Wausau Area Montessori Charter School

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Wausau Area MontessoriCharter School

• Wausau, WI
• 2005-2006

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Maria Montessori

• The first woman to graduate from the University
  of Rome medical school in 1896
• Developed a hands-on teaching method by
  scientifically observing children at work

• Nominated for the Nobel
• Peace Prize three times
• 1949, 1950, and 1951

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Governing Board

• Our Governing Council consists of three community
  members, three parents and one teacher.
• Their mission is to advise the Charter School
  Operators on matters concerning the Charter
  School.
• Monthly meetings are held on the third Monday of
  the month.
• Meetings are posted in compliance with the
  Wisconsin open meeting law public notice, and
  parents are encouraged to attend.

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WAMCS Mission

• To use the principles of Dr. Maria Montessori
• to create educational success with
• individualized instruction and hands-on
• learning, to foster awareness
• of self and to instill acceptance
• of the unique responsibility
• each of us has to our world.

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WAMCS Vision

• We are dedicated to providing an environment
• where we will
• Attract, develop, and retain certified,
  Montessori-trained teaching staff.
• Meet each students developmental needs.
• Connect each student to his/her learning
  environment by providing concrete educational
  experiences.
• Communicate with each child to encourage
  mutual-respect and intrinsic motivation.

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• Reinforce learning by providing opportunities for
  students to demonstrate and share their knowledge
  with other students.
• Create community by over-seeing constructive
  problem solving and by building healthy,
  long-term, interpersonal relationships.
• Encourage students to make good choices with work
  time.
• Invite families to participate in the educational
  process.

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Montessori Key Concepts

• Educate the whole child
• Cognitive, physical, emotional and social needs
  are inseparable
• Learning takes place through the senses
• Elementary students learn by immersing themselves
  in their communities
• Respect for self, others, the environment and
  life

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At the WAMCS

• Large blocks of uninterrupted learning time
• Social interaction and cooperative learning
• Multi-age and multi-grade

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• Learning community includes students, school
  staff and families
• Small and large group field trips
• Hands-on learning with Montessori materials

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The WAMCS is housedwithin a sixth grade wing
ofHorace Mann Middle School.
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A School Within a School

• Later arrival and dismissal times
• Separate recess times
• Easy access to
• hot lunch program
• Use of Horace Mann Library
• Time provided in the gym and pool
• Reading buddies with 6th graders

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Class Field Trips

• Wausau School Forest and CWES
• Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
• Grand Theater
• Waswagoning Ojibwe Village

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Student Initiated Field Trips

• Crested Gecko
• Dwellers
• Area Jewelers
• The Inner Well
• EAA Museum

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Guest Speakers

• Marge Gibson from REGI spoke about birds of prey
• Nicole Larson shared aspects of the Ojibwe
  culture
• Bruce Buhmann played his Edison record player

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Positive Growth

• 2005-2006
• 28 students
• 1 classroom
• 2 classes
• 2 Montessori teachers
• 1 classroom aide

• 2006-2007
• 52 students
• 3 classrooms
• 3 classes
• 3 Montessori teachers
• 2 classroom aides

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Challenges

• Finding Montessori certified teachers
• Working within the middle school schedule

Future Expansion

• An increase in student numbers
• Training future staff
• A building of our own