DAILY RHYTHM
8:30- 9:00 Outside Playtime
9:00- 11:00 Morning Work Cycle
11:00- 11:15 Circle Time
11:30- 12:00 Outside Playtime
12:00- 1:00 Lunch
12:45 Nap time, for those who need it
1:15- 2:00 Afternoon Work Cycle
2:00- 2:15 Classroom Chores
2:30 Pickup
2:30- 5:30 Afterschool
WHO SHOULD BE HERE?
Kaleidoscope happily welcomes children who are at least two-and-a-half years old (and potty trained). We feel lucky to continue teaching them for three years, getting to know them and getting them ready for first grade. Children thrive in a Montessori environment, because the space mandates that children follow and trust their natural inclinations toward movement, order, and exploration. Kaleidoscope's numbers will stay low; we will never have more than 18 children, so your child will have more individual attention and the chance to focus better in a quieter space.
Kaleidoscope is mindfully cultivated to nurture your child's creativity and curiosity. We provide a prepared environment, which beckons children to understand the world around them. Through exploration of the materials, they also garner a deep understanding of mathematical, linguistic, and scientific concepts. We also empower the children to be their own advocates, to stand up for themselves, use their words, and protect others from harm. In doing so, we strive to have a peaceful environment of mutual collaboration.
The multi-aged classroom allows children to deeply experience the sense of past, present, and future, and because of this, they help the younger children; they remember what it was like to be that small. They admire the older children; they look forward to being leaders in the classroom. They appreciate exactly where they are; their individual progress is celebrated.
WHO WILL TEACH MY CHILD?
ASHLEY HOLDER, director and lead teacher
(she/her)
I received my Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Developmental Psychology from Georgia College & State University. In between undergraduate and graduate schools, I was a Research Assistant at UVA. The Lead Researcher was doing extensive work on Montessori education, which I had never heard of before but learned so much about. Once I started learning about it, I was thrilled, hooked, and excited. I quickly realized I was on the wrong side of the glass: I didn’t want to pull kids away from their classrooms; I wanted to be in those classrooms. I pursued my Master’s degree in hopes to get into a classroom one day and to be able to reach children who squirm, ask too many questions, or who don’t fit convention. My Master’s Degree is in Gifted and Creative Education from UGA, where I learned about different models and methods to reach each child’s individual needs. After teaching at a public school for a year, I left to work at Athens Montessori School, where I taught in various capacities for six years. I substitute taught for a year, then I got a position as an Assistant. After just one year of teaching as an Assistant Teacher, I pursued my Montessori training in Kennesaw, Georgia, to begin my path toward lead teaching. I was the lead teacher for three years before starting Kaleidoscope Montessori.
I happily integrate my personal interests into this vocation of mine: I love baking and cooking with children, enriching music time with ukulele, inspiring them to pursue knitting and sewing, exposing them to artists and styles of art, and gardening.
AMELIA GOODWIN, lead teacher
(she/her)
I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember! I went from teaching my dolls and brother to being a mother’s helper to then a babysitter and camp counselor before I began working at Kaleidoscope in 2017. I became a certified Montessori teacher in 2021 because I truly believe that Montessori is the best educational method, especially for this age group when children are discovering themselves and the world around them. No two children’s educational, social, or emotional needs and interests will ever be the same. I believe in the Montessori method because it allows children to learn, grow, and explore what they are interested in at their own paces! Children aren’t standardized and their education shouldn’t be either! I learn and experience new things every time I come to work and I look forward to continuing to learn and grow with and from your children!
KATIE BRITTON, assistant teacher
(they/them)
My career journey has followed many paths, so I am excited to be the assistant teacher at Kaleidoscope! I worked with children a lot during high school and college but hadn’t been in the field for many years. When I started subbing at Kaleidoscope during the fall semester of 2023, I anticipated it being just a temporary position as I decided my next move. I instantly fell in love with the space, community, and environment that Ashley and Amelia have so wonderfully created. And I adore the children! It is such a special experience to be able to see these kids learn and grow so much. I kept asking for more and more opportunities to be here, so it was an easy yes when asked if I could officially join the team for spring 2024!
ERIN STACER, substitute teacher
(she/they)
I graduated with a Certificate in Film Acting from The New Conservatory for Dramatic Arts 2009. I also studied Fine Art at both the University of North Georgia and the University of Georgia. I am delighted to see the number of ways we have already and can further incorporate artistic elements in our students' learning.
I have had the pleasure of being Kaleidoscope's Assistant Teacher since January 2017. To be honest, before that I had not planned on being a teacher. But I now feel like the most fortunate person, handed such an unexpected gift. Being a part of Kaleidoscope, the methodology behind Ashley Holder's teaching, the mysterious joy that is children, the witnessing and experiencing of growth, all of it has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
KEEPING YOU CONNECTED
Our days are rich and full. Your child plays hard, concentrates for long periods of time, and has real-world and imaginative adventures. We want you to have a conversational foothold and to feel closely connected. We want to support you in celebrating, understanding, and encouraging your child.
Please keep coming back to our website, because we will update our password-protected blog with articles about child development, Montessori method, and parenting issues. We will also feature class projects, units of study, and lyrics to the songs your child will sing around the house. Let us know what topic you might like to see on the blog, and we'll work to accommodate.
We also have an instagram account, so please follow @kaleidoscopemontessori to get sneak peeks into our days! As an alternative, you can log into the blog, as we post all of our pictures there as well.
SNACK
We incorporate the preparation of snack into our morning work time: Picking vegetables from the garden, cutting vegetables or fruit, cooking rice or edamame, etc. Then, as part of our circle time, we eat snack communally.
Snacks are all organic, compliant with sensitivities and allergies of the children, seasonal, and (when possible) local. We strive to have high-protein and complex carbohydrates We will keep you posted about what foods we eat daily as part of our ongoing strive to keep you informed and connected.
NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY
We proudly and gladly open our doors.
The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in admission or hiring policies. In its hiring practices the school will further not discriminate on the basis of age or economic status.
