Issue 12 2020

Jun20552 want to and supports them to become active seekers of knowledge. Consequently, as the children mature, they begin to implement self-correction and self-assessment, learning these vital life skills independently from an early age. In addition, children develop order, coordination, concentration and independence from a young age, whilst also being part of a close, caring community. The multi-age classrooms that typically span three years recreate a family structure, whilst teachers model respect, loving kindness and a belief in peaceful conflict resolution. The centre at Hoppers Crossing truly understands the value of its staff in guiding children through their natural development, and appreciate the team’s amazing, cooperative spirit. As of August 2020, every member of staff is Montessori trained, and the centre is the only facility to be able to boast such experience. Continually undergoing regular training and mentoring to maintain their qualifications, the Hoppers Crossing team is successfully providing an authentic Montessori program at an advanced level in a positive, safe, friendly and caring environment. The whole team is committed to maintaining this uplifting and positive atmosphere for staff and students alike. The result is a leading, state of the art centre that follows the Montessori Global Standard and provides Government approved Kindergarten programs delivered by VIT Teachers. The purpose-built centre boasts unparalleled classrooms that are digitally equipped and offer AMI approved furniture and materials throughout, in which the fully qualified staff can deliver their bespoke, nature-based indoor and outdoor learning programs. The multi-cultural environment is enhanced by staff who speak many languages including English, German, Hindi, French, Mandarin and more, and many of the centre’s additional courses which cover sustainability, music and dance also cover language lessons for Kindergarten students. Finally, the centre offers delicious, fresh and nutritious meals throughout the day which are instrumental to healthy physical development, whilst feeding themselves and eating in groups teaches students about making healthy choices and the relationships between food and community. The centre provides long day care, operating from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm and is open fifty-two weeks a year, excluding public holidays. Still quite a young enterprise, the centre is still focusing on building its strong foundations and establishing its reputation for excellent, innovative childcare and learning. As it looks ahead, however, Hoppers Crossing Montessori Centre is working on several initiatives that they hope will grow the centre as it continues striving to give the children in its care the very best start in life. Contact: Aseem Gupta Company: Hoppers Crossing Montessori Centre Web Address: https://hcmontessori.vic.edu.au/ The Spark of Genius Hoppers Crossing Montessori Centre is an Australian educational day care centre structured around the Montessori curriculum, an innovative learning framework that incorporates specific learning outcomes that align with children’s developmental needs. Breaking away from the structures of a traditional classroom, Montessori celebrates each child’s individuality whilst developing their learning in a safe and fun environment. Established in 2018 by Director Aseem Gupta, Hoppers Crossing Montessori Centre provides advanced Montessori programs within an early childhood environment. Named after Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, educator and innovator acclaimed for her ground-breaking educational method, the Montessori curriculum is designed to fit the specific needs of each child in each stage of their development. Learning through activity and independence, the children who go through the Montessori program are given enduring intellectual capabilities which are achieved through the framework of social and emotional learning. As each child is unique, the journey they take through learning requires individual guidance and educational materials that promotes the natural development from birth all the way to adulthood and provides the skills and support to reach their full potential in life. The programme therefore equips the children with the necessary tools to support this, which are broken down into five key areas of learning: practical life, sensorial, mathematics, language and culture. As the children develop, so too does the learning material, which becomes increasingly challenging in accordance with their age and skill level. Thus, Montessori education emphasises that learning is a process that cannot be determined by age. The benefits of Montessori Curriculum are extensive and successful models based on its principles have been developed by educators around the world. Principally, every child is valued as a unique individual that takes their own path through learning. They are given freedom within limits, which allows them to explore these paths as they Issue 12 2020 23