Montessori Education
Lunch and Recess
Students bring their lunch daily in a standard lunch bag or lunch box. A hot lunch is given to all full day students every Friday. Students learn to set up and clean up their table and to eat with good table manners. Recess (play time) takes place outdoors at one of 2 playgrounds each day provided it is not raining and the temperature is above 20 degrees with the wind chill. In the winter season, students bring snow pants, snow boots, winter hat, mittens, and scarves for outdoor fun in the snow.
Field Trips
Field trips are opportunities to reinforce classroom lessons while taking a trip to another location. Field trips are taken 3 to 4 times per year and coordinate with classroom themes and lessons. Field trip possibilities are the Apple Orchard in Hobart, Indiana, a local college for a play, show, or concert, the South Holland Fire Department, the Shedd Aquarium, and other facilities. We also invite special visitors to present to our students including South Holland Fire Fighters, South Holland Police Officers, and Dave DiNaso and his Travelling World of Reptiles. We welcome all parents who want to chaperone a field trip. There is a chaperone fee for most trips due to the cost incurred by our school from the bus service and facility fee.
School Garden
The Laren Montessori Community Garden was created in the spring of 2011 behind the Calvary Church Gymnasium by our elementary teacher along with the work of Laren staff members and Laren parents. We are currently examining the needs and future existence of the garden since we suspended our elementary program. All input and assistance is welcome.
