students in their daily activities, practice new skills, and become confident that they can make a contribution to the social group, and eventually become the guide to younger children. Social conflicts between students are resolved through guided mediation, with an emphasis on communication and reconciliation. Every member of our community is given the grace to make mistakes and take action to make amends.

Going out into the community is an important part of an elementary child’s development as they learn to be increasingly independent of their home and family. We support the development of social skills and independence by integrating opportunities into our curriculum for students to learn:

• Pedestrian safety and courtesy
• Navigating a neighbourhood by foot
• Speaking to store clerks, cashiers, and librarians
• How to make cash purchases and track expenses
• How to transport and store light groceries

Scheduled whole class trips to special events or facilities are important, shared experiences that encourage social bonding. Field trips take place a few times throughout the year, and often include destinations such as the Brott Education Concert, Royal Botanical Gardens, or the McCallion Planetarium.

As children learn more about the social world, it is important that they feel empowered to contribute, to find purpose and achievement in a way that builds and strengthens their community. As elementary children are in their sensitive period for developing their sense of morality and justice, opportunities to work together to help others and promote equality are important experiences. Throughout the year, students are invited to explore a variety of ways they can give service through their time, their energy, and their work.

We are proud to select a local charity to support each year during the December holidays, and to volunteer for the Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association Food Drive every spring. Student-driven initiatives can take place at any time, and are often in support of charities that focus on preserving nature, helping animals, or supporting human health and wellness. Past outreach projects have included fundraising for the S.P.C.A., The Shoebox Project, The Heart and Stroke Foundation, and Plan Canada, along with many others!