Harbourview Montessori School
290 Murphy Road B1R 1W8 Sydney, NS, Canada

THE ADVANTAGE OF SMALL SCHOOLS Harbourview Montessori School, located on Murphy Road in Westmount, is a small school with 4 spacious classrooms. This, and our 2.5 acres of property, gives us an advantage over larger schools. We have implemented and practiced the new Covid-19 safety procedures over the past 9 months (Yes, we've been open all summer!) and...WE'RE READY!! Here's what we're doing: *Class numbers are restricted to only 16 students with one teacher and one assistan...t *With a wall of windows in each classroom, fresh air will circulate every day (On days when we cannot fully open all windows, we will turn on the classroom Hepa Air Purifiers.) *We have always had a strict cleaning and sanitation routine; however, we have increased this so that all high-touch surfaces are sanitized many times throughout the day *Every classroom has a sink; therefore, children have easy access for frequent hand washing *Classrooms for ages 3-6 have their own washrooms as well as a kitchen sink; therefore, they do not need to leave the classroom (until they go outdoors to their VERY large Peace Garden) *For Elementary and Middle School students, we are in the process of setting up outdoor classrooms in our school forest! This will ensure that we exceed the recommended 40% of the school day outdoors (Think freedom, comfort and working while surrounded by trees, birds and squirrels!) We are 100% confident in our ability to provide the absolute safest learning environments for your children during this pandemic! We're Ready!! We have a few spaces remaining. Email [email protected] to book your tour before our classrooms are full!

OPENINGS FOR LAST SUMMER CAMP!! We have only 4 spaces remaining for our final summer camp of the season! Our camps have been a great success with lots of happy little campers! Our upcoming camp is: CONSTRUCTION ADVENTURE CAMP! August 10-14, 9am-2pm $175 per student... Ages 8-11 Activities include: Bridge Building, Fort Building, STEM Projects, Free Play in our School Forest! Register by EMAILING our school office at [email protected]! Deadline to register is July 31. See more

SUMMER CAMPS!!!! Harbourview Montessori is offering two summer camps during the weeks of July 13 and July 20. Both camps are for children between the ages of 8 and 11. July 13-17 MATHS CAMP! 9am-2pm July 20-24 SCIENCE, NATURE AND ART CAMP! 9am-2pm We have only 4 spaces remaining in these two camps! ... Both camps incorporate outdoor play time in our woods! Enrollment is limited due to new Covid-19 protocols. Contact our office for information regarding registration! We are currently at 80% capacity for both camps! [email protected] :) See more

SUMMER PROGRAM EXPANSION!! Harbourview Montessori is opening an additional 8 spaces for our summer program for 3-6 year old children! Gardening! Games! Music! Art! Nature Study! Take a drive past our school on Murphy Road, Westmount to see our beautiful outdoor play spaces! Contact us to reserve a space for your child. [email protected]

RE-OPENING JUNE 15TH!!! We are happy to announce that we will re-open on June 15 for past, current and NEW families. We will be limiting enrollment to 16 children, ages 3-7. Our summer childcare program will be as rich, varied and fun as our school-year programs! A greater portion of our days will be spent outside, in our Peace Garden as well as in our forest. On the agenda: Young Naturalist Program, Art, Gardening, Collaborative Games and more!! Was your child in pre-primar...y this past year? Are you looking for an amazing summer program for your child? Has your child been lacking social contact during these past 3 months? You will find our facilities warm, inviting, and impeccably clean. Our teachers are experienced, kind and fun. We're filling up fast! Last day to register is Fri, June 12! [email protected] See more

Hands-on Project Number...we've lost track! :) This week, our elementary class has been reviewing bilateral symmetry, asymmetry and radial symmetry. Check out these student-made creative radial symmetry designs (i.e nature mandalas). Well done!! The last two pics are definitely a sign of the times (contributed by Salerah). Thank you, again, to our dedicated parents and students. Together, we made the virtual classroom work!

ONLINE CLASSROOMS UPDATE We are beginning our 7th week of online classes! We're about to reach the 2-month mark...and we are SO thankful for the support that we have received from parents and students!! We want to thank our parents for their amazing and continued support. We also thank our students for their patience, work ethic, excitement...and sense of humour! :) We have been SO busy preparing and presenting lessons that we haven't had time to post some of the fabulous p...rojects that our students have worked on over the weeks. We have sent out work packages, including puppet-making kits, gardening kits and STEM kits! We have had scavenger hunts, research projects on spring peepers and turtles of NS, bird-feeder projects, individual reading, spelling and math sessions, discussion of currents events...and a meal preparation assignment! THANK YOU to everyone for helping to make the virtual classroom come to life! We don't know what the near future holds for schools in Nova Scotia; however, we are, as always, prepared. We will end our school year on May 22. After this, we will be offering individual tutoring in mathematics and reading/spelling/comprehension for our students/parents as well as any students/parents who are interested and are outside of our school. Contact [email protected] if interested! See more

We're into our 4th day of VIRTUAL LEARNING at Harbourview Montessori School! We've experimented with various schedules and set-ups and we finally have worked it out so that every child has both group and individual learning opportunities. It's been an exciting and challenging journey. Staying connected in a meaningful way is SO important for learning and general well-being, especially at a time when there is so much isolation and uncertainty. A sincere thank you goes out to ...our parent community. We would not be able to do this without your support! You are amazing!! We promise to work hard to make every day better. We will be contacting our Children's House parents in a couple of days to collaborate on online social opportunities for our younger students! It's so important to stay connected to friends...and to keep our children engaged! We can do this...together! See more

COVID-19 LEARNING PLAN Parents, please check your email for our new online learning plan to begin on Monday, March 30! Each student will be on an individualized learning plan (as we do during regular school times). The platform and schedule will be sent, via email, on Saturday. It is our commitment to continue to implement exceptional, individualized learning plans for every student. In the meantime, please set up a private, quiet work area for your child. You will need a co...mputer/laptop with camera/audio. If you do not have one, let us know and we will deliver one to you (sanitized, of course)! It is our goal to ensure that every child from grades 1 to 9 are supported in their continued learning. If you live in a rural area and do not have reliable internet service, we will happily communicate via phone and email in order to best support your child! WE WILL MAKE THIS WORK!! Please...continue to stay at home, if you are able to, so that we can contribute to the eradication of this rampant virus. Enjoy and cherish your families! For those nurses, doctors and other front-line workers...you are our heroes. Thank you. See more

Our Children's House class has been learning about the Netherlands (Holland)! Special thanks to Madison's grandmother, Cory, for your amazing contributions to this fun study!! Working and learning are as important as play during the early years! At Harbourview Montessori, we recognize that exposing children to culture, geography, science, math and language from an early age inspires creativity and develops the imagination! Adding Practical Living Skills sets the stage for independence while refining motor control. Teaching grace and courtesy assists little people with social etiquette and effective communication skills. This is what educating the whole child is all about! (Happy little people!) Registration for September is happening now! Call today for a tour. (902) 539-8884 [email protected]

PRACTICAL LIFE ACTIVITIES! What's the value?? Enhanced concentration, unlocking the creative potential, gaining everyday living skills (sewing, building, cooking), constructing (think: architecture, engineering, electronics) and FUN!!! Our Elementary students LOVED Practical Life Day last Friday. (Practical Life Skills, by the way, are an everyday event at Harbourview Montessori!) Registration for Elementary is now open!! Call for a tour and find out our plan for YOUR child to learn practical living skills...and advanced maths, reading, spelling, geography, current events, science, art...and so much more!! ALL learning plans are individualized according to your child's needs and learning style! Visit us and see what education CAN and SHOULD be! (902) 539-8884 [email protected]

NEUROPLASTICITY is important for children to learn in order for them to understand and achieve a GROWTH MINDSET! It all starts with a study of the human brain! Our MIDDLE SCHOOL learners LOVED making their own BRAIN HATS, followed by CLAY MODELS of the lobes. We're learning about the structure and function of the brain. Brain games, trivia, optical illusions and cool brain tricks contribute to making this a SUPER FUN and thought-provoking study!! At Harbourview Montessori, w...e don't program a child's learning with dull textbooks! Instead, we engage our students through hands-on learning, research, discussions...and always want our learners to question, question, question! We refuse to dim that natural sense of wonder and curiosity about the Universe! If THIS is the type of learning environment that you have always wanted for your child, call today to set up a tour with one of our teachers! (902) 539-8884 [email protected] See more

We realize that all other schools are closed today; however, WE ARE OPEN!!

Birthday Boy Baking Session! Well done, Dallin. Delicious cinnamon buns for the class!! Baking is reading, math, practical life skills and FUN!! Registration for September 2020 is now open! Call for a tour! (902) 539-8884 [email protected]

Wednesday, Feb 12: Parents, we would like to know if your child will attend school if we have a late opening. We have announced on CBC Radio that we will open at 11am; however, we need to know how many children will attend. Please respond here or on school email. Thank you! :)

This is always an announcement we do not want to post! There will be no classes at Harbourview Montessori School today, due to ice and freezing rain. :( Today was to be our second Literacy Day (as well as Art and Music). We will move this day to Monday! :)

Due to winter storm conditions, the school will be closed today, Friday, January 17th. We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday.

Today, Wednesday, is a snow day (No School) for Harbourview Montessori School. We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.Today, Wednesday, is a snow day (No School) for Harbourview Montessori School. We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.

Today is a snow day (No School) for Harbourview Montessori Students. We will miss you and look forward to playing in the snow with you tomorrow!! :)

Our students and staff mourn the loss of Dozay Christmas, a long-time parent at our school. Today, staff and students attended the funeral service and salite that followed. The gathering of family and friends from near and far is a testament to how much Dozay was loved. We are very proud of our students, who surrounded Dozay's little girl with affection, comfort and love. You all are beautiful young people. We remember Dozay as a gentle person who was quick to smile and laugh. We also remember her intense love for and devotion to her family. We will always remember you, Dozay, and will continue to love and support your little girl.

Solids, Liquids and Gases... and then there were non-Newtonian Fluids! We had so much fun experimenting with MANY different recipes for non-Newtonian fluids! As always, the children read the recipes, combined the ingredients and made the discoveries for themselves! These were multi-day experiments...and messy ones at that! Science...in...action!

Halloween at Harbourview Montessori was fun and educational, as always! There was pumpkin carving, baking and, for our older students, presentations of research on Peacemakers through history as well as on Famous Scientists. Amazing presentations and costumes!! Have a look at a few pics of this fun day!

ART with ONNI! Thank you to Onni Nordman (www.onninordman.com) for spending many hours and weeks with our students, teaching interesting, fun and new techniques! Comments from our students include: "This was so cool!" "I loved it and could do it all day long!" "Onni is such a nice and fun person. He let me experiment with my art." "Monotypes are really hard but I liked it!" "My favourite part was designing my monogram." Thank you to Greg Davies, CBU art gallery, for giving us a space in the Proletariat Art Show!

SEARCHING FOR VOLUNTEERS for BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB CB, WHITNEY PIER YOUTH CLUB!! PLEASE SHARE THIS POST!! Harbourview Montessori School has been partnering with the Whitney Pier Youth Club for three years to deliver a reading support program to its members. We are need of additional volunteers to help us reach every child! This not only supports children who struggle with reading, spelling and writing...it supports parents AND teachers! We are very proud of the program that we... have supported over the past three years. We are also SO thankful to our incredible and committed volunteers, and, especially, to our co-ordinator, Jillian Polegato! Do you love children, have a desire to make a real difference in a child's life, AND want to feel AMAZING about the service that you are providing? Contact Harbourview Montessori School OR the Whitney Pier Youth Club...and find out how you can help. Training will be provided!! (902) 539-8884 [email protected]

Our students had SO much fun at Hanks Family Farm on Wednesday and Friday last week! Aside from the playground, animals, corn maze and pumpkin patch...we REALLY enjoyed the market! Incredible beets, turnips, carrots, baked goods, pickled foods, jams and jellies!! It was such a treat for students, teachers and parents! Thanks to the wonderful and kind people at Hanks!!!

LOAVES AND FISHES!! Thank you SO much to our families who have brought in food to donate to Loaves and Fishes! AND thank you to the many families who donated directly to them!! They really are in dire need of things like potatoes, pasta sauce, canned vegetables, ketchup, mayo....and even cat and dog food!! We appreciate your help...and hope that all families in Sydney will continue to give. It always feels good to help out...and they really need our help!

Aside from bringing happiness and joy to students, ANIMALS IN THE CLASSROOM naturally teach children respect, responsibility, caring behaviour, compassion and a sense of calm within themselves. We have Rosy (tarantula), Alex (leopard gecko), numerous fish, as well as Biscuit, Bismarck and Crackers (three rats). We're adding more animals to our family in the next few weeks, including 2 rats and a bearded dragon. Luckily, we have a resident reptile expert, Holly, to help us learn about optimal habitats and care! We're excited!!

All of our classes have done so much Food Preparation since September!! Yesterday, a few Middle School students made teriyaki tofu! We did a little experiment to see the absorption rate of frozen versus refrigerated tofu...and the frozen tofu won, hands down! The teriyaki sauce was made from scratch...and we enjoyed tofu, carrot and spinach wraps! Well done, boys!! If you have a child between the ages of 12 and 14 who loves to cook, experiment, build and collaborate, we've got an exceptional hands-on curriculum! Call today for a tour. (902) 539-8884 [email protected]

There is no description, no image in any book, capable of replacing the sight of real trees and all the life to be found around them in a real forest." --Maria Montessori ...and a mug of hot chocolate after a hike in our backyard yard makes it complete! Harbourview Montessori School provides the BEST programming for 3-6 year old children: fresh air and natural spaces, grace and courtesy, practical life skills, language and math...developmentally-appropriate education in beautiful learning environments! Call today to schedule a tour!! (902) 539-8884 [email protected]