PRIME PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES (PPF)
The Prime Program for Families (PPF) creates a forum to establish relationships that support and empower parents as they embrace the changes that come with a dynamic family life. As such, Prime offers assistance to our families in establishing and sustaining an optimum loving, and supportive home environment. All adults in the lives of the children - parents, grandparents, caregivers - are invited to participate in the exchange of information and ideas interweaving the principles of Montessori pedagogy with current research on child development.
These programs foster a harmonious and interdependent relationship between home and school, expanding our educational reach beyond the classroom and directly into your hands. The discussions and presentations place the responsibility to learn and become informed about Montessori theory and practice in your hands since you are your child’s first and most influential educator. Topics are chosen to be relevant to today’s families as they relate to the intricacies of raising children in the 21st century.
PPF is designed to help you better understand and employ Montessori principles at home with your children. There are events every month – you have a right and a responsibility to participate!
To learn more or for more information, please contact us at info@pfmschool.org. or call 240-744-0400.
One of the best resources the PPF provides Prime Parents is its educational events. For overviews of the types of events we hold as well as upcoming event dates and RSVP information, please see below.
MONTESSORI SNAPSHOTS
Montessori Snapshots: 30-Minute Learning Flash.
New to Montessori? Curious about what your child is doing at school? Want to support your child’s Montessori experience at home? Fear not, Montessori Snapshots is here to help!
Join our director and teacher once a month for a short, informative virtual experience on all things Montessori. Part inspiration and part information, Montessori snapshots will provide families with great practical tips to help explain what your child is doing in class and to build a connection between home and school. Each session will focus on a specific topic and opportunities for Q&A will be built into the program.
CLASS OBSERVATIONS
Class Observations: Watch Your Child's Montessori Community at Work.
Tempted to peek in and see what’s happening in your child’s classroom? Well, there is no need to be sneaky - you will be officially invited to see first-hand what your child does during the day. This experience is designed to deepen your understanding of your child’s development as well as to affirm the educational choice you have made for them.
All parents - Toddler, Primary, and Elementary - will receive an invitation to come to school and observe and/or interact with their child(ren) as is age-appropriate. Observations last approximately 30 minutes and take place in the weeks prior to or immediately following the Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences so you will be able to discuss your visit with the teacher at that time
MONTESSORI PARENT NIGHT
Montessori Parent Night: Learn More About Montessori Pedagogy.
Trying to get a handle on what your child is doing at school? These practical, teacher-led sessions demonstrate how the materials and activities of the Montessori curriculum, within the context of the prepared environment, satisfy your child's sensitive periods now and what benefits can be garnered for the future. Learn more about the progression and integration of the Montessori pedagogy.
Guaranteed takeaway bonus: a list of 10+ things to do at home! Open to all parents of Toddler, Primary and Elementary children.
MONTESSORI WORKS
Montessori Works: Work directly with Montessori Lessons and Materials to better understand your child's education.
How can you get a glimpse of how the beautiful and inviting Montessori materials transform your child? How do you know that learning is taking place and that Montessori is the right choice for your family? This workshop is a unique opportunity for a "hands-on" experience with the Montessori materials. It is meant to give you a snapshot of what happens day-to-day in a Montessori school from the day the 18-month-old joins the Toddler Community until the night of commencement for the twelve-year-old. You attend one evening for a journey which progresses through all four levels where you begin to get a sense of the differences between Montessori and traditional education models. Return the next morning, where, under the guidance of the teachers, you will work directly with preselected materials to discover Montessori from the perspective of the child. Each session ends with a lively discussion. It is required that parents attend once in the first two years of their child's time at Prime.
IMPORTANT: This program is designed to be undertaken as a whole. You must attend both Friday evening and Saturday morning sessions. Childcare is provided on Saturday only.
ELEMENTARY PARENT INFORMATION CLASSES (EPIC)
EPIC: Helping Parents Maximize Their Children's Elementary Experience.
This program is designed to help parents and guardians of Elementary students get the most out of their partnership with the school during their child's years of second plane development at Prime Montessori. Sessions, 45 minutes to an hour long, are scheduled for different times of day - sometimes in the morning after drop off, and sometimes in the evening after after-school programs. These sessions are designed around key content and information that parents need to know and understand to help their child get the most out of their Montessori education. EPIC topics include technology and social media, field trip and camping trip chaperone training, how to understand the use of testing at a Montessori school, the transition from Prime to Middle School and High School, guest speakers, and more. Evening meetings for EPIC will have childcare available for Elementary- and Primary-aged children.