The History of the Learning Site        

            The school was founded as a private school in the summer of 1981 by Peg Huffman who is Montessori Day Schools Executive Director.  The first classroom was ready at 8818 North 12th Street (Sunnyslope campus) by July, and by September two additions were ready for use. There were eight elementary students that fall and twenty-plus primary (3-6 yrs) students    

            Within a year, the Montessori Day Schools’ community needed more space and the “North Building” was readied for use, opening in February 1983. The school began a search for a larger school site.  The resulting search was the purchase of the Mountainside property from the Petersons.  The first two Mountainside buildings opened for classes in September ’83. Now home to primary classes, the billing office, and multi-purpose use, they housed the school office, two primary classes, and one elementary class, making room for MDS’ first toddler class at Sunnyslope.

            Within two more years, additional classroom space was needed. Fall of ’85 saw the completion of Mountainside’s current junior elementary and office building, and MDS’ first senior elementary class. As enrollment grew, a new senior elementary building was constructed (now home to Senior Elementary I and Senior Elementary II). For its debut, this building hosted MDS’ December ‘92 winter program. Classes first met there in January ’93.

            In August ’93, MDS added two new campuses: Lakeshore in Chandler; and North Ranch in Scottsdale.

            The North Ranch site began with one small toddler and one small primary group, and now includes one toddler, two primaries and one junior elementary. The appearance of the facility has continued to change as enrollment has grown, with additions of outdoor patios, walkways and equipment to enhance outdoor work and play areas.

            The Lakeshore Campus started in a rented space in Tempe and now is located at their new site in Chandler.  The room space at the site is a large open space that was the previous owner’s sanctuary space for their congregation.  The room comes with tables, chairs, supplies, and a lot room to use creatively. 

My BIS 401 Proposal

            My intention is to get a paid internship at Montessori Day Schools in Chandler, Arizona for the full 125 hours of the BIS 401 Internship.  The proposed learning site is a charter school that will have an academic summer program.  The proposed learning site is a Montessori school that has children from the ages of two to twelve years of age.  The school is an A.M.S. (American Montessori Society) affiliated school.  The proposed learning site has current licensing, a full staff of Montessori credentialed personal, and Montessori teaching materials.    

            The proposed learning site will involve both of my concentration areas of education and psychology.  My proposed learning site will provide me with opportunities to use my educational concentration area by designing and implementing a summer program for elementary students.  I will be able to learn more about how to apply my educational background by creating lesson plans, providing direct child instruction, maintaining a Montessori prepared environment, and communicating to staff, parents, and with children.  In short, I will be a summer school teacher that will be under direct supervision of Montessori Day School Administration. 

            .  The proposed learning site will allow me to demonstrate my knowledge of psychology in relation to children. The proposed learning site environment will give me the opportunity to learn about how motivational theory works in a classroom setting.  In addition, my concentration areas of education and psychology will help me to determine how to maintain classroom discipline and order.  I will get to see how the laws of  

            I will gain a lot of practical knowledge from the proposed learning site in the regards of education and psychology because it will be in a classroom setting.  I expect to learn how theories in both of my concentrations areas are applied in real life situations.  This internship will provide me with an opportunity to help the community and provide support to children who may need additional academic help.  The charter school needs someone to work over the summer who is dedicated to helping children fulfill their academic, social, and emotional needs.  My two concentration areas should help me to fulfill this need.  My goal is to learn as much as I can about the real life interactions between children and their environment.  I see this as an opportunity to see first hand how education and psychology play a role in the learning of children.

My Job Responsibilities

My responsibilities at the learning site will be the following:

1.  Responsible for helping to direct children’s activities physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually in a Montessori prepared environment.

2.   Prepare an environment in which the furnishings and materials are complete and correspond to the needs of the group.

3.  Be responsible for the care of classroom materials.

4.  Maintain inventory of the classroom.

5.  Maintain current attendance records.

6.  Maintain current accurate student academic records.

7.  Submit academic records and other reports as requested by the school Administrator.

8.  Prepare and supervise children in a classroom setting.

9.  Responsible for the safety and physical well being of the children at all times.

10. Protect the privacy of the children at all times.

11.  Supervise the Assistant and others who work with the children in the classroom environment.