Programs

Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program

The Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program (UPK) is a state-funded program for which the Administration of the Auburn Enlarged City School District applies each year. The Montessori School of the Finger Lakes is one of 5 preschool sites in the district that contract with the administration to provide one year of half-day preschool to eligible children. Parents/guardians of children who reach the age of four years by December 1st and who live within the district are eligible to apply. Grants may be determined upon income eligibility guidelines and are solely determined by the administration of the Auburn Enlarged City School District.
Applications are available through the Harriet Tubman Administration Office at 78 Thornton Avenue in Auburn in the spring for the following school year.

The Early Childhood Years (3-6)

The Montessori curriculum for the early childhood years places emphasis both on physical and motor development and on cognitive development. Practical life exercises, including pouring liquids, preparing food, and polishing shoes, prepare the child for all future academic work by promoting concentration, order of tasks, and completion of a work cycle. Sensory training enables the Montessori child to identify and categorize information obtained through their senses. Materials that introduce the young mind to language arts, math, art, music, history and world culture, geography, and science abound in the Montessori preschool environment.

The Kindergarten and Elementary School Years (5-12)

The Montessori curriculum for the kindergarten and elementary school years places emphasis on three aspects: Fundamental Skills, Great Lessons, and Individually Chosen Research.
  • Fundamental Skills require a basic knowledge of math, science, language arts, technology, geography, anthro- pology, civics, economics, and the organization of human society
  • The Great Lessons included the inspiring stories of the development of life on Earth, of language, and of math and technology
  • For Individually Chosen Research, children are encouraged to conduct library and Internet research, prepare oral and written reports, and teach classmates

Extended Care Programs

Before-school care is offered to those parents whose schedules necessitate an earlier arrival time. Beverages and snacks are provided as well as the opportunity for children to relax in a nurturing and familiar environment until school begins. Before-school care is available at 7:00 am to 8:30 am.
After-school care is designed to provide children with a safe, enjoyable environment for after-school activities. Children are encouraged to engage in both indoor and outdoor play or to relax with friends. Individual homework help is also available. Snacks and beverages are provided. After-school care is available from 3:30 until 5:30.
Montessori Method
The Montessori Method is based on these three main premises:
  • Children are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals who differ from one another
  • Each child possesses a unique sensitivity and intellectual ability to absorb and learn from our environment
  • The most important years of a child's growth are the first six years of life when unconscious learning is brought to the conscious level.