Petite Maison Montessori
Petite Maison Montessori is dedicated to providing an enriching and challenging educational environment where each child’s natural curiosity and interest is explored and cultivated. Multilingualism promotes intercultural dialogue and emphasizes that we are all part of one world.
The Montessori Toddler Program (18 to 36 months)
We begin to welcome children into our Montessori toddler program at around 18 months. The class ratio is 1:5 with a limit of 15 children.
The Casa Program (3-6 years old)
We offer 2 spacious Casa classrooms for children with a mixed age group of those 3 to 6 years old.
Extended Care
We offer extended care at the school so that children are welcome from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Summer Camp (4-10 years old)
Registration for our amazing summer camp programs begins after March Break.
Petite Maison Montessori
Founded and created by Roula Porcelli in 1997 originally as a Saturday school and French summer camp, Roula used her Montessori training to teach French in a fun and interesting way. Seeing the drastic improvement in children’s abilities to grasp French, Roula decided to open Petite Maison Montessori in 1999. Since then, PMM has grown & flourished into a multi-lingual Montessori school that is recognized as a reliable, trustworthy, safe and loving environment that cultivates each child’s maximum potential. Next to Roula stands her dedicated and long time staff members that are committed to directing each child’s learning journey with the utmost care & respect. The introduction of languages from an early age promotes multilingualism and opens endless doors of opportunities for your child in the future.
Since 1999, Petite Maison Montessori has been a licenced daycare by the Ministry of Community and Youth Services. In 2013 this Ministry amalgamated with the Ministry of Education ensuring high quality of care for children under the age of 6 is provided at all times. Having a license means we undergo annual inspections in our Fire, Health and Safety practices.Since 1999, Petite Maison Montessori has been operating its program from the historic Don Mills United Church at 126 O’Connor Dr. With over 5000 plus square feet of security monitored space, Petite Maison Montessori offers the following: private washrooms, separate sleep room for our younger children and a fully fenced and rubberized surface on our outdoor playground. In addition, the children maintain their own garden and are surrounded by beautiful stain glass windows and an abundance of natural light shining through each of our 3 spacious classrooms. We are the first fully bilingual Montessori program to be offered in the East York area and support the local French Immersion schools in the surrounding community. We are also one of a very few ACCREDITED Montessori schools in the G.T.A. See CCMA website for details.
Our Casa Program effectively prepares children for Grade 1 and specializes in languages and the arts. We accept children with special needs and will do our best to access, monitor and accommodate them. Our curriculum meets and on many levels exceeds the Ontario Standard Curriculum for Junior and Senior Kindergarten children. In addition your child will have the opportunity to learn French, Spanish and Greek.
Not only will your child be in an ACCREDITED MONTESSSORI PROGRAM but a fully licenced childcare facility too! Parents are encouraged to access the Ministry of Education childcare website and view our online Annual Inspection Report from the following site: http://www.iaccess.gov.on.ca/LCCWWeb/childcare/search.xhtml
Petite Maison Montessori attracts teachers with high credentials and academic standards. We recruit degree certified Language Teachers and MACTE accredited Montessori educators.
MACTE accreditation ensures that the teacher training course is authentic and recognized as an accredited training centre in good standing.
The principal Roula Porcelli has certification in both the Primary and Elementary training in Montessori Education along with a degree in French and Spanish studies from York University.
Our Curriculum
Practical Life
“Help me do it myself.” Upon entering our casa classrooms, children are exposed to a variety of Practical Life activities. They learn to carry out a task from beginning to end...
Language
“No one but a child can learn to perfect as many languages as he hears spoken.” A child’s phenomenal ability to master languages will be nourished...
Math
The Montessori Method presents math in a way that is interesting, reassuring and gratifying. The child’s ordinary environment is used to make the learning of math practical...
Sensorial
“The way to the brain is through the hands.” Sensorial materials help children classify and distinguish differences in size...
Cultural Studies
Children have a natural curiosity about the world in which they live. In a very short time they realize that there is a world...
Admissions
Tour of the School
Set up an appointment to attend a half hour observation of one of our classrooms…
Applications
After having an opportunity to read all applicable information, complete…
Acceptance
Acceptance of a child is based on several factors, including…
Waiting List
Applicants who have been accepted for all reasons other than space available…
Placement
Families will be notified of class placement in June and will be invited to our…
We offer a 3-year Casa Program including preschool, JK and SK for children ages 2 ½ to 5 included. First year children should be 3 years old by Dec. 31st of the year they begin or they will be considered for our Prep program. All children are expected to be toilet-trained by the time they begin in our program.
Highlights of PMM
- 8:1 Student:Teacher ratios
- Spacious Bright Classrooms
- Daily French, Art
- Trips
- Dynamic Concerts
- Parent Volunteers
- Summer Camp
- Theme Days
- Spanish and Greek
- School Yearbook & DVD
- Picture CDs each year!
- Parent Teacher Interviews
Two snacks and a hot lunch are provided daily. Our facility offers a large, fully equipped playground with safety rubberized surfacing and a private parking zone. We offer a 4 week summer ART-LINGO (arts and languages) camp every July.
Parents Testimonials
I would like to thank everyone at PMM for all your hard work. I watched the video and was amazed at all the activities the children do on a daily basis, it was very touching to see the interaction between the children and teachers. You have a wonderful and dedicated team. Thanks!
Jacqui Forgeard
Thank you for the wonderful yearbook, DVD, picture CD and so many lovely gifts. Deniz really enjoyed this past year at PMM. We are so glad we made a right choice to send him here. Thank you all for the love and effort you gave to Deniz.
Makul family
You have given us and our children a gift of love and affection that have been the soul to the level of achievement that will undoubtedly set the foundation to success and refinement for the years to come.
Victor, Christina, Lauren and Hudson
Montessori Education
“The first duty of an education is to stir up life, but leave it free to develop.” This freedom of exploration is made possible through our “prepared environment” calling forth each child’s natural desire to work. The classrooms have been carefully designed to meet a child’s need for observation, reflection and concentration, working both independently and in small groups. Independent activity constitutes about 80% of the work in the classrooms while teacher-directed activity accounts for the remaining 20%. The reverse is true for traditional education. Petite Maison Montessori is one of a very few ACCREDITED Montessori schools in the G.T.A.
Famous Montessori People
There are quite a number of famous and successful people who, in some form or another, have a Montessori connection. Check some interesting names below:
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google.com
Jeff Bezos, financial analyst, founder, Amazon.com
Katherine Graham, owner/editor of the Washington Post
Prince William and Prince Harry, English royal family
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, editor, former first lady (John F. Kennedy)
Julia Child, famous chef, star of many TV cooking shows and author of numerous cookbook
Anne Frank, famous diarist from world war II
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel Prize winner for Literature
T. Berry Brazelton, noted pediatrician and author
Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian painter and architect
George Clooney, Academy Award-winning actor
Kami Cotler, actress (youngest child on long-running series The Waltons)
Melissa and Sarah Gilbert, actors
Elizabeth Berridge, actress (Constanze in Amadeus)
Joshua Bell, American violinist, owner of Stradivarius violin
Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, rap star, music mogul
Bill and Hillary Clinton, former president/senator, NY
John Bradshaw, psychologist and author
Dick Ebersol and Susan St. James, television executive and actress
Stephen J. Cannell, TV writer-producer-director (The Rockford Files and many others)
Willie Nelson, musician, has a Montessori school on his ranch
Patty Duke Austin, actress
Cher Bono, singer-actress
Michael Douglas, singer-actress
Yul Brynner, actor
Marcy Carcy, TV producer
Shari Lewis, puppeteer
Yo Yo Ma, cellist
David Blaine , street magician
Alexander Graham Bell, noted inventor, provided financial support directly to Dr. Montessori. Helped establish the first Montessori class in Canada and one of the first in the United States
Thomas Edison, noted scientist and inventor, helped to found a Montessori school
Bruno Bettelheim, noted psychologist/author, was married to a Montessori teacher
Erik Erikson, anthropologist/author, had a Montessori teaching certificate
Jean Piaget, noted Swiss psychologist, made his first observations of children in a Montessori school
Alice Waters, restaurateur and writer, is a former Montessori teacher
President Wilson’s daughter, trained as a Montessori teacher. There was a Montessori classroom in the basement of the White House during Wilson’s presidency
Mister Rogers, children’s TV personality, strong supporter of the Montessori method
With respect to early childhood education, Dr. Maria Montessori was a visionary ahead of her time. She developed materials & methods founded on her belief that every child wishes to learn, given the proper materials & environment. She believed every child possesses an innate desire for learning. She recognized children as having an “absorbent mind” – constantly exploring their surrounding environment.
