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Seeing children as thinkers, creators and contributors in a community of learners at Smith Street Arts et Lettres (sponsored)

Through careful observation and planning, teachers at Smith Street Arts et Lettres create units of study that are multi-layered and integrate language development and modes of art to facilitate deeper retention of academic and life skills. Our teachers are not just sources of information, they are researchers and artists in their own right, empowered to model an innovative, creative mindset for their students.

The Montessori literacy and math curriculum are used as a base to design integrated approaches to lessons. Montessori is a writing first method, with the belief that the most powerful way to create avid readers and creative writers is by setting up an environment where children are motivated to communicate with the written word. Materials and lessons nurture a positive, natural progression to reading and writing, using advanced and classic literature. The Montessori Math curriculum assumes that every child has a “mathematical mind” and an internal desire to understand the world around them through logic, sequence, order, and the extrapolation of truth.

Regarding the art program, Smith Street Arts et Lettres sees artistic disciplines as an aid in a more successful acquisition of math and literary concepts. Additionally, aesthetic understanding creates a more empathetic and creative child, promoting divergent thinking and healthy sense of self in relation to community. Integrating the modes of art in all subjects helps children retain new concepts and stay engaged in the material. The teachers at Smith Street Arts & Lettres work together with artist professionals to create a five senses curriculum that approaches concepts in a holistic way, engaging the entire body and mind and always seeking to answer “why this and why now? ”.

Smith Street Arts et Lettres welcomes children from Kindergarten to 8th grade. Applications for 2022-2023 are now open and you can register for a Virtual Open House here or contact their admissions team at [email protected]. À bientôt!

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