Our Fall Semester starts on the 1st Wednesday after Labor Day

Miss Tootsie our friendly and dedicated Nursery teacher giving a lesson to her little ones surrounding the racing car owned by her husband Bill. The children got a chance to go on the racing car and to hear Mr. Bill explain this hobby of his. The children were really excited to see this neat car.

September:
The Autumn Season - The children will learn all there is to know about the seasons. Taking walks around the school grounds to see the changing of the leaves.

The Farm Unit is our September theme - music and art will be centered around the life on the farm and the animals who live there. It's also time for children to become acclimated to their classroom environment.
Parent and Teacher's Orientation and evening meetings start early in September. This is a social get together to meet and great parents to discuss the early events.

October:
Fire Prevention Month - For many years the Neptune Fire Department brings their hook & ladder - pumper truck along with Sparky, Pluggy and a complete demo by the firemen with their full gear and uniform. The duties of the firemen are discussed and children are enthralled by this spectacular demo. The Academy performs fire drills with the children twice a month. Parents are always invited to attend any events. Monthly newsletters go home to inform parents of the monthly happenings.

Halloween - Children dress up for Halloween and a parade with the staff and children dancing around the circular garden in the front of the building showing off their costumes and singing Halloween songs and doing the Monster Mash! The children and staff love it.
Halloween Safety - The Neptune Police visit the Academy to discuss Halloween safety and the important role the policemen play in our daily lives.

November:
Thanksgiving is the topic for the month. The children bring in groceries and food for the poor and the items go to the Monmouth County Food Bank to be distributed. The First Thanksgiving - the Indians & Pilgrims are the topic for discussion.

A Thanksgiving Day Feast is prepared by the staff for the children. The menu consists of chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, corn bread, cranberry sauce and jello. Children are taught the meaning of giving thanks for what we have. The teachers discuss the First Thanksgiving and the children choose to be Pilgrims or Native Americans. The children make their own costumes, and enjoy this eventful day with their friends and teachers.

Turkey Day - A live turkey is brought to our school (from Hinck's Turkey Farm) and Mr. Tom Turkey takes a tour of the playground for all to see. He visits for 3 days and then is brought back to the farm to join Mama Hen & Papa Rooster.

December:
Holidays around the world are topics of discussion. Children learn the meanings of Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and all other holidays. It's a time for sharing. Children decorate our "Giving Tree" with handmade ornaments and beautiful artwork. As is customary the kindergarten class under the direction of Miss Loren perform for the parents during their Holiday Extravaganza. Santa also pays a visit.

Toys for Tots has been our project for many years. The children donate unwrapped toys for needy children and place them under our giving tree and the US Marines come in to speak to our children and thank them for the toys.
Winter Solstice, the first day of winter, is also discussed. How the weather changes and the type of clothing we wear in winter is the topic of discussion.

January:
The transportation unit is the theme for January. Children learn all there is to know about the different forms of transportation - trains, planes, boats, etc.
Conference time is scheduled for parents and teachers to discuss children and their progress.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History month is observed along with Chinese New Year.

The Monmouth County Park System presents a very informative lesson to our children on live snakes and reptiles. The instructors from the Park System have been coming to us over 20 years and the snakes are non-poisonous and indigenous to our area. Needless to say the children love this lesson and enjoy "touching" the snakes.

February:
Dental Health Month is the topic for February. We invite 2 dentists to our school to discuss care of teeth, proper brushing and visit to the family Dentist.
Ground Hog Day happens in February along with Valentine's Day. Parties are planned and Valentine cards and projects are given out to the children. And of course George Washington & Abraham Lincoln are an important part of our discussion in February.

March:
National Nutrition month centers around our topic in March. Healthy snacks are discussed and the Food Pyramid is explained to the children.
Signs of Spring and the changing of the seasons is a beautiful topic for discussion.

Read Across America is celebrated on March 2 to honor Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss has done so much to encourage reading in young children. At Montessori Academy the teachers discuss the importance of reading and the impact Dr. Seuss has made on our education of young children.
Spring equinox (first day of Spring) March 22 means warmer weather, flowers blooming and planting. Not to forget St. Patty's Day whereby we all wear a little green and celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Smile! March is picture time at Montessori Academy. Individual & group pictures are taken at this time. This is a Kodak moment where the children pose with their friends that will last a lifetime. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. How true.

April:
A very happy unit of study is the Family Unit. The month is spent discussing families. Children bring in family pictures and are delighted to talk about Mom & Dad and siblings. A fun time for all.
Easter & Passover are topics of discussion. Special projects for April are bird feeders, wind chimes, kites, butterflies etc.

In April the Commission for the Blind comes to the Academy and they do a screening for amblyopia or lazy eye. This is such a worthwhile and important screening because if amblyopia is detected at an early stage, our ophthalmologist reports it can be corrected with a patch or other treatments. So this is another service that our children receive at the Academy.

May:
Circus time & lifestyles of the circus, clowns, animal acts and art projects center around the circus. Parents are invited to a Circus Open House in our Pre-K & Nursery classes and Montessori classes also have an end of the year Open House to show off children's work to their parents.
Mother's Day is observed and the children make a special gift for Mom.
Memorial Day is observed.

June:
Graduation Day for our kindergartners at the end of June. Children will perform for their parents. Children wear white cap and gowns and receive diplomas. A beautiful, memorable day for graduates and parents.
Father's Day observed and gifts made by the children. Flag Day observed along with the first day of summer June 21. Parent/teacher conferences upon request. In fact a conference may be set up anytime through out the school year. Simply call and speak to Chari our Director and she will have a conference scheduled for you.
Picnic - end of the year watermelon picnic for all children and staff. Games planned.

Camp Montessori:
Camp starts in July & August. A fun filled summer with many outdoor activities planned for the summer.