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We are Pincushion Hill Montessori School

Pincushion has provided an exemplary education for children in Ashland, Framingham, Hopkinton, Natick and the surrounding communities since 1962. The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori over a century ago, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child – physical, social, emotional and cognitive. Her basic principle was to “follow the child”.

Montessori is the perfect place to send your child if you are looking to inspire him or her to develop a lifelong love of learning. Children in their pre-school and kindergarten years (2.9 to 6) begin in the Children’s House. At these ages, Dr. Montessori believed that children have “an absorbent mind” meaning that they are able to effortlessly absorb everything in their environment. It is a mixed age classroom that provides individual and group lessons and activities. Children learn from one another – this can be seen in family and play situations where children are free to observe and interact in a variety of activities. The children learn high levels of cognitive and social skills not only through mental development, but also by observing others as models. The many categories are Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, Sciences, STEM and Outdoor Activities (Gardening Program and many life skills).

Montessori Elementary classrooms are fundamentally different from traditional classrooms. Montessori Elementary is a program that grows out of respect for the mind of a rapidly developing child. The Elementary age child strives for intellectual independence. This is a time of insatiable curiosity and excitement for learning.

Children in the 6-12years of age or in grades 1-6 are beginning to realize that the world is a fascinating place. The children are presented and study continents, cultures, scientific concepts and great literature.

An Elementary curriculum carefully guides the child through researching interesting concepts in many fields of study. The areas of exploration and study are Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language Development, Botany (a gardening program ), Zoology, Geography, History, STEM Program and further materials are represented in the classroom as well as life skills.

Children in the Elementary classroom begin to keep a record of their work. Often times this takes the form of a journal, a work plan, or chart. Keeping track of their own work helps to encourage good work choices and allows the teacher to see which presentations have been complete and what lessons are still needed with weekly student and teacher meetings to plan.

Dr. Maria Montessori summarized the Elementary or 6-12 classroom:

“The Elementary child has reached a new level of development. Before they were interested in things: working with their hands, learning their names. Now they are interested in mainly in the how and why…the problem of cause and effect. It is now the job of the Elementary teacher to provide the child with the materials and information to discover the interconnectedness of the universe.

Pincushion Hill Montessori School is a warm community: a multi-age, stimulating environment with trained teachers and materials that invite exploration, research, and fun. Children learn how to work with challenges with confidence and begin to find their own place in the world.

Our Programs

Morning Care & After School Care

Pincushion understands that parents may require care before the start of the day. With this reason in mind, we offer early morning care available from 7:15am to 8:30am every day. Each day your child will be greeted by a faculty member.

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Children's House (Ages 2.9-6 yrs)

One of the most striking aspects of the Children’s House is the peacefulness. There is a deep sense of respect between the teachers and the children. Through “grace and courtesy” exercises, we teach children how to problem solve conflicts, how to act politely in various situations and how to be kind and helpful to their friends. The result is a cohesive community of young children.

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Elementary (Ages 6+)

The Montessori Elementary program philosophy is known as Cosmic Education and is a curriculum that helps children understand the “big picture”. This thematic curriculum studies the natural world, the physical universe, and the human race. Through these studies, the skill based subjects are integrated: mathematics, the sciences, language arts, geography, cultural studies, history, Spanish, art, music movement, and physical education.

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Activities

Music

Our music program focuses on basic elements of music including beats, dynamics, tempo, and pitch through group participation in listening, singing, and instrument playing.

We offer general music classes as well as private lessons and after school enrichment.

Technology

Technology is implemented in an age-appropriate and mindful way at Pincushion. Focusing on the development of 21st century skills, we have developed a technology program which allows students access to Chromebooks to build academic preparedness. Elementary students use technology for research and presentation skills, keyboarding skills using the Keyboarding Without Tears curriculum, internet safety, and digital citizenship. Coding is introduced in the Elementary classroom through monthly Hour of Code sessions to teach computational thinking, problem solving, programming concepts, and collaboration.

Library

Each classroom contains numerous non-fiction, fiction, and reference books. In addition, we have an on-site library containing thousands of titles. Our library is an important part of every child’s learning experience; each week, students visit the library to choose books to check-out, while learning important library and information research skills.

Art

Our art program is designed for students to be creative and express themselves artistically. While in this class students will build up knowledge of art from different world cultures and art movements. The students will continue to build foundational skills in the arts while using a variety of materials. Students are encouraged to think outside the box and use problem solving skills. Extra time to get hands messy and make art is offered in our art enrichment program.

Spanish

Our children begin the study of the Spanish language in their first year and progress further with each year. The objective of the Pincushion Hill Spanish curriculum is to introduce our children to this increasingly prevalent foreign language. This exposure enriches their understanding of language in general, and we believe that it gives the children tools, which will help them to succeed in a wide range of academic endeavors.

Health/Wellness

Time outdoors with nature is essential to the developing child. All students receive lessons, guided by our director, on the beautiful grounds and gardens. The students investigate flowers, plants, and even our Monarch butterflies which grace our campus every year. In addition, our students participate in at least 30 minutes of recess daily. Elementary students also take part in a formal physical education program, which includes winter swim lessons. In keeping with our philosophy of educating the whole child, students are introduced to meditation and yoga. We also follow the MindUP curriculum which is a framework for success and learning in life. Grounded in neuroscience, this program offers lessons and guidance for students to learn and practice mindfulness. Our students develop strong social-emotional skills, which in turn will serve them well in both the classroom and the world beyond.