Learning is sweet at Voyager

Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, February 23, 2005

The Montessori school marks its 10th year with an open house.

They are calling the occasion, “Learning is Sweet.”

Voyager Montessori Elemen­tary School is celebrating its 10th anniversary and classroom open house from 1:30-4 p.m. Saturday, with a smorgasbord of desserts.

“It’s a party, a celebration,” Ann Whitmore, the head of school, noting that the school’s 37 students will be serving guests with desserts donated by local restaurants and caterers.

They will also be on hand to answer questions about their school.

Learning by doing is part of the “hands-on” educational philosophy advanced by Voyager, which adheres to the teaching methods pioneered by the Italian educator Maria Montessori.

The school is at 8225 High School Road, with acreage for a student-planted garden and wooden play structure out back, and an area for composting.

In two serene, uncluttered classrooms filled with natural light, the school’s students work quietly in small groups, intently focused on reading, culture, math, geometry, or art.

The children are grouped grades 1-3 (junior class) and 3-6 (senior class) so that each child has a chance to be mentored by an older student, and to mentor a younger one.

“We have a fully integrated curriculum of math, science, language, history and the arts, which builds year-to-year,” said founding teacher Doreen Morgan, who teaches the senior class. “We also address the whole child’s academic, social and emotional needs.”

The teacher-to-student ratio at Voyager is one-to-nine in the upper grades, and one-to-13 in the lower grades. The school employs four teachers and two assistants. Tution is $7,600 per year and 30 percent of the families receive financial aid.

Children at Voyager learn about rights and responsibilities in the classroom, and conflict resolution is part of the curriculum, with students reminded that there are a range of choices on how to handle difficult situations.

“Respect is a key part of the curriculum here,” said Molly McCabe, a Voyager parent on the board of trustees. “They have a lot of respect for the school, and it’s a trait and practice they carry to other parts of their lives. That’s fairly significant at this age.”

At Voyager, students are provided a core curriculum. But learning is student-directed, rather than teacher-directed.

This is part of Montessori education’s emphasis on fostering the inner discipline and responsibility to learn and complete coursework.

The hands-on theme runs throughout the curriculum. While studying astronomy, the older students have a sleep-over at the school and study the stars.

During studies of Mesopotamia, they make cuniform tablets. While studying early humans, the children make an “early human lunch” with roasted meat and vegetables, cooked over a fire they make themselves from rudimentary tools.

“These kids run for their classrooms,” when they are brought to school, McCabe said. “They are really excited about learning.”