Ellington Montessori School

EMS is dedicated to the development of the whole child (social, academic and physical) in a safe, nurturing environment. Ellington Montessori has developed an outstanding reputation within the Montessori and Private School community for its exceptionally well-rounded academic and co-curricular programs. The school population reflects a diverse multicultural community and the faculty and students regularly contribute to the community via outreach programs and services.

or over 25 years, hundreds of families have entrusted EMS with the care and education of their children. By committing ourselves to our students and their families, it is our expectation that when students graduate from EMS, they are equipped with the necessary skills to reach their fullest potential and contribute to society in a positive and meaningful manner.

EMS has a total of seven classrooms: Toddler (15 months* – 2.5 years), Casa (2.5 years – 6 years), Lower Elementary (6-9 years), Upper Elementary (9-12 years) and Middle School (12-14 years), a dedicated French classroom and dedicated Before and After School room. The classrooms were designed with unique, natural light features and easy access to water and washroom facilities. The Toddler Classroom has its own dedicated washroom facility (within the classroom) that was specifically designed with Toddlers in mind.

Ellington Montessori School received its first CCMA accreditation in 1998. Ms. Deborah Renwick, the current Head-of-School and sole owner/operator of EMS, sat on the CCMA Board of Directors for over a decade and was instrumental in the development of the accreditation process and best practices. Ms. Renwick continues to support the CCMA as a consultant.

Our school is fully licensed by the Ministry of Education, and regulated by Toronto Children Services. We are also routinely inspected by Public Health and the Fire Department. The safety of our students is a primary concern and all faculty and staff who are in regular contact with students are required to submit an annual police reference check.

Teachers and school staff, under the leadership of the Principal, maintain order in the school and are expected to hold everyone to the highest standard of respectful and responsible behaviour. As role models, staff members uphold these high standards when they:

• Help students work to their full potential and develop their self-worth.
• Communicate regularly and meaningfully with parents.
• Maintain consistent standards of behaviour for all students.
• Demonstrate respect for all students, staff and parents.
• Prepare students for the full responsibilities of citizenship.

Our Casa program provides an enriching hands-on learning experience with specially formulated Montessori materials for math, language, sensorial exploration, practical life activities, art, science, and geography. Making choices and using coordinated movements to accomplish tasks leads the child toward self-regulation and self-control. Children develop observation and problem-solving skills. By manipulating, experimenting, and discovering, children begin to move from the concrete to abstract as they prepare for the more complex studies in preparation for the EMS elementary program.

Children are learning language long before entering the Montessori classroom. By using their senses as tools, children absorb information about their language. During the first two years of Casa, students prepare themselves for (formal) language study by working in the practical life and sensorial areas with materials that refine auditory, oral, visual, and sensory/motor skills which are necessary for writing and reading in the third year. Language spans every other area as an integrated source of preparation for a well-planned approach to further learning.

The classroom environment is prepared in such a way as to allow the children the freedom of choice and each activity has a control of error enabling the children to correct their mistakes. As an example, the math binders have questions available to the students to provide the means for students to work independently. The binders include an answer key and once the student’s work has been checked for completion, the child then corrects his/her work.

This next level of education guides the students as they move away from more concrete, fact-based learning, into an age of abstraction and reason. Fueled by exceptional strong imaginations and a desire to understand how things work, the Upper Elementary Students are well prepared for a curriculum that challenges them with advanced ideas in literature, history, science, mathematics, and language.

As the students continue through what Dr. Montessori called the Intellectual Period, they develop intellectually, socially and morally, as active participants in their classroom communities and their own learning. Hands-on learning, coupled with more abstract work, discussions, and experiential education, create a balance of learning experiences for the active minds and bodies of the Upper Elementary students. Group work is highlighted throughout the curriculum, to create a productive and positive outlet for these very social students. Ongoing independent work is also vital, and allows students to challenge themselves, hone organizational skills and build a solid foundation of academic skills.