Where do we rank? At the top! We hear this all the time, so we're not going to be humble about it. Parents frequently tell us how well we compare to other schools. Also, the schools at which our graduates continue their education have indicated through reference calls how pleased they are with the level of education our graduates have. We know we're doing something right and we continually strive to make things even better. We are extremely proud of our students and feel great joy in helping them grow and learn.
DEPS was created due to the overwhelming demand from parents whose children had attended or were attending Great Beginnings Montessori School. These parents felt very strongly that the strength and expertise of Mrs. Natsuhara was needed in order for their children's education to continue. After very careful consideration, the principal took the plunge and formed what today is a strong, viable and envied school.
Yes to all of the above. With our beautiful over-sized gymnasium and a Gym teacher, we have a full Physical Education program that includes indoor and outdoor sports, games and competitions promoting movement skills at the appropriate levels. All aspects of good sportsmanship are stressed and a love of being active are fostered.
We are also privileged to have on staff a Music and Drama Teacher who has extensive professional experience in the Performing Arts. All of the children enjoy working with her! Our concerts, at Christmas time and in the spring, are always exciting performances in which all of the children participate and can be proud. We know that participation in our productions develops self-esteem and confidence, thus enabling a student to speak publicly with self-assurance. Some of our students are also involved in set design and construction.
French is taught to all classes in both of our schools
by a French Specialist. The program is mostly
conversational up to and including our Grade 3 class,
featuring songs, games, puzzles and friendly competitions.
From Grades 4 through 7, the written component of French
is also stressed. By the time our Montessori children
have reached Grade 6 with us, they have already had
8 years of French!
All of our DEPS' classes are taught by our Visual Arts Teacher who has extensive experience with Art History. The children are taught the techniques of colour mixing, drawing, painting, pastels plus special projects. Everyone loves Art class!
We have a huge field behind our school, with a baseball diamond and plenty of space for soccer and other sports and games. Behind our field is a public park. To the west of us is another school yard. To the east is a small ravine. We have a great deal of open, green space around us! (Please view the Photo Gallery to see some pictures of the play area in both summer and winter. A fenced-in, fully equipped playground is also available for the Casa students.
About Life Skills: With all of the children at our schools, we place a high value on their evolving ability to communicate. At the elementary school level, a very strong emphasis is therefore placed upon Language Arts in its many forms. We also believe that life skills include making the right choices with respect to appropriate language and actions in all types of situations. At both GBMS and DEPS, children are taught to be responsible for their actions as well as their work. We are guiding them to do their best in whatever challenges and responsibilities they assume on the road of life. Respect for those around them and for the environment are also key points which we continually reinforce.
We are always delighted by the authors, historians, artisans, musicians, actors, and other performers who provide the rich presentations we call Program Enhancement. Once per term our schools are enriched by the expertise and hands-on opportunities brought to us by one of the many specialists from whom we draw Program Enhancement. Over the past year the children have been delighted by the dramatic performances of Oliver and The Velveteen Rabbit, dazzled by the rhythms of Mystic Drums,delighted by Critters large and small, andguided by gifted artists to express themselves with clay.
In general, our class sizes are small. In Great Beginnings Montessori School, we generally have a maximum of 16 children to one teacher and one assistant. In Durham Elementary Private School, we allow up to 16 students to one teacher. In some instances at either school, an additional teacher or assistant will be in the classroom to assist with specific activities. We also employ a full time tutor.
We see small class size as a huge advantage in our ability to watch as each child grows and develops. The classroom teacher is able to spend a considerable amount of time with each student, enabling him/her to reach his/her full potential.
Re: Integration into DEPS. No, this is not a concern. Throughout our schools, we have classes with children of varying levels of experience and ability. Each child is encouraged to progress and succeed to the best of his/her ability and our teachers are skilled at assisting the entire learning process. The cooperation among the school, the child and the family is always key to a successful integration into our programs.
About Discipline: This is an excellent question for a school where good manners and respect for one's peers are continually taught and reinforced. First of all, one of the benefits of our family-like atmosphere and small class size is that we are usually aware of a problem long before it becomes insurmountable. We are quick to act upon disciplinary issues and the children are all aware of the way things work in our schools. Bullying in its many forms is strictly not allowed. We have a complete no tolerance policy on this type of behaviour.
In general, when a child has chosen an inappropriate behaviour, he or she will be reminded by the teacher. In some cases, depending upon the severity of the offense, the Office will handle the behaviour issue. If after explanation or discussion of the matter, there is no improvement in the child's behaviour, the removal of a privilege will follow. If the behaviour continues then the parents will be called in for a meeting at which time further consequences for the child's behaviours are discussed and mutually agreed upon. Here again, the cooperation between the school, the child and the family comes into play.
Under no circumstances do we ever utilize corporal punishment.
Injuries: Our policy is to always let the parents know about any injuries or complaints from a child re: feeling unwell. We believe that it is important to share this information between the school and family in order to provide the best level of care for the child. The office staff phone to let you know about such incidents as a scraped knee, a bump or a headache. All children are covered by a comprehensive Student Accident Policy provided by the schools.
Our school uniform is mandatory for DEPS' students only. The GBMS children have no uniform but are , of course, required to dress appropriately for the weather.
Community Awareness is another important concept for children to develop. Once each month, we have a dress-down day during which the DEPS' children pay for the privilege to dress in casual clothing. We collect their "loonies" and "twoonies" and donate that money to a local charity. Three times per year (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) we hold a food drive for families who need help simply getting fed properly. The food drives give us the opportunity to discuss with all of the children at their own level, the importance of good nutrition as well as the value in helping others. The senior children have gone to Settlement House to help organize the food contributed for the less fortunate.
During this past Holiday Season, we raised money from our schools' families to support World Vision projects overseas. We often donate such seasonal monies to a local charity or food bank. This year we also created a "mitten tree" -- a Christmas tree which the children decorated with dozens of pairs of new mittens to give to less fortunate families in our community.
The demand for extra-curricular activities changes from year to year, and we normally take the lead from our parents. Many of the children in our school participate in sports or take lessons within their own neighbourhoods and are therefore picked up right after school. However, in past years, we have offered the following as extra-curricular activities: Jazz and Tap lessons, Drama, Art, Computer Club and Chess Club. Sometimes sports tournaments take the older DEPS' students to other locations after school also.
Additionally, customized tutoring is also requested for children after school. We are happy to arrange such tutoring for interested families.
Availability?: It may be possible to enroll your child right away if space is available. Pre-registration takes place in March, therefore, if you wish a place for the following September, it is advisable to register ASAP Don't hesitate. Contact us now.
