Transition Program

The child's third year in the classroom is a culmination of the skills and tools they have built upon in their first two years. During the third year, everything the child has learned comes to fruition. Transition students gain self-confidence that comes with responsibility and leadership. These students are role models in the classroom to the younger students and help maintain a feeling of community.

During the morning, in their Primary classroom, Transition students are free to choose their own work as in previous years. They are drawn to academic activities and take part in more challenging individual and small group lessons with teachers. This is also the time for these students to help younger children with lessons they have already mastered, and act as role models.

During the afternoon, in their Transition classroom, students are given more specific and focused lessons in a small group setting. The children take part in Spanish and Art classes on Monday, Language on Tuesday, Math on Wednesday, Science and experiments on Thursday, and come together as a group on Friday for crafts and games. Children leave the Transition program with a strong set of academic skills, but more importantly, the attitude that learning is fun and exciting.

The afternoon transition program begins for 5 and 6 year old children at 1:00 pm and ends at 2:45 pm.

Art at SCMS for Transition
Maria Montessori believed that the study of art was fundamental to children’s creative, visual, sensorial, and emotional development. In the Transition art program, each class meets once a week with our art teacher. Throughout the school year the children explore the seven elements of art. These elements are line, shape, color, texture, value, space and form. Several lessons are presented for each element with an emphasis on the introduction of the use of a variety of tools and mediums for the children to explore. The freedom of choice in subject matter fosters creativity and the product is always secondary to the process for the children in making art.

Spanish at SCMS for Transition
Acquiring a new language is especially advantageous at a young age, as the pronunciation, intonation, and structure comes quicker and more easily. SCMS students begin learning Spanish in the Transition program and continue through the Junior program with native Spanish speaker. The teacher incorporates group activities to reinforce the fun of Spanish language in song, conversational skills, movement, and games.