Arts & Activities
Students at the Montessori Children's House of Peoria are able to enjoy the following activities during the schoolday each week.
Prairie School Project
Elementary students work with our science teacher, Kristin Jacobson, to "experience" the Illinois Tallgrass Prairie. Students plant a schoolyard prairie, learn about all aspects of the prairie through activities and journal writing, and develop a sense of stewardship for this native Illinois ecosystem.
Elementary Art Class
In the Elementary Programs, students participate in an Art class each week, in which they are exposed to a variety of visual artistic styles and forms and given the opportunity for creative expression in these areas. Typical art forms used in the class include painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking.
Click here to view examples of student art work done in this class.
Music
Through weekly Primary and Elementary music classes students develop an appreciation for the varying styles of music as well as the history of music. They also gain experience in vocal performance as they rehearse and perform an all-school Spring Program each year.
Foreign Language
Students in both the Primary and Elementary programs engage in the study of a foreign language. Preschool classes have weekly lessons in Spanish; while Elementary students alternate between Spanish or French, depending upon the year. Besides the obvious benefit of simply becoming familiar with a second language, the study of a foreign language also allows the older student the opportunity to revisit grammar in English, including review of complex sentence and paragraph structure.
Physical Education
Primary and Lower Elementary students have a weekly yoga & movement class, while older Elementary students participate in an informal physical education program that is intended to instill within the child a sense of fair play, sportsmanship, and a love for physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. It involves general fitness, skill practice, and game playing.