CASSVILLE — St. Charles Borromeo School in Cassville is opening a Montessori-based school program for ages three to six for the upcoming 2023-24 school year.
We offer a Christ-centered, Catholic education through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
We believe this loving and joyful environment will foster a contagious passion for learning while inviting children to become ambassadors of God’s mercy in their Church, their community, and their world.
With Montessori education growing in popularity in larger cities, we are excited to bring this educational offering to southwest Wisconsin.
The Montessori method
This educational approach researched by Dr. Maria Montessori is based on the natural development of children and allows them to learn at their own pace while following individual interests.
As children develop individually, they are rewarded and motivated internally to continue experiencing the materials, which promotes each child’s ability to find things out for themselves.
Physical exploration, movement, and the senses help children to learn factual knowledge.
The Montessori method is of utmost value because it highlights respect for the individual human person and his/her natural development.
This natural development, given by God, leads children to discover who God made them to be. Through this development of self-knowledge, children are able to actualize their full potential as children of God.
A Montessori classroom looks much different than a traditional classroom.
The children learn the same ideas but in a different environment.
Instead of a group of children sitting at desks and learning from books and worksheets, a trained teacher will observe the children, identify their interests and abilities, and develop personalized learning plans tailored to each child’s needs.
The teacher guides the learning, introducing new lessons and levels of difficulty as appropriate to each individual child.
At this preschool/kindergarten level of Montessori education, the materials are hands-on, specifically designed manipulative materials that invite exploration and engage the senses in the process of learning.
Think abacus, blocks, and puzzles rather than flashcards or worksheets.
The curriculum for the three to six-year-old level includes practical life (caring for self, environment, and others), sensorial (perception of the world through the senses), math, language (vocabulary, writing, reading), and cultural studies (history, geography, science, art, music).
Rooted in the Bible
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Catholic Montessori-based religious formation for children.
It is rooted in the Bible and uses simple yet beautiful materials allowing children to draw closer to Christ in prayer.
With Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the basic beginning point is that Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and the children’s faith journey is built upon the relationship between the child and Jesus.
In this setting, the children utilize manipulative materials such as sheep in a pasture and an altar to explore and internalize their faith.
The teacher guides the lessons as the children are prepared to undertake them, and the classroom is quiet, meditative, and prayerful, allowing a child to explore deeply the beauty of our Catholic faith.
Education offered
We will be offering full-day education for grades 3K, 4K, and 5K in a combined classroom, with a part-day option available to 3K and 4K students.
St. Charles School is available to all income levels and educational needs and also has a before and after-school care program for St. Charles students available from 6 to 8 a.m. and from 3:15 to 6 p.m. respectively.
St. Charles will be hosting an informational meeting on Wednesday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Charles School, 521 East Dewey St., Cassville.
The goal of this meeting will be to share more about what Montessori education and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd are as well as information about our new school program. This meeting is open to anyone interested in learning more.
For more information about St. Charles School, go to swwicatholicparishes.com call 608-725-5595; or email [email protected]