Blog Archive | Montessori East

Journey of Service

Every year the year 6 students complete their 9 years of Montessori education with a week of community service, support and self-reflection. This year, 2023, our graduates partnered with the Dalaigur aboriginal community in Kempsey, NSW.

Encouraging Your Child to Read

Montessori East

Reading to and with children has a huge impact. Here are some way to encourage reading at home.

Simone's tips on how to manage screen time for all the ages

Simone at Notebook and Montessori East

As parents we're all looking for answers on how to best manage our children's screen time. Simone from the Montessori Notebook has an array of very helpful and realistic tips to support parents with children from 6 to 18 years of age.

Second Generation Montessorians

Andreina Amato

We speak to two Montessori mums who share their memories of their childhood growing up in a Montessori environment and why they never second guessed their choice for a Montessori education for their children.

Nature Boy, Earth Boy, Young Archiebald winner 5-8 years old, Lev Kahn

Introducing our Young Archiebald prize recipient

Montessori East

Introducing Montessori East's Young Archiebald winner, Lev Kahn, whose self-portrait entitled Nature Boy, Earth Boy, won the 5-8 year old category. We love how well Lev handled his first ever press conference at just 5 years old. Unfazed by th

Montessori Materials - What's so special about them?

Montessori East

Montessori schools use specific learning materials, but what are they?

We are family

Andreina Amato

The KIN team celebrates its one-year anniversary on the Montessori East campus and shares some of their families' stories and their discoveries on 'slow' parenting.

Why it is important to complete a plane in Montessori

Montessori East

This week Montessori East says farewell to its year 6 graduates who have been with us since the wee age of 2-and-half and 3 years of age. These children have completed two cycles and according to Maria Montessori completing a cycle is a major

A covid-safe Montessori East puppet musical - The Coming of Life

Montessori East

The creativity that has sprung out of Covid lockdowns is truly magical. Our children at Montessori East have been busily illustrating, composing, singing, directing and producing an all school original creation - The Coming of Life - puppet mu

Counting with beads

Montessori East

The bead cabinet is one of the hallmarks in Montessori mathematical learning, and it is the most alluring for children with their colours and tactile experience. The main purpose of the bead cabinet is to help develop children's knowledge abo

Parenting tips: When do I introduce household chores to my child?

Montessori East

Often parents ask us, “When is the right age to start getting my child to do chores?” Well, at Montessori, we don’t really call them chores, rather we use the language practical life skills. These are skills that we all need to learn in order

When should my child learn to write?

Montessori East

This can be such a hot topic, even controversial about when a child should learn to write. Underneath the controversy there is often the adult expectation that feels the need to be met rather than following the child’s readiness.

Do schools kill creativity?

Montessori East

Over a decade ago former educator and pioneer in revolutionising education, Sir Ken Robinson, took the world by surprise with his 60 million viewed Tedx Talk on how schools are killing our children’s creativity. He calls it the 'other' climate

NAPLAN highs

Montessori East

NAPLAN is the national assessment program for literacy and numeracy across each of the states. In This year 2021 our Year 3 and Year 5 students sat the exam under the cloud of some difficult Covid 19 restrictions and we’re very proud of how th

Rethinking education: why we choose Montessori?

Andreina Amato

In this time in society where the world of education has been forced to rethink its approach and move learning online, many parents have been left to ponder what’s best for my child?

Random Acts of Kindness

Montessori East

Do you remember the last time a small act of kindness unexpectedly touched your heart, changed your day? How did it make you feel? A Random Act of Kindness is giving of yourself to others freely. It's simply doing something nice for someone el

How is your wellbeing boat?

Kathryn Wyer

Wellbeing is one of the topics of conversation right now as we all juggle our flipped-about lives. We’ve also heard a lot that ‘we’re in this together’ and yes, we might all be in the same storm at sea, but we’re not all in the same kind of bo

How to motivate your child when they want to quit?

Andreina Amato

We are now coming into our 9th week of lockdown in NSW, Australia and no doubt many of us are feeling the pinch.

Book Week 21-27 August 2021

Sarah-Boyd Clark - ME librarian

Welcome to Book Week 2021 where old and new worlds collide and the books on the notables list of CBCA (The Children's Book Council of Australia) are as delightful as they are varie

Home learning - the novelty of printouts and paper

Andreina Amato

There is nothing quite like it when you watch the joy in a child's eyes when they receive a big pack of fun activities and print outs.

Our indigenous connection: Journey of Service and the Dalaigur Preschool in Kempsey

Kathryn Wyer, Cycle 3

Montessori East’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) states that "we acknowledge that true reconciliation will require building bridges to our larger community." Community and being of service are so important to who we are and what we value at

Getting to know our community

Phil Macken, Cycle 2

Two young reporters review the teacher's favourite local Meidy's Cafe in Bondi. Atticus and Ondine thought long and hard about what to ask chef Larry.

Learning to Talk - Developing language, 0-6 years

Tea Bezos, Under 3

Children have a natural urge and incredible capacity to learn language between the age of birth to six. They can do this effortlessly and tirelessly, ultimately striving to communicate via the spoken word so they can express their needs and i

With a new toy comes a lesson on grace and courtesy

Marie Chahine, Cycle 1

With every new addition to the environment, we are mindful of supporting the children in their social skills by giving them an explicit Grace and Courtesy lesson on turn taking and on caring for the toy/object thereby encouraging the children

A look into symbolic and pretend play

Marie Chahine

Symbolic and dramatic play involves acting out, role-playing and improvisation by children to examine their world. Acting out roles is a great stepping stone in learning to self regulate, learn social skills, and to be imaginative. Dramatic p

Alumni reconnecting through Journey of Service

Andreina Amato, ME Alumni Coordinator

Alumna, Maya Hendler, 24, travelled to Udon Thani in north east Thailand with principal, Bill Conway, teachers, Mozelle Ediriweera and Amy Goldman and six graduates, Kirrily Bruckner, Mahlia Davidson Nyika, Felix Howard-Griffiths, Hunter Kaye,

Bondi to Cambridge

Andreina Amato

This is a story of a young girl, 18, who started her love of learning from the first day she walked into Montessori East in 2003, at the age of three.

Parenting tips: Transitioning from nappies to underpants

Montessori East and www.montessoriforeveryone.com

One of the more common questions in our toddler program is when do I know my child is ready to transition from nappies to underpants?

Learning grace and courtesy at preschool

Montessori East

'Wow!' is what we often hear when visitors come to our preschool.

What are the Montessori Five Great Lessons?

Montessori East

Every year the primary aged children (aged 6-12) are retold The 5 Great Lessons (or Cosmic Education as it was called by Maria Montessori). But what are they?

Maths: The Binomial Cube explained

Montessori East

The Binomial Cube provides the all important bridge between concrete and abstract thinking, and helps the child develop a much deeper understanding of the maths involved in algebra.