The transformation of the Clarklake Community Church to its new role as a Montessori pre-school is ready for the reveal. Diane Smith is opening the doors and giving tours during the open house on Sunday, September 29, 3 – 5 pm. The event will feature a ribbon cutting at 3:30 pm.
Clark Lakers have followed the progress of this transformation on this website from the day Diane spoke before the Columbia Charter Township board in March 2023. Having now adjusted plans to meet zoning requirements, and construction mostly completed, the school is now enrolling students and will open on October 7th.
During the school year, the preschool will serve children ages 33 months to 6 years. In the summer, seven and eight year-olds can also enroll. Hours are 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
In August, this website recorded a preview of changes to the building in this video.
More from the August story on this website.
The Montessori system is well-establish. Its philosophy began to catch on in 1906 and has been prevalent around the world ever since. Diane says Montessori is loved by children, is very successful at giving them a good basis in life, and creates a joy of learning. That provides motivation for them to move forward.
Diane notes the Montessori philosophy rests on four pillars – independence, self-direction, real work, and respect. Montessori aims to foster a classroom environment that empowers students to do things for themselves., thus fostering independence. It encourages real work that could include cooking in an actual kitchen instead of play, helping with laundry and vacuuming. The idea is to inspire confidence in the child’s ability to look after him or herself.
When it comes to self-direction, teachers watch the child to evaluate when he or she is ready to be introduced to math and language. The classroom consists of mixed ages. Some kids are already reading. A three year-old might become curious and want to do the same. As children are exposed to this, the teacher will head them in the right direction.
Respect is taught by explaining the social graces so the child can interact properly. That would include how to introduce yourself to others, handshakes and greetings. The intent is to give the child confidence in different social settings, and for he or she to understand what’s expected.
The Clark Lake campus is the second location for Countryside Montessori. The Hillsdale campus will continue to operate as Diane brings its successful Montessori experience to Clark Lake. For more on enrollments and other info, please click here.
