The NWT Montessori Society is a private preschool and offers Primary Casa classrooms at two separate locations. The Yellowknife Montessori School located downtown which houses two Primary Casa classrooms, with an additional classroom located at École Įtłʼǫ̀ .
A full day is 8:15am-5:25pm which is covered by the equalized monthly payments over 10 months (September to June). Morning Care programs are offered at the downtown location (space permitting- we have 16 available spaces each academic year). Elementary After School programs are also offered at NJ Macpherson School (spaces permitting- we have 20 spaces available each academic year). Details can be found on this page.
To be eligible for enrollment in our program, students must be fully potty trained and is strictly enforced. This means they require no hands on assistance when using the washroom. Our staff members will be there to coach any students that need help but this is a skill they are expected to have prior to their start date.
The minimum age for our program is 2.5 years old at the time school commences. This is a requirement due to the curriculum and expectations on the students in our preschool.
The 2025-2026 registration will open the winter and will be posted on Facebook and our website. As per our bylaws, only members of the society can enroll students and must maintain their membership in good standing. Members of the public are eligible to be society members by paying the applicable society fee of $50.00. Membership covers the school year, once the school year has ended, membership expires.
Registration link below:
https://www.himama.com/online_registration/apply/nwt-montessori-society
Please indicate your preferred location in the additional notes section. We will attempt to accommodate preference however, depending on demand, may not be able to, and will offer an alternative location if possible.
Only fully completed registration applications will be processed. If any information or forms are missing the application will not be reviewed so please ensure you are filling in all of the sections on the forms and completing any waivers to avoid being excluded from the registration process.
Only those confirmed for registration will be contacted and waitlists will be created based on the applications received. Waitlists are only maintained for the applicable year and, are deleted at the end of that school year. For clarity, they are not carried over to the following school year.
Casa Classes for 2025-2026 will be available at 2 locations:
– 5212 52nd St
– École Įtłʼǫ̀
2024-2025 Casa School Year Details
- Our Caregiver Handbook outlines the Casa program and provides daily schedules, rules and regulations.
- Registration will be for an 8:15 – 5:25 day with the option of adding morning care (7:40 – 8:15) at our Downtown Location. Morning care is not available at Ecole Itlo.
- Our school calendar can be found here.
- Our fees for 2024-2025 can be found here. Our 2025-2026 fees will be updated following March 15th, when the GNWT, as per the ELCC regulations, updates the annual fees to take effect April 1st of each year.
- The Casa program participates in a variety of weekly classes from gymnastics to music, dance, yoga and art. These activities are included in the fees. These extracurricular activities are subsidized through fundraising.
The Absorbent Mind
Children in the Primary Casa Program possess what Dr. Montessori called the absorbent mind, the ability to absorb all aspects of one’s culture and environment without effort or fatigue. As an aid to this period of the child’s self-construction, individual work is encouraged. The following areas of activity cultivate the children’s adaptation and ability to express and think with clarity.
Practical Life Exercises
Practical Life Exercises instill care for self, for others, and for the environment. Activities include many of the tasks children see as part of the daily routine in their home, such as preparing food and washing dishes, along with exercises of grace and courtesy. Through these tasks, children develop muscular coordination, enabling movement and the exploration of their surroundings. They learn to work at a task from beginning to end, and develop their powers of control and concentrations.
Sensorial Materials
Sensorial Materials serve as tools for development. Children build cognitive skills, and learn to order and classify impressions by touching, seeing, smelling, tasting, listening, and exploring the physical properties of their environment.
Mathematics
Mathematics activities help children learn and understand the concepts of math by manipulating concrete materials. This work gives children a solid understanding of basic mathematical principles, prepares them for later abstract reasoning, and helps to develop problem-solving capabilities.
Language Development
Language Development is vital to human development. The Montessori environment is rich in oral language opportunities, allowing the child to experience conversations, stories and poetry. The sandpaper letters help children link sound and symbol effortlessly, encouraging the development of written expression and reading skills. To further reading development, children are exposed to the study of grammar.
Culture
Culture – Geography, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Art and Music are presented as extensions of the sensorial and language activities. Children learn about people and cultures in other countries with an attitude of respect and admiration. Through familiarity, children come to feel connected to the global human family. Lessons and experiences with nature inspire a reverence for all life.
The Montessori Society believes in inclusivity and diversity. We do this by ensuring that we have inclusive materials, supports and toys. In addition there are two avenues that can be pursued by caregivers;
- The GNWT’s Supporting Child Inclusion and Participation (SCIP) program which supports and promotes access to early learning and child care for all children by funding eligible organizations to create community play-based early childhood program and providing supports for children with developmental needs who require enhanced or individual assistance to safely and fully participate in early learning. A form of funding available is, additional staffing funding which enables the facility to hire a staff member to provide support for a child who could not otherwise safely attend programming or community activities (one-to-one support), or to hire a staff member to support multiple children when the ratio does not allow for a safe and effective learning environment (one-to-multiple support) this funding accepts applications annually. There is also the “emerging needs” funding which is for the same purpose however, can be applied for outside the application time frame and as needs emerge.
- Through the NWT Disabilities council. https://www.nwtdc.net/early-childhood-intervention