Our Programme.
Liberty Montessori offers an authentic, high quality Montessori preschool programme for children 3-6 and Little Liberty Montessori for 0–3-year-olds.
Liberty Montessori combines the best of both worlds, the Montessori philosophy with New Zealand's National Early Childhood Education Curriculum - Te Whāriki. Liberty Montessori is designed to open your child up to life - nurturing their sense of wonder, independence, creativity and curiosity.
Liberty Montessori (re-established on the current site in 2021, previously Little Sweethearts Montessori situated in the Historic Village) is an exceptionally resourced 3–6-year classroom, supported by qualified and experienced teachers. Children are invited to attend Liberty Montessori Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 5.30pm. Located behind Liberty Montessori is Little Liberty a beautiful environment dedicated for children aged 15 months to 3 years, open from 7.30-5pm each day. Both pre-schools are connected by an internal gate to facilitate our “Beyond the Gate Programme” between Little Liberty and Liberty Montessori.
My Montessori
In New Zealand we are blessed to have the National Early Childhood Education Curriculum – Te Whāriki. At Liberty Montessori we unite te whāriki with the Montessori philosophy to provide an authentic Montessori learning environment.
You will see that we don’t put toys or dress up in our environment. Instead, we have Montessori materials designed to support the children’s learning and natural development. And we also create interesting and engaging activities for the children that they won’t find anywhere else. The children also actively participate in practical life activities like taking care of the classroom, food preparation and baking, and tending and harvesting the classroom garden.
Some things are very similar. The children have complete freedom to choose what they do while they’re at preschool and we do come together to enjoy kai, stories and songs.
Montessori – The Liberty Way (was The Way of Peace)
We have dedicated ourselves to ensuring that every child has the best possible environment so that we can live out Montessori’s vision – one of living in unity and harmony, leading to a life of peace.
How does this develop with a child and within our community? This takes place as each child engages in real life and in real work, freely chosen within the specially prepared environment.
Participating within the community in a way that makes a difference to others, empowers a child to develop their sense of self. As an adult, we feel good when we complete what we have set our mind on, achieve a goal or reached out in our own way to contribute to society – even if it is just putting back the shopping trolley to the trolley bay! It is the same for the child. As they act on their own desire to contribute, they begin to recognise their own importance as an individual within the community. The key is providing opportunities for children to be immersed in an environment that provides the time and space to act on their own ideas and learn through trial and error and practice so they can grow confident in their own abilities to imagine, think and act.
Living in this way, children begin to discover Who Am I? they see themselves connected to others and vital to the life of the community. As they cultivate trust in their own decision making, they grow in respect for oneself, others and the world around them. In this way children begin to see the unique contribution they make to the world.
This is what Montessori referred to as each person fulfilling their ‘cosmic task’. Children begin to see the role only they can fill as they ‘act’ on their impulses within the environment and begin to create – this may be helping a friend, arranging flowers for the table or putting away their belongings. They see themselves as a treasured part of a whole. Paula Polk Lillard explains in her book, Montessori – A Modern Approach, “The child is dependent on their environment and their relationship with the physical space and the people within it. Only through interacting with this can a child come to understand himself, the world around him, its limits and so integrate his personality.”
Each step is sowing the seeds of peace; this is Love, this is the work of Montessori.
Contact us or drop in for a visit.
Here at Liberty Montessori we know that choosing the right early childhood environment is a big decision. Contact us to learn more and meet our amazing teachers who will support your child’s learning journey.
