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Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 387 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
Montessori Classroom Design
By Tim Seldin
Classrooms should provide enoughfloor space to comfortably accommodatethe total number of children enrolledalong with the complete collection ofMontessori educational apparatus,tables and shelving, and related activityareas, such as art.
Number of Students in a Class:
The Montessori Foundationrecommends an ideal class size of 25 to30 students at the early childhood andelementary level,representing a three-year age range(traditionally ages 3 to 6,6 to 9, 9 to 12, etc.).Naturallycircumstances, such asroom size, localregulations, or thechallenges faced in theearly years when a newclass is beingestablished, may leadschools to set up classeswith a smaller groupsize.
Size of the Classroom Space: Westrongly recommend that schools allowa minimum of 35 square feet per studentenrolled, which complies with manyjurisdictions in the United States.
Ideally, the Foundation recommendsa ratio of 50 square feet per student atthe early childhood level, 75 square feetper student at the elementary level, and100 square feet per student at thesecondary level.
Charlotte Montessori School, Charlotte, North Carolina
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 388 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
We recognize and anticipate thatfew schools will be able to attain thisideal, with many factors coming intoconsideration, most especially localconditions and climate. For example,schools in crowded urban environmentsmay find it financially impractical tosecure larger facilities, and recognizethat their children and adults areaccustomed to smaller amounts ofpersonal space. In warmer climates,schools may be able to take excellentadvantage of shaded and semi-shadedoutdoor environments adjacent to eachclassroom. Ultimately the final test ishow well the children function withintheir environment.
The need for a self-contained
Environment: Classrooms at the
Primary and Elementary levels should
ideally include within each environment
an appropriately sized kitchen,
classroom library, science area/lab,
greenhouse, and art studio. A small
woodshop or hobby workshop is also
highly desirable.
For each class of 25 to 35 students,
we recommend the provision of a large
3 compartment sink for dish washing in
the kitchen, and within the classroom at
least two individual bathrooms to allow
privacy. Avoid multi-stall restrooms.
Traditionally Montessori classes are
designed to create an uncluttered and
beautiful homelike atmosphere. Spaces
with an institutional feel are avoided if
at all possible or their sterile look and
feel is softened by a conscious use of
design elements.
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 389 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
Access to the Outdoor
Environment: Ideally, each class should
have at least two walls facing the
outdoor environment, which again
ideally should be a natural setting of
gardens, forest, or fields. At least one
door should lead outside, allowing
children to freely go in and out to a
prepared outside environment.
The Children�s Garden: Ideally,
each classroom should have a small
garden and outdoor environment
enclosed by a picket fence or perhaps a
Mediterranean style garden wall. Again
ideally, the children should be able to go
outside as they wish to work in the
garden, observe nature, paint, or work
outside.
Windows: Montessori classrooms
should have an abundance of natural
light brought in through an abundance
of attractive windows that can be
opened to allow the air to flow. In
classes designed for younger children,
windows should be selected that reach
down to almost floor height or mounted
lower to the floor to allow small
children to see outside without
stretching.
Avoid Clutter and Traditional
School Posters and Displays The
Montessori class is not supposed to look
or feel like a classroom in the traditional
sense, but rather a comfortable and
inviting home. We do not teach group
Century House Montessori School, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 390 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
many lessons in the first place, so we
don�t need to use blackboards or
bulletin boards as decorative elements
on the walls.
A few more suggestions:
! Don�t try to add color to the room
with eye catching educational
posters.
! At all costs, don�t create a display of
twenty five identical art projects
! Avoid cartoon-like posters
! Never feel compelled to hang an
alphabet up along the wall
Instead select carefully chosen
highly quality art reproductions or
original art and hang them around the
room at the children�s eye level. Even
better, provide the children with mattes
and frames and allow them to select and
display individual pieces of their art or
work in an attractive manner. Create
attractive areas for displaying
individual sculptures or projects. Take a
fresh look at how art is displayed in a
fine gallery or art museum.
Lighting: Fluorescent lights can
create a harsh light. Soften the glare
with the light from your windows and
by introducing several attractive floor or
table lamps with shades. Just a little
incandescent light from some lamps can
go a long way to making your
classroom feel like a Children�s House.
Floors: Traditionally Montessori
Children�s Houses had wooden, tile, or
stone floors because that was the norm
in European and North American
buildings at the time. Today wall to wall
carpet is so pervasive, that we tend to
see a normal pattern of a space divided
between carpeted space and a practical
life and art area that is tiled. It is
important that at least the area where
the children work on their practical life
skills and art have a tile or other non-
carpeted floor to avoid damaging the
rug and to provide a hard surface as a
control of error (the little glass pitcher
should break, not bounce, if dropped).
Avoid bland institutional looking tile or
wall to wall carpet. Create the most
attractive and harmonious look and feel
that your budget and creativity allows.
Consider the possibility of wooden
floors or one of the new imitation
wooden flooring materials. The look is
just what most of us dream about
creating in our schools.
Toxic Substances: When selecting
any paint, carpeting, or flooring
material, take care to avoid introducing
something into your indoor
environment to which chemically
sensitive children and adults might
react. Some carpets and paints give off
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 391 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
chemicals that can be real, if not visible,
environmental pollutants.
Plants: Use as many large and small
plants in your environment as possible.
Large ferns, palms, and various
decorative but nontoxic plants help to
soften your environment, create a warm
cozy feeling, help keep your indoor air
healthy, and provide a host of practical
life activities.
Arrange for basic janitorial service to
every room on a daily basis: vacuuming,
tile areas cleaned, bathrooms.
Train your support staff to be
sensitive to the needs of a Montessori
program.
Throw out all of that junk from the
school and storage areas. Create order
out of what remains.
Don�t allow your outdoor
environment to look neglected. Keep
your buildings painted, equipment in
good repair, and grounds carefully
tended.
Find space somewhere for a faculty
lounge. Teachers and administrators
should take pride in keeping it neat and
clean.
Many school offices need cleaning,
junk removal, and fancy little touches to
make them comfortable for visitors and
the school staff.
It takes a great deal of money or
donated labor and materials to create
and maintain a first-rate Montessori
environment.
Schools should be aggressive in
getting parents to help fix things up:
parent work parties, special projects, etc.
Develop a written plan for educating
your parents to the need to help.
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 392 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
Creating a Modern Campus With a
Timeless Quality
by
Christopher Gallagher, Vice PresidentRampart Homes, Sarasota, Florida
The Field School, Washington, DC
�These principles are so much in sync with the Montessori principles. All of themembers of the community become active participants in an ongoing process.�
� Lorna McGrathAssistant Headmaster
New Gate School
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 393 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
What if it were possible to create aschool building or even an entirecampus that was as wonderful and asmemorable and as vibrantly alive as anyof the most traveled to, timelessdestinations of the world? And, what ifit were possible to do this in a way thatinvited the participation andinvolvement and tapped the creativepowers of the entire school community?
Empowered with the idea of thesepossibilities becoming reality, the NewGate School in Sarasota, Florida, hasembarked on a great experiment basedon the award-winning research ofarchitect Christopher Alexander and histeam of designers at the Center forEnvironmental Structure in Berkeley,California.
Countryside�s challenge is to set inmotion a process of repair, renovation,redesign, and new construction that:
▲ creates an ongoing, adaptableplan of action for a quicklyexpanding ten-year-old campus;
▲ upholds a high standard ofexemplary design excellence; and
▲ accomplishes all of this through amethod that is fundamentallyconsistent with the Montessoriphilosophy.
During the course of the past coupleof years, rapid growth has brought thesame problem to New Gate that hasoccurred at countless college campuses
since the 1960s. The founder�s simple,bucolic vision of a learning environmentgently intermingled with nature hasbeen slowly disintegrated by thedemands of an ever growingpopulation. In order to stem the tide,New Gate has created a vision and aprocess for guiding all future designand construction activity.
New Gate�s vision is of a lovinglycared for, nurturing campus with atimeless quality that is aesthetically,ecologically, and practically appropriatefor its subtropical Florida setting. Just asimportant, however, is the uniqueprocess that will deliver this vision.
The newly adopted planning processmandates that the users of any new orrenovated spaces shall be the designersof those spaces. The process assumesthat people have within themselves thepower, wisdom, and insight to createbeautiful spaces for themselves. Theplan further requires that a shared set ofpowerful design patters shall providethe framework for the expression ofindividual design ideas.
This exciting new process is modeledon a plan described in a book byChristopher Alexander called TheOregon Experiment. The unique characterof the plan is rooted in six�revolutionary� key principles.
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 394 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
1. The Principle of Organic Order
A cohesive whole campus developsgradually, the product of countlesssmall individual projects. This principlesuggests that the school grows like agiant oak. When we plant the tiny seed,we have a general idea of the characterof what the mature oak will look like.Along the way, an infinite variety offactors influence the shape anddimensions so that each oak is unique.The character, however, holds true tothe vision inherent in the seed.
2. The Principle of Participation
This principle states thefundamental concept that the users ofspaces shall be the designers of thosespaces. Nobody else knows better thesubtle, intricate issues so intuitivelyobvious to the user.
3. The Principle of Piecemeal Growth
Annual construction budgets shallbe weighted in favor of smaller projects.The idea here is that the communityconsciously and practically establishes apriority system that does not allow theold part of the campus to deterioratewhile each year�s construction budget isspent on new buildings.
4. The Principle of Patterns
The community shall adopt amutually agreed upon set of planningguidelines called patterns. The patterns
are very precise, very powerfuldescriptions of recurring spatialconfigurations. In a process whichfavors design by user, the possibilityexists that the resultant campus wouldbe a chaotic mix of individualexpression within the context of ashared vision.
Most of the work of creating anindividual pattern language for theschool is already complete. Alexander�ssecond book, A Pattern Language, is usedas a model. The community�s task is tofill in the patterns appropriate to itsparticular site and setting.
5. The Principle of Diagnosis
Typical master plans show a colorfulmap of what a campus will look likefive, ten, or twenty years in the future.This plan works very differently. TheDesign and Planning Committeeprepares, on an annual basis, a set ofconceptual drawings that outline whichspaces are alive and healthy andworking according to the �patternlanguage.�
On the same drawings, the Committeeindicates where repair is needed inorder to bring other spaces to life. Thediagnostic maps are used in conjunctionwith each new design proposal. Everyproposal must include a description ofhow it will work toward bringing theproposed spaces to life as described bythe pattern language. The idea is thatwith each increment of new
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 395 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
construction, no matter how small, thecommunity is always working its waytoward a comprehensive shared visionof wholeness.
6. The Principle of Coordination
The plan establishes a process bywhich the Design and PlanningCommittee shall guide the steady flowof ongoing projects, initiated by theusers, through the funding processtoward completion.
In the timeless, picturesque Europeanvillage, built over the course ofgenerations, a shared set of basicfundamental design images andconstruction practices created theframework that assured that each newproject built upon the past in a way thatworked toward completing the whole.During the course of the last 100 years,our shared set of design values andimages have evaporated. This is thereason we must create a new �patternlanguage.� And, to the extent that ourproposed �pattern language� is alive,whole, beautiful, and nurturing, so shallbe our built environment.
All of this work falls back on somefundamental concepts about the natureof men, women, and children. First isthe assumption that the creative processis alive and well and waiting to berevealed in every individual and thatthe same spirit that created the world�s
most memorable spaces resides withinus, capable of being called forth todesign our spaces today.
The second awareness is that humanbeings are affected by theirenvironment, that places that are alive,whole, and free will be settings in whichwe can feel alive, whole, and free.
The same glorious sense of life thatdraws us to walk along the crashingseashore or sit before a roaring fire is theforce that draws us to the medievalEuropean village or the scenic Greekisland town. We feel alive, whole, andconnected to the world around us inthese places. The goal of the New Gateplan is to recreate this same quality � tocreate a setting where our children canfeel alive, whole, and free.
➟➟➟➟➟
Christopher Gallagher, VicePresident of Rampart Homes inSarasota, Florida, is an architect andbuilder and the parent of two childrenat the New Gate School.
The last ten years of his practice haveincorporated and built upon theresearch and writing in ChristopherAlexander�s books, A Pattern Language,The Timeless Way of Building, The OregonExperiment, A New Theory of UrbanDesign, The Production of Homes, and DasLinz Cafe.
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 396 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
Simple Steps to Transform or Create
A Beautiful Campus
By Chris Gallagher
1. Keep your campus litter-free
2. Sweep your drives and walks
3. Add fresh paint. Caulk open joints
first
4. Clean windows and screens
5. Weed landscape beds and trim plants
6. Simplify, Unify and Beauty your
signage. And please make it polite
7. Add outdoor sculpture
8. Add fountains
9. Add a pond
10. Simplify and unify your exterior
building colors
11. Provide benches to sit on in
comfortable places. Use wood
benches
12. Stain untreated wood.
13. Add operable window shutters
14. Upgrade to small paned windows
15. Plant trees
16. Grow climbing plants
17. Grow potted plants in clay pots and
wooden boxes
18. Create enclosed gardens and grow
vegetables, flowers & herbs
19. Divide the campus into "outdoor
rooms"
20. Add gateways into each "outdoor
room"
21. Build simple paths where children
walk
22. Invite birds and butterflies
23. Add indoor plants and fill vases
with cut flowers
24. Take everything off the walls except
meaningful, beautiful, framed
pictures and paintings.
Chris Gallagher, Associate AIA is
available for minor school design
consulting projects and complete new
campus master planning.
You may reach him at
The Center for Beautiful Places
1715 Stickney Point Road, Sarasota,
Florida 34231 941-926-7518
mailto:[email protected]
If you would like a copy of his
newsletter, send a note to the address
above.
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 397 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
The Perfect Look For Your
Montessori Classroom Building
By Chris Gallagher
At some time in your involvement
with your Montessori school you may
be faced with the challenge of creating a
new classroom. You may even be
handed the opportunity to participate in
the making or the re-making of an entire
campus. There will be much to do and
hundreds of decisions to make. And,
somewhere during that process,
someone is going to ask the most
dreaded of all questions, �Well, what do
we want our school to look like�?
If the question is directed toward
you, you will most probably get a mixed
up, queasy feeling in your mid-section
as a parade of ever more perplexing
questions come marching to the front.
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 398 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
You think, �Oh no, how am I supposed
to know what it should look like? What
will your parents expect the school to
look like? And, what will be best for the
children? You wonder what Maria had
to say about the look of a school?
Let�s spend some time together
talking about what your Montessori
school should look like. I will assume
that, given that your buildings and
grounds make up a very significant part
of your prepared environment, and that
you have at this point witnessed the
absorptive nature of the young human
beings in your care, you will want your
buildings and grounds to be, well-
beautiful. What you want, is to create a
beautiful place.
Now, before going any further I
must share what I mean by a beautiful
place. We have no word in the English
language that means the same thing as
the phrase, beautiful place. What I mean
by a beautiful place is a place that
possesses qualities that serve to
enduringly comfort, delight, and
ennoble us. Comfort, delight, and
ennoble us�enduringly; that�s what a
beautiful place does.
The way that I would like to talk to
you about what a Montessori school
should look like is to share with you
what I have observed to be the simple
principles for creating beautiful places.
SEEK NOT PERFECTION
Sorry, I know I threw you off course
a little with the title, but there is no
single perfect design, style, or look for
your new school. It is no more
reasonable to expect that you can design
a perfect building then to expect that
you can lead a perfect life. My
suggestion is to search not for the
perfect design, but for the most
common, simple, vernacular solution.
Expect that your beautiful place may
even be a little awkward at times,
maybe even a little clumsy or funny.
Think of the most beautiful places you
have ever been. Building after building
of simple repetitive elements mixed up
in all kinds of straight, crooked, and
irregular ways. So, aim for wonderful
but don�t worry about perfection.
Remember the painter, Edgar Degas,
who in his search for beauty identified
�that hint of ugliness without which
nothing works.�
SEEK NOT ORIGINALITY
Throw off the weighty curse of
originality as quickly as you can. Forget
about designing a building that looks
like a cube, a cone, a hexagon, or an
inverted pink tower. Maria Montessori
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 399 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
developed a method of teaching
children based on what works. She was
not in search of some new method for
the sake of a new method. The best
question is not, �What can I do that will
be different,� but, �What can I do that
will work�? My advice: observe what
works and use it as a model, copy it, or
use the parts that work and toss the rest.
The most �original� buildings of the
twentieth century are, in many cases,
the most difficult and costly to heat and
cool, the most difficult and costly to
repair, and the most difficult and costly
to add on to � and the roof probably
leaks.
So don�t worry about being original.
The fact that you have a unique site and
a unique building program will
guarantee your building is original
enough. Besides, children don�t care
about being original; they simply are.
Good advice for your building.
SEEK NOT COMPLETION
Leave your building incomplete.
What I mean by this is, do not expect
your physical building, all by itself, to
complete the picture. The building is a
backdrop, a setting for the activities that
will happen there. Building and activity
come together in the creation of a place.
The building is not an object like a
painting or a sculpture to sit and stare
at. It is a place where children�s lives
unfold.
Inside, the vase of flowers, the
simple cloth curtains, the colorful
materials, and the children themselves
serve to complete and animate the place.
Outside, it is the sky and the trees, the
flower boxes, the gardens and fences,
the trellises and climbing plants, and the
joyful children who will complete the
image.
So, keep it simple, do not complete
the picture. The incompleteness helps
to call forth the vase of flowers.
SEEK COMFORT
Now let�s talk about the qualities we
should be looking for in our buildings
and grounds. What are the things we
can do in the design of a place that will
serve to most comfort us and out
children � mind, body, and spirit. Begin
with the simple things, like a
comfortable place to sit under the shade
of a tree and eat your lunch, or a
comfortable chair or bench that is just
the right height for your little legs; and
oh, don�t forget the soft comfortable
cushion. How about a comfortable,
easy-to-turn doorknob.
When trying to decide between two
alternative solutions, ask yourself,
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 400 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
�Which will be more comfortable for the
children, for their hands, for their skin,
for their sense of security and peace of
mind�.
SEEK DELIGHT
What are the characteristics of a
place, which most delight the human
animal � especially the younger
members of the species? We know that
children find delight in color, rhythm,
and patterns of order. They love caves,
hiding places, and tunnels. They like
mud, sand and water so simply include
these qualities and features.
SEEK ENNOBLEMENT
Do not lose sight of who you are
creating your school for. Think of each
child as a divine prince or princess, a
unique son or
daughter of the spirit
of the universe.
Make your places
worthy of their
presence. This does
not mean stiff and
rigid and formal.
Imagine that each of
your noble guests is
visiting you for a
vacation. It is your
responsibility to
provide the setting
that acknowledges their supreme
importance as individuals, but in a
light-hearted, joyful way.
SEEK LOVE
The ultimate test is this � does it feel
like love. Before you begin to evaluate
any particular aspect of your project,
conjure the memory of love in your
heart. Remember your most vivid
experience of what it felt like to love or
be loved. Remember the feeling. Feel it.
Really feel it. Now, as you evaluate
your design alternatives see which one
feels more like this feeling. The single
final question is always, �What would
love do here?
Your understanding of these
principles allows you to keep focused
on what is ultimately important. Do not
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 401 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
allow yourself to be intimidated by
strange design concepts or quick talking
architects that don�t make sense to you.
Remember � does it work?
Now, having said all that, let�s take a
look at the process that allowed us to
arrive at an agreed upon look for the
New Gate School in Sarasota. Here are
our givens. A one hundred acre campus
on a
partially
wooded
site in the
sub-
tropical
location of
South West
Florida.
The
property is
now used
for cattle
grazing
and pine
tree
farming. There are wetlands, open
fields, a stream, tall pine trees and a
dense canopy of very old oak trees. If
you stand on any one of the four
property lines of this rectangular piece
of land you will not see another
building. One property line is adjacent
to state road 72, a two-lane road that
stretches across the peninsular of
Florida from west cost to east cost. Our
parcel is 6 miles from interstate 75, a
route that defines the urban border of
Sarasota County.
Our long-range plans are for 600
children in a beautiful, rural setting with
room for farming, animals, and an
equestrian program.
So, as we began, what we were in
search of was a look, a style, or a design
image that would embody the seven
principles in a simple, efficient, and cost
effect way.
Before I share with you our results;
there is one more factor that you should
consider. You need a vision for your
place � a powerful, evocative,
enchanting image that will 1. Muster
the resources of you and your
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 402 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
community of supporters. 2.Capture
the attention of your customers, the
families who will enroll at your school.
And most importantly, 3. Provide a
memorable, positive, life-enhancing,
place that will form the backdrop for
your children�s lives.
In our search for an image we talked
of the great places of learning. We
studied the Greek Academy and Oxford
and Cambridge in England. We studied
the early seats of education in America,
places like Harvard, William & Mary,
and Jefferson�s University of Virginia.
As wonderful as the buildings on these
campuses are we learned how
important the spaces between the
buildings can be. We leafed through
hundred of pages of photographs of
beautiful buildings and places from
around the world.
What ultimately captured our
imaginations were the simple, one story,
white stucco, tile-roofed horse ranches
of South America. Easily constructed
buildings, built of readily available local
labor and materials, cool shady
courtyards and colorful gardens, lush
sub-tropical plants and section after
section of three- plank- high, painted
horse rail fences along tree- lined drives.
Having described the big picture
and answered the question of what our
campus would look like, much remains
to be done. Every detail down to the
walkways, window frames, and
doorknobs must be identified and tested
against our seven principles.
Perhaps once in your lifetime you
will have an opportunity to create a
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
Page 403 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation
place such as this. Do make it a
beautiful place. Create a place that will,
for now and ever after, comfort, delight
and ennoble the young men and women
placed in your care so that they will
forever know that they are important,
they are loved, and that, they too, are
beautiful.
Editor�s Note: Chris Gallagher is the
director of The Center for Beautiful
Places, a design, consulting and research
company located in Sarasota, Florida.
His two children have been enrolled at
the New Gate School for six years. He
served as board president for three
years. Mr. Gallagher oversees the
ongoing beautification of the New Gate
School�s Ashton Road Campus and is
the Master Planner for New Gate�s new
100-acre campus.
T H E C E N T E R F O R B E A U T I F U L P L A C E S1715 Stickney Point Road Suite C7, Sarasota, Florida 34231 941-926-7518
Principles for Creating Beautiful Places1. Seek Not Perfection2. Seek Not Completion3. Seek Not Originality4. Seek Comfort5. Seek Delight6. Seek Ennoblement7. Let the Feeling of Love Be Your Test
Patterns for Creating Beautiful Places
1. SITE PATTERNS101 Outdoor Room102 Gate, Path, and Goal103 Sunny Places/Shady Places104 Protected View of Life105 Connected Buildings
2. PLANT PATTERNS101 Tree Canopy102 Climbing Plants103 Potted Plants104 Enclosed Garden105 Wall of Plants
3. FOUNDATION PATTERNS101 Building Base102 Building Base Extension103 Building Wall Extension104 Cascading Stairs105 Wall, Path, and Tree Line
4. FLOOR PLAN PATTERNS101 FrontEntry102 Main Building With Wings103 Interior Privacy104 Comer Rooms105 Connection to Outdoors
5. FACADE PATTERNS101 Top, Middle, & Bottom102 Rhythmic Facade103 Bays & Arches104 Gables & Parapets105 Towers & Buttresses
6. ROOF PATTERNS101 Sloped Roof on Varying Wall Heights102 Textured Roofing103 Chimney, Finials, and Spires104 Cupolas, Dormers, and Domes105 Rafter Tails and Brackets
7. COLUMN PATTERNS101 Columns and Beams102 Column, Capital & Base103 Colonnade104 Pilasters105 Penmeter Columns
8. DOOR PATTERNS101 Door Hood102 Doorway Surround103 FrontDoor104 French Doors105 Glass Doors and Solid Wood Doors
9. WINDOW PATTERNS101 Small Paned Window102 Swinging Window103 Low Window Sill104 Operable Window Shutters105 Prepared Window View
10. ROOM PATTERNS101 Defined Rectangular Room102 Visible Doorway103 Room Connections104 Alcove105 Seat By A Window
11. WALL PATTERNS101 ThickWall102 Window Wall103 HalfWall104 Wall Niche105 Textured Wall
12. CEILING PATTERNS101 Varied Ceiling Heights102 Beamed Ceiling103 Discontinuous Ceiling104 Wall to Ceiling Connection105 Vaulted Ceiling
13. FLOORING PATTERNS101 Varying Floor Heights102 Wood Floors103 Stone Floors & Tile Floors104 Sod & Gravel105 Rugs & Carpets
14. LIGHTING PATTERNS101 Balanced Daylight102 Sunlight Through Trees 103 Candle Light104 Varying Light Levels105 Task Lighting
15. VENTILATION PATTERNS101 Operable Windows102 Ceiling Fan103 Exhaust Flue & Make up Air104 Non-toxic Materials105 Exhaust Fan
16. AROMA PATTERNS101 Fresh Air102 Garden Scents103 Incense and Scented Candles104 Potpourri105 Scented Food
17. SOUND PATTERNS101 Indoor Quiet102 Water Sounds103 Wind Sounds104 Animal Sounds105 Soothing Music
18. THERMAL PATTERNS101 Fireplace102 Place In the Sun103 Soft Materials on Hard104 Place By the Water105 Place in the Shade
19. WATER PATTERNS101 Bathing Place102 ShoweringPlace103 Swimming Pool104 Fountain105 Natural Water Feature
20. ORNAMENT PATTERNS101 Connection Ornament102 Gravity Ornament103 Shadow Ornament104 Symbolic Ornament105 Repeating Shape Ornament
21. COLOR PATTERNS101 All White102 Monochrome103 Raw Matenal Color104 Color With White Trim105 White With Colorful Accents
22. HARDWARE PATTERNS101 Visually Appropriate Hardware102 Tactilly Engaging Hardware103 Hand Crafted Hardware104 Durable Hardware105 Delightful to Maintain Hardware
23. FURNITURE PATTERNS101 Sitting Circle102 Tables & Chairs103 Built In Seats, Counters, & Shed104 Variety of Sitting Places105 Simple Wood, Metal, & WickerFurniture
24. FABRIC PATTERNS101 Canvas Shades102 Window & Door Cloths103 Table & Chair Cloths104 Bed Cloths105 Bath Cloths
25. ACCESSORY PATTERNS101 Indoor Plants & Flowers In Vases102 Family Photographs103 Paintings, Drawings, & Sculpture104 Books105 Mirrors
26. MAINTENANCE PATTERNS101 Litter-Free Ground102 Healthy Plants103 Fresh Coat of Paint104 Swept Walks & Drives105 Clean Windows & Doors
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
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Modular Buildings
ByTim Seldin
Need a new building at your school?
On a tight budget? Then you ought to
consider modulars!
Modular buildings? Aren't they
those really ugly trailers turned into
"temporary" classrooms by public
schools all over the country? Well, yes
and no!
Modulars are typically built on top
of a trailer frame. Traditionally they are
the same size as a "double-wide" trailer
unit. Each module is typically 14.5 feet
wide and 54 feet long. Each piece has
outer walls along three sides, with one
long side open. Two modules fit
together to produce a modular building
29 feet wide and 54 feet long.
Want a bigger modular building?
Simple! Just ask the factory to add in
some more units with the 2 end walls in
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
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place, but both long ends open. These
units can be placed in between the two
end modules to create addition interior
spaces, each 29 feet wide by 54 feet long.
There is no limit to how many modules
can be placed together.
Unfortunately, the result is usually a
fairly boring rectangular building with a
flat roof. Modular buildings can be
made more interesting by adding on a
mansard roof, bay widows, more
windows, or a more interesting exterior
finish. With top grade doors and
windows, a nice mansard, and sheet
cedar shingle siding, some mature
bushes, a well planned deck, and a
modular building doesn't look half bad.
At the Barrie School in Silver Spring,
Maryland, we used modulars to give us
another 15,000 square feet of long-term
"temporary" structures for our upper
school library, computer center, foreign
language, art, and music classes, along
with some additional office space.
But modular buildings don't have to
be limited to rectangular boxes. In 1993
the Countryside Montessori School
(today known as the New Gate School)
The New Gate School, Sarasota, Florida
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in Sarasota, Florida, built an octagonal
central structure to house their library
and serve as a meeting area. To four of
the eight walls they fit standard
modular classroom units. Three walls
are used for glass entryways, which,
with a central skylight, give the
library/common's room a light and airy
look. One wall is used for bathrooms
and janitor's closet. Large exterior
decking provides convenient outside
workspace for the children in this warm
weather climate. While this building is
still inherently limited by its modular
construction, it is much more attractive
than many school buildings.
Altogether, this 6,000 square feet
classroom building cost Countryside
just under $200,000, or approximately
$33 a finished square foot.
Why would you want to consider
modular construction?
Cost is the most obvious factor. At
$33 a square foot, Countryside spared
no expense. Their custom designed
commons area and decking are
something that most schools have not
considered in modular construction.
Also, Countryside, concerned about the
health impact of their interior
environment, took great pains to
customize their heating/cooling system,
carpeting, paints, and other interior
finishes. A typical rectangular modular
building will probably cost 25-30% of
the finished cost of more than $100 a
square foot common today in traditional
school construction.
Another distinct advantage is
construction time. Modular buildings
are normally built inside a factory using
efficient assembly-line principles,
construction is not dependent on good
weather. Depending on how back-
ordered a modular supplier is at a given
time, it is quite common for a project to
be finished and ready for delivery on-
site within six-weeks from the date of
order.
Another plus is the minimal
disruption to your building site from
start to finish of the new construction.
Modulars are set on steel reinforced
concrete footings, which are not very
difficult to prepare. Utility hookups are
brought to the site. Then, when the
modules are completed, they are driven
to your campus on their trailer bases
and lifted up onto the footings by a
portable crane. The entire process rarely
takes more than a few days. Once
assembled, the connecting walls and
roofs are sealed, utilities connected, and
the interiors finished off. Normally most
of the interior work was done at the
factory, with bathrooms, sinks, interior
walls, carpeting, electrical outlets, and
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
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such more or less complete on delivery
to your site. This can be a tremendous
advantage if you are building next to or
close to existing classrooms. Where
traditional construction can take
months, it is conceivably possible to
schedule the final assembly of your
modular structure over a weekend or
holiday. Future additions are equally
simple and convenient. If your master
plan design provides for eventual
expansion to four classrooms, but you
only need two at the beginning, you will
be able to add the last two modules on
at any time with minimal disruption.
One final advantage to keep in mind
is that while modular buildings are not
all that easy nor inexpensive to move,
they can be taken apart, moved, and set
up in a new location. There is even a
market for used modular buildings. So
build them, use them until you're ready
for more expensive permanent
construction, then sell them to a
worthwhile school that is just getting
going.
Are there any disadvantages to
modular construction?
Modular buildings are most often
made of wood framing built up on a
steel trailer bed. While the final result
depends on the quality of the modular
supplier's product, these are not
intended to be permanent buildings. [If
you have a choice, definitely order
everything extra heavy duty, especially
the roofs and sub-floors.] Eventually
you can expect leaks along the roof
joints and other signs of wear and tear
from active day-to-day use. On the other
hand, let's define temporary. Many
temporary modular buildings have been
in use for twenty, thirty years or more.
No, they are not built to last down
through the ages, but if your school s
still young and working with a limited
budget, modulars may give you
adequate to excellent service for your
first twenty years or so. Isn't that long
enough to get you started?
If not, then you might want to
consider one of the high end modular
units. Built entirely of steel, concrete
and brick, these units are definitely not
your typical trailers! They are
rectangular boxes built under roof in a
factory at prices that are still below the
cost of traditional construction. But
these modulars are built to last! They
have all the advantages of modulars in
terms of speed of completion and
convenience, but the cost savings may
not justify the boxy look inherent in all
present day modular construction.
Keep in mind that you are
inherently limited by the size of your
basic module. Your building will be a
maximum of 54 wide along one end and
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
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the ceilings will be the standard height.
If you want to add on a gym with 20
foot high ceilings you'll need to look
elsewhere.
Any other disadvantages? Just one.
How do you feel about your new
buildings arriving in a long line of
tractor trailers? I wonder if there's such
a thing as modular building rustlers?
Can you just imagine thieves driving
away with your buildings in the night?
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
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Facilities Planning Worksheets
Abundance
Balance and Beauty
Clarity � Creativity � Confidence
Ease � Freedom � Givingness � Growth
Harmony � Joy � Life � Love � Order
Peace � Power � Unity � Vitality � Wholeness � Wisdom
Circle the qualities that you would like to manifest in your school�s facilities.
Summarizing, it is our goal to create a plan for the development of our school�s facilities
that will give our school community a sense of:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Describe the ideal campus to support your educational vision
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Describe the limitations created by your present facilities
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
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Describe the ideal Montessori classroom for each level of your school
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Describe your ideal outdoor environment
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
What spaces do you have for indoor play?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Where do you hold adult meetings? How appropriate are they?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
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Defining your Space Needs
How many children would you like your new facility to accommodate? _____________
How many square feet do you believe you will need in your new building? __________
What is your budget? __________________________________________________________
How will you be paying for your new facility? _______________________________
Which of the follow types of spaces will your new facility need?
Different types of space
_______ self-contained classrooms
_______ shared special purpose spaces
_______ media centers
_______ computer labs
_______ science centers
_______ a school museum
_______ language labs
_______ music and dance studios
_______ art studios
_______ gym and other physical education facilities
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_______ large group spaces
_______ theater
_______ multi-purpose room
_______ dining hall
_______ a commons area
_______ office space
_______ reception areas
_______ teacher work areas
_______ small group meetings
_______ tutoring rooms
_______ conference rooms
_______ board rooms
_______ bathrooms
_______ sinks
_______ storage
_______ classroom storage
_______ central shared educational resources
_______ janitorial supplies
_______ maintenance tools and supplies
_______ hazardous materials
_______ nurse�s infirmary or area where sick children can be kept comfortable in
isolation
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_______ kitchen facilities
_______ living facilities for residential students and staff
_______ outdoor work spaces contiguous to the classrooms
_______ outdoor play areas
_______ greenhouses
_______ gardens
_______ entrances to the main street
_______ drive ways through the campus
_______ parking
_______ footpaths/walkways
_______ signage on campus
_______ Telephone intercom system (in classrooms?)
_______ Phone lines or cable modem access for the Internet?
_______ Will your building be wired for satellite TV? Cable TV? Cable Modem?
Computer Network?
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How will the spaces need to relate to each other?
What functions need to be close to each other?
What functions need to be kept far apart?
Which spaces need easy access to doors where deliveries can be received?
Which functions will tend to create considerable noise?
Will anything on campus be potentially dangerous or toxic? How will it be secured?
Will any functions tend to create unpleasant aromas?
Existing buildings
_______ Can they be used for your purposes?
_______ Will your local government even allow you to use them as a school?
_______ At what cost?
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Will you be required to put in:
_______ Fire escapes?
_______ Metal doors?
_______ Sprinkler systems?
_______ Fire walls?
How much will their limitations affect your program�s future?
Are the rooms small, dark, and gloomy?
Are bathrooms located where they�ll be needed?
Is there any hazardous material on-site? Cost of removal?
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Defining a Vision of Your School's
Future
A Vision for the Future of New GateIn the pages that follow you will find a first draft of a vision of the educational center
that we believe New Gate can become. We hope that it will both kindle your interest andstir up a few thoughts about education in general. Now the ball is your court asmembers of the New Gate community. This is simply a first draft, based partially on myprevious experience, and partially on the ideas that we are evolving together. I want toinvite your thoughts and suggestions. This school is rapidly becoming a dynamiccommunity, committed to world-class education of heart, mind, and body. Please feelfree to contact me personally by phone, in person, by e-mail, or in writing if I can answerany questions and when you are ready to offer your first input. We will work on thisvision together over the months ahead, much as the school did with my blueprint lastyear. Hopefully, before too long, we will have defined a vision far more refined than thisinitial draft.
Introduction
Learning the right answers will get you through school. Learning how to learn willget you through life! Our goal at New Gate is to lead our students to think, explore, andreflect back on what they have learned. We want active, self-disciplined minds, ratherthan students who memorize, feedback, and promptly forget.
The basis of our approach is based on the simple observation that children learnmost effectively through direct experience and the process of investigation anddiscovery. No two students learn at the same pace, nor do they necessarily learn bestfrom the same methods. We believe that a fine school must be flexible and creative inaddressing each student as a unique individual.
Before students can take advantage of a challenging education, they have to discovertheir innate abilities. They need to develop a strong sense of independence, self-confidence, and self-discipline. They must be willing to make and learn from countlessmistakes.
Ideally, our sons and daughters will develop into people who are fascinated by theuniverse, and feel compelled to understand something of life�s secrets. Hopefully, theywill come to see that we all belong to the earth and to the family of Man. Our dream isthat they will live lives filled with quiet dignity and compassion for all of mankind. Wehope that their lives will leave a positive mark on the world.
New Gate is designed to be a school where children can blossom! We seek to
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cultivate renaissance men and women who follow in the intellectual tradition of ThomasJefferson. Our goal is to nurture and stimulate the spontaneous curiosity within us frombirth. New Gate has been designed to not only to give students a fine education, but toprepare them for life.
Granted, this lies beyond the scope of traditional education, but then New Gate is arather unusual school.
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The Proposed Expansion Of The New Gate School by the year 2000
Student Population: An enrollment of somewhere between 350 To 600 students
organized into four divisions
The Primary School
Toddler class Age 2 to 3 20 students
Primary Classes Ages 3 to 6 120-150 students ages two and a half
to six
The Lower School Grades 1 to 3: 90-120 students ages six to nine
The Middle School Grades 4 to 6: 60-90 students ages nine to twelve
The Upper School Grades 7 & 8: 30-45 students ages twelve and
thirteen
Grades 9 -10 20-45 students ages fourteen and
fifteen
Grades 11 � 12 20-45 students ages sixteen and
seventeen
Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools
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Organizational elements
The New Gate School
The Ashton Road campus (Primary School ages 2-6)
The Main Campus
Lower School (Grades 1-3)\
Middle Scholl (Grades 4-6)
Upper School (Grades 7-12)
The New Gate Studio Program (After school and weekend programs for children)
Summer at New Gate (Summer programs for children)
The New Gate Parenting Center
Parenting Resources � Educational Toys
Parent Forums And Educational Programs
�Infants, Moms And Dads� - New Parents Parenting Education Program
The New Gate Center for Montessori Teacher Education
Teacher Training Center
Conference Center
The Montessori Society of Sarasota
Public Forums � Public Information Center
Curriculum Lab And Professional Library � Book Store
Speakers Bureau � Support For Educational Reform
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A Tour of New Gate in the Year 2000
At New Gate, classes are organizedto encompass a two or three-year agespan, which allows younger students toexperience the daily stimulation of olderrole models, who in turn blossom in theresponsibilities of leadership. Studentsnot only learn �with� each other, but�from� each other. We find that mostoften the best tutor is a fellow studentwho is just a bit older.
Working in one class for two orthree years allows students to develop astrong sense of community with theirclassmates and teachers. The age rangealso allows the especially gifted childthe stimulation of intellectual peers,without requiring that she skip a gradeand feel emotionally out of place.
Teachers closely monitor theirstudents' progress, keeping the level ofchallenge high. Because we know ourstudents so well, our teachers can oftenuse their own interests to enrich thecurriculum and provide alternateavenues for accomplishment andsuccess.
At the Primary, Lower, and MiddleSchool levels, students are typicallyfound scattered around the classroom,working alone or with one or twoothers. They tend to become so involvedin their work that visitors areimmediately struck by the peacefulatmosphere. It may take a moment tospot the teachers within theenvironment. They will be foundworking with one or two children at atime, advising, presenting a new lesson,or quietly observing the class at work.
Our days are not divided into fixedtime periods for each subject. Teacherscall students together for lessonsindividually or in small groups as theyare ready. In the afternoon, studentschoose from a wonderful collection ofcourses and programs in art, music,
dance, theater, second language study,computer science, sports, fitness,personal development, and careerinterests.
A typical day�s school work isdivided into �fundamentals� that havebeen assigned by the faculty and self-initiated projects and research selectedby the student. Students work tocomplete their assignments at their ownpace. Everything is completed with careand enthusiasm. Homework comes inthe form of extensive independentreading and research and weeklyintellectual challenges that studentswork on at home. There is aconsiderable expectation that studentsand families will often work together,pursuing areas of intellectual interest,reading together, exploring ideas, takingtrips to learn more first hand,interviewing experts, etc. As studentsreach the elementary years, they shouldexpect to continue their reading andindependent studies over the summer.Expectations for both creative writingand the preparation of research reportswill be fairly challenging.
Our system will have built inprocedures to give students and parentsongoing feedback. The overall effectwill be to help students to learn how topace themselves and take a great deal ofpersonal responsibility for their studies,both of which are essential for latersuccess in college.
We encourage students to worktogether collaboratively, and manyassignments can only be accomplishedthrough teamwork. Students constantlyshare their interests and discoverieswith each other. The youngestexperience the daily stimulation of theirolder friends, and are naturally spurredon to be able to do what the big kids do.
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At the Upper School (Grades 7 - 12),students will follow a laboratoryapproach which will balance seminars,tutorials, field study, internships, andindependent work. All students willparticipate in on-going seminars,debates, lab work, and team projects.As a school focused on teachingstudents critical thinking skills, classeswill be set up to reflect a high level ofdiscussion and analysis. We will focusour teaching around both the greatissues of our time and those that menand women have been wrestling withthroughout history.
One of the best things about life as astudent at New Gate will always be theability to progress at your own pace.Students can move on to take advancedcourses as soon as they are academicallyprepared for them, not simply whenthey reach a given grade level.
You will often hear the wordcommunity used to describe New Gate.Its used with good reason, for New Gateis an authentic community ofpeople�young and old�living andlearning in peace and harmony. Over
the years relationships grow strong,friendship run deep. Surprisingly, therewill be few if any cliques among NewGate's students. Older students whoenter the school in the upper grades findthemselves warmly welcomed. NewGate is an international community inwhich students and teachers havelearned to collaborate on the process ofeducation rather than compete.
While New Gate is itself acommunity apart from the outsideworld in which children can first beginto develop their unique talents, we arealso consciously connected to the local,national, and global communities. Ourgoal is to lead each of our students toexplore, understand, and grow into fulland active membership in the adultworld.
Going to school in Sarasota offersmarvelous possibilities. Naturally wemake extensive use of all the natural,academic, and arts resources foundthroughout the community. Fieldstudies will be an essential element inour curriculum.
Our Facilities and Programs
Together, New Gate's two campuseswill constitute a unique environment forlearning in today�s world. The studentsand families of each campus willfrequently use the facilities of the otherfor all sorts of programs and activities.
Our Ashton Road campus is hometo our youngest students from ages twothrough five. The setting is a five acrefarm in the midst of suburbia. Ourbuildings are warm and comfortable.We have retained a sense of being partof the natural environment, rather thanclosing ourselves off from it. Ourfacilities include a young people�slibrary, a small fitness center, an art andmusic studios, and a children's farm.
Our second campus (Grades 1-12)sits on a large site with mature trees,fields, and ponds. It is hopefully locatedless than five miles from our AshtonRoad campus. Our facilities includespacious and comfortable learningenvironments, science labs, threelibraries, a fine arts centers, a computerfacilities, a large fitness center withindoor pool, stables, athletic fields, andtennis courts.
Surroundings have a great deal todo with the creation of an atmosphere oflearning. Our classrooms are ourstudent�s homes away from home�andwe strive to make them as attractive andcomfortable as possible. They arewarm, colorful, carpeted rooms filledwith plants, animals, art, music andbooks.
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You will not find rows of desks inNew Gate's classrooms. Instead, youdiscover seminar rooms, interest centersfilled with intriguing learning materials,fascinating mathematical models, maps,
charts, fossils, historical artifacts,computers, scientific specimens andapparatus, and animals that the childrenare raising.
Our Ashton Road Campus:
The entrance into the school isthrough an impressive gateway. Thecampus is surrounded by a solid wall,ensuring the security of the childrenwithin. The wall and gate are not heavyand imposing, but the cocoon withinwhich our children work a play in thesafety of a prepared Mediterraneangarden atmosphere. The look of thewall, gate and buildings is carefullyconsidered and striking. It might be thesoft flowing lines of Bermudanarchitecture or �Old Florida.� Theintention is not to look pretentious andlarger than life, but small and absolutelybeautiful.
Our administrative offices include awaiting area large enough to hold 20-30people comfortably. It looks like a largeroom in a nicely designed home(perhaps you might imagine a room inthe Field Club) with large comfortablechairs, children's art work matted andframed, large photographs of thechildren at work and play, and Kitty'sportrait on the wall as Founder. Thereceptionist�s desk is tasteful anddignified, not institutional. You aregreeted by our receptionist whose liltingFrench or soft British accent begin toconvey the message that this is aninternational center. He or she isextremely competent and charming,welcoming people and presenting anatmosphere of calm and warmth.
The outer perimeter of the receptionarea is a place for entertaining childrenwho are visiting the school or waitingfor parents to pick them up. This istemporary transitional spot with booksand educational toys. The cool stone
floor is covered with oriental rugs.Despite the big bold awnings providingshade, the large French doors andwindows let in lots of natural light.There are large green plants and flowersevery where, give the room a light andairy feeling. There is a table filled withfruit in bowls made by the students. Aspecial blend of �New Gate� coffee andherbal teas are served in mugsemblazoned with the school logo. Ourlarge visitor�s bathrooms have a babychanging station. Everywhere we turn,there is evidence that someone hasgiven a great deal of thought to thisschool.
The staff in the adjoiningAdmissions office does nothing but tryto help find the �perfect fit� betweenparents, child, and school. Our goal is tofind child who will blossom at NewGate and parents who profound hareand support our mission and values.The Admissions offices (at Ashton andour second campus) have enough spaceto meet with several families at once.There is a synergy that develops whenthree or four families gather together inone room; a subtle competitionregarding who's going to be the luckyone to get in.
Beautiful covered walk ways graceour paths to the classrooms and otherbuildings, student grown wild flowerssing while the banners and flags ofevery nation wave gently in the coolautumn breeze.
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A tour of a typical class room forchildren age 3-6 years.
New Gate follows the traditionalMontessori model of 25 to 30 childrenage three through five. Each class is ledby two fully certified Montessoriteachers. A third adult is a classroomaid who speaks a foreign language.During the day she speaks thatlanguage only and presents a formalconversational and cultural secondlanguage program.. Some classes run allday, from 7 am to 6 PM. In this class,faculty members overlap, with oneteacher arriving at 7 Am and leaving inthe afternoon, another arriving at noonand staying until six, and a third whostays for the normal school day. Thisoffers children who need to come inearly and stay late the highest qualityexperience. Our normal classes offer afull day program from 9 am to 3 PM.Many two year-old go home after lunch,but three year old normally stay all day.By age four, we ask all students to stayall day, which is necessary to completetheir preparation for the Lower Schoolat age six. encouraged at age two,although half-days are permissible. Weare selecting families looking for a fullday model. When Montessori, achildren's house, takes root in the child'smind and heart, they don't usuallywant to go home at half day becausetheir school is providing themintellectual and artistic intrigue.
Our Montessori classroom has atleast 50 sq. ft per child; between 1500 to2000 sq. feet of space, which is two tothree times larger than our presentfacilities. We accomplished this whenthe school moved the older children to asecond campus by combiningclassrooms in the exiting buildings andthrough some additional construction.This expansive space has had a dramaticeffect on the tone of the classes and theimpact of the physical environment isstriking. Classrooms have floor toceiling windows, bay windows, windowseats, numerous plants and trees with
French doors opening to the outside.Our gardens include flower beds,vegetable gardens and fruit trees whichare cared for by the children under theguidance of our staff horticulturaleducator. Botany and observation of thenatural world are strong elements in ourclassroom curriculum.
Our classrooms are all lavishlyequipped with the complete Montessorimaterials and educational resources andequipment, particularly computers withCD-roms and video disk and tapeplayers. Classroom furniture isbeautifully built natural wood, and theentire room communicates care,attention, order, quality. Framed artprints hang on the walls. Indoor plantsare everywhere, giving the room a trueFlorida room atmosphere. Theclassroom storage area is the size of alarge walk-in closet. In addition, thecampus has one master storage centerfrom which teachers can borrow ourcultural artifacts like the Chinesedragon, menorahs, draedels, Africanmasks, etc. Classrooms have private,child-size bathrooms and a full child-sized kitchen with dish washer andsmall clothes washer and dryer.Cooking is taught in conjunction withtrue nutritional education. Kids arepreparing snack and lunch in theclassroom and have bins of Cheerios,small pitchers of milk, toasters, fruit,and a little sink to wash the tomatoesthey've grown. We have a library andpuppet theater in each classroom.
Adjacent to the rectangular shapedmain classroom are four smaller workareas, with French doors connectingthem to the main environment so thechildren are easily visible to the adults.
In one alcove there is a smallclassroom art studio where children candraw, paint, and work with clay orother media whenever they choose to doso. Our curriculum includes art historyand art appreciation as well assculpting, weaving, basketry, painting,
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and other artistic mediums which arecorrelated with classroom studies. Forexample, when studying Japan, childrenmay choose to make cherry blossoms,Japanese dolls, or handicrafts. (TheWaldorf school art curriculum offers thequality and an adaptable model in thisarea.) Another alcove is our classroomcarpentry area. Fully equipped withchild size tools, the children build andbang without disturbing the class; theyare visible, but their work sounds aremuffled. The classroom rest area isanother, larger, alcove where childrencan go to rest, meditate or just be quiet.When children are napping, an adultcan darken this alcove and stays nearby.
Our classroom and communityanimals are kept in a final alcove, closedoff from the main room. Breeds ofanimals to which children with allergiesare unlikely to be sensitive are selected,such as the Rex cats and bunnies, alongwith fish, tadpoles, iguanas and otherappropriate animals. Instruction inproper animal care and feeding isincorporated in the curriculum. Eachanimal is child-friendly and selected fortheir stability in order to minimize anyrisk.
Our after-school programming is acontinuation of the Montessori day; notday care, an enriched Montessori dayschool.
Fitness Center: Each campus has anindoor fitness center. The one on Ashtonroad is 80 by 40 ft. with a 15-20 ft ceilingand a floor covered with rubber-likematerial. A running track is inset alongthe perimeter using a contrasting color.The windows are plexi-glass, and theexercise equipment is tailored to smallbodies. There is weight and exerciseequipment including: small exer-cycles,pulleys with sandbags, weightedbuckets to carry, etc. Drown proofing is
taught in a small shallow enclosedteaching pool graduating from 2 to 3feet deep. Drown proofing classes areheld, for a fee, for small children fromthe greater Sarasota community on theweekends and in the summer months.
The Young Peoples� Arts Center:Our school is proud of its commitmentto music education. We specifically hireteachers, aids and assistants who playone or more of the common sing alonginstruments such as piano, guitar,dulcimer or auto harp. We have made aconcentrated effort to make music alarge part of our children's lives. Aswith art education, music is interrelatedto the classroom curriculum; we teach,for example, traditional Japanese songswhen studying Japan, and the childrenlearn Thai dances when studyingThailand. We have a trained chorus andevery child sings every day from ourschool songbook which includes songsfrom our summer camp and traditionalsongs about peace, love, family,community and world harmony. Ourcurriculum includes music appreciation,international cultural music, the lives ofthe great composers, the parts of theorchestra, and how music is made. Ourinstrumental program and music theoryprogram is based on the work of KarlOrff utilizing specialized instrumentsmade for little children. Children'stheater and drama are available as wellas classes for parents on teachingchildren how to sing.
This thoroughly preparedenvironment has been designed for thesafety, comfort and education of ouryoungest children, enriching theirintellect, as well as their physical,spiritual, social, and emotional wellbeing.
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Our Second Campus:
Located on 50 to 100 acres, thiscampus has become the heart of theevolving New Gate School. On thisbeautifully wooded campus, buildingsare spread apart with up to 1000 feetbetween the various schools. We have alovely dining hall on campus which isused as the main dining room as well asfor parties, receptions and fundraisingevents. On Friday nights, the UpperSchool students and a group of talentedparents run a Coffee House whichfeatures intimate musical performance,wonderful coffees, teas, fruit drinks anddeserts. It provides a place to be formany parents and older students.
The offices, classrooms, and groundsreflect the same care that we describedon the Ashton Road campus. Buildingsare lovely, but not pretentious. As youwalk through the grounds, theimpression that you get is that of abeautiful conference center. Thearchitecture might be the strong, boldlines and colors of traditional Bermudangreat houses, or the look of old Florida.Each building will look like it reallybelongs. There will be high ceilings,French doors, bay windows, and lovelygardens and verandahs. Quality art willbe found throughout the school, hung atadult and children's height,reproductions and the very bestchildren's art work are properly framedand mounted; there are pedestals withsculptures, and beautiful bowls in theclassrooms and public spaces. Livingplants create a more lovely and healthierenvironment, so there are indoor plants,flowers and greenery everywhere.
The Classroom Buildings: Thethree divisions of the school on thiscampus are separated from each otherto allow the children the space to decidewhether or not they want to be aroundthe younger and older students. Thevarious ages groups definitely interact,
but in appropriate and positive ways asbig brothers, tutors, and classroomassistants. The classrooms within eachdivision are organized as semi-independent learning centers. complexis an independent s have cathedralceilings, expansive windows, andFrench doors. Each has at least 1500 to2500 square feet. The older studentsnaturally need even more room. Each ofthe main classrooms has several smallerwork spaces off in alcoves spacedaround the sides. Here you will find akitchen, small art studio and craftworkshop, a seminar room, privatetutorial room, a teachers� office and verywell equipped science lab withchemistry tables, science equipment,animal cages, telescopes, a wave tableand attached green house. Each studentowns an inexpensive notebookcomputer, which she can plug into thenetwork built in to the building.Wherever she is on campus, she cansend and receive e-mail, access thecentral library computer, or access aprinter. Modems placed in the centrallibraries allow students to access theinter-net.
Each division has its own centrallibrary/research center with a full timelibrarian. This quiet work place wasdesigned as a stimulator of curiosity topique kids interest. We have a collectionof well over 20,0000 bound volumes,CD-Roms, and videotapes and disks.We have truly made a substantialinvestment in children's research books.Our multi- media commitment is secondto none. We have a satellite connectionfor television so children studyingRussia, for example, can watchtelevision originating in Moscow. Eachstudent has her own power book, withinternet and E mail connections; andcomputers with laser printers areavailable throughout the building. Wehave a wonderful collection of models:
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ships, airplanes, record players, oldmachinery, and tools, all of which havebeen donated. There are numerousdisplay cases filled with culturalresources you might expect to find in amuseum.
The Community Parenting Center:This is a special center for both our ownfamilies and offering programs to thebroader community. The center has twoaspects. The first is a parents� loungeand activity rooms where parents cometo meet, plan, work and play. This iswhere committees commonly meet.Parenting classes are held in theevenings and during the day. There is aworkshop where Montessori materialsare made and repaired. The materials-making studio includes a big screencomputer, high quality laser printer,color printer, digitizers, cutting boards,laminators, duplicators, binders andother materials parents need to help ourteachers prepare materials for theclassrooms.
The Lifetime Family Fitness Centerincludes an indoor-outdoor track,indoor/outdoor swimming pool, tenniscourts, nautilus and cardiovascularexercise equipment. The Fitness Centeris available to families at night, on theweekends and during the summermonths. Each student has anindividually tailored fitness plan whichincludes nutrition education and stressreduction activities. Staff monitoring,and record keeping is based on theMontessori laboratory theory accordingto specific individual objectives. Atechnical rock climbing wall, fencing,karate, aerobic dance, track and field,cross country training, and fitnesseducation is available for each child andher family.
The Riding Center houses 15-20horses completely cared for by thechildren under the direction of thestable manager. In addition to ridinginstruction during afternoon, evening,and weekend studios, they learn the
basics of horse rearing. All our horsesare gentle, seasoned school horses. Wehave a 100� square indoor riding arena,which makes it possible to ride afterdark and on rainy and all but the hottestdays. Riders from New Gate compete inthe local horse show circuit. Thisprogram is optional but prepaidthrough tuition, so every student mayride if she is interested. During thesummer we offer riding as one of ourcamp activities.
We have many other small farmanimals, such as sheep and ducks, and avery large gardening and horticulturalfarm. There is outdoor classroom cropinstruction and a school-community co-op purchasing plan for all thewonderful fruits, herbs and vegetablesour students grow.
As a small business, the childrenbreed and train miniature horses.
The Arts Center: The New GateArts Center provides facilities whereour students and their parents canexplore the performing and visual artsthroughout the day, evenings, and onweekends. The Center includes abeautiful amphitheater or performancehall, with a professional sound systemand stage lighting, a hardwood stagefloor for performance, and seats for1000-2000 people. Here we holdmonthly community meetings,graduation, our yearly end of schoolclosing ceremony, and many plays andmusical performances. The Center is aSarasota community resource for localtheater, symphonic performances, andother theatrical events. Each of ourstudents is encouraged through theStudio Program to comprehensivelyexplore the visual and performing arts.During afternoon, evening, andweekend Studios, both individual andgroup programs are offered in areassuch as the full range of arts,photography, video production, dance,acting and theater, voice lessons, chorus,instrumental instruction, andperformance groups. The school has
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various singing groups and a smallorchestra which perform throughout thecommunity. The Art Center complexincludes many smaller rooms which areused by private instructors to offerindividual music instruction for ourstudents, students from other schoolswho are enrolled in the Studio Program,and parents. Lessons hours extend intothe evenings and weekends. The Centeralso has several different art studios setup as Montessori open studios, whereartists in residence maintain studios inseveral media where students can workindependently during the StudioProgram or take formal classes in areassuch as painting, sculpture, pottery,fabric, wood working, etc. Our dancestudio offers training in ballet, tap, jazz,modern or ballroom dancing. The ArtsCenter also offers a full program ofadult education in the arts and acomprehensive summer Arts programfor children.
The New Gate Center for AdvancedMontessori Studies and New GateConference Center offers course workaccredited from a Florida. University ina Masters degree program with a focusin Montessori education. The faculty isa combination of leaders from ourschool administration and faculty, aswell as outside professionals. Ourinternational courses are intensive two
or three 10-week summer programsmeeting all day five days a week. Thiscenter has it's own administration, aprofessional library, and curriculumlaboratory which has Montessorimaterials on display year round forteachers, parents and public relationsactivities. We provide seminarsworkshops, and in service training forpublic school teachers and principals,leadership groups, graduate level earlychildhood, elementary and secondaryMontessori teacher training courses, andin-service refresher courses andseminars for Montessori educators whowant to expand their expertise. Thereare meeting rooms, a dining hall,sleeping facilities used by on-campussummer students in the training centerand by educators and families who areattending conferences or retreats. ThisCenter for educational renewal includesa research wing where our researchcoordinator trains teachers on how to dolegitimate educational research in theirclassrooms and is publishing researchvalidating Montessori methods andother innovative strategies. It is herethat the teacher�s center for this campusis located.