Anne Frank
Anne Frank was a pupil of our school between 1934 and 1941. The parents of Anne decided montessori education was the most appropriate form of education for their always talking and a bit stubborn daughter. Anne’s mother said, “god knows everything, but Anne always knew it better ”Anne lived near the school at the Merwedeplein. She could walk to the school (we suppose) together with her older sister Margot who attended the regular school in the Dintelstraat 500 meters away from the 6th Montessorischool. At first Anne started at the kindergarten Blauwe Zeedistel in the class of Mrs Gudron. There she found her first big school friend Hanneli Goslar. They stayed friends their whole school period. Anne had a very pleasant school period. She liked acting. The old headteacher Mrs Kuperus remembers that Anne always had ideas, and not being shy, she always played one of the main characters. At the end of the elementary school, when Anne was 12 years old, she left the school in September 1941. The German occupiers decided the Jewish children had to leave the public school. Jewish schools were formed in the summer of 1942 and Anne went to the Jewish lyceum. Her older sister Margot attended the same school.
The child and its development
At our school we provide modern education with up-to-date materials. All children can reach the core objectives provided they have the necessary capacities. In our school the child and its development is a core theme. In order to follow the child’s development we use a pupil follow system. In this way we determine the rate of progress of the children at fixed moments during the year. We do this, among other things, by way of tests and observations.
Gathering data and reporting
The results are reported, neatly arranged per child and per group level, and at school level. By means of a computer the data are partly assembled in an electronic database. The pupil follow system of the 6th Montessori school can be divided into a formal system and an informal system. The informal part consists of day-by-day observations of the teacher working with the pupils. The teacher observes the pupils:
- concentration
- working attitude
- motivation
- drive
- inventiveness /resourcefulness
- care for work
- motor system
- the way in which the child “behaves” verbally, expressively, and musically
- the way in which the child expresses in words and makes contact with other children or adults
At least twice a year the teacher will discuss these observations with the parents (not expressing the results in marks however). The attitude of the child towards him/herself, to others and to concrete subject matter is given priority. The more formal part of assessment consists of a series of method-independent tests. It is not for nothing that these tests are mentioned only now since, from our point of view, they belong there. The observations of the teacher are valued higher than the results of the tests. Therefore we do not offer the tests as frequently as instructed by the makers. It is the information from the informal system of assessment mentioned above, that the teacher decides whether a child should have an extra test or even skip one, prompted by the progress the teacher has observed in the child.
General information about the 6th Montessori School
The 6th Montessori school is a public primary school. At this moment the school has well over 290 pupils divided into twelve groups: four lower level, four mid level and, four upper level groups.
Enrolment:The school aims especially at enrolling children from the neighbourhood.
If you would like more information about our 22 board-schools in general, please use the following website: www.schoolsearchamsterdam.com
Onderbouw (age 4-6)
Sometimes you hear people say that children in the onderbouw only play. However, when we ask a ''onderbouwer'' what he or she has been doing, the answer is usually: “I have been working.” In the onderbouw, children often work on a rug on the floor with material for reading and arithmetic, but also with material that stimulates the senses. Playing in the dolls' corner or in the garden is also a form of work, because the children learn how to play and work together. The children spend about a third of their time exercising. This happens regularly in the playroom and almost every day in the garden. For parents who enroll their child at school with us, there is a separate booklet to familiarize the children and parents with the onderbouw. The title of the booklet is: “Help me to do it myself” and has two parts (also available in English).
Middenbouw (age 6-9)
In the middenbouw we continue what has already been learned in the onderbouw. Independence and choosing a job yourself are still important, but a number of agreements will be added. This is how all children in group 3 start the process of learning to read. For example, children receive group lessons in which the teacher presents letters. The same applies to math education. Children also receive short group instruction for this subject every week. Then the children process the math goals with the Montessori material and the math cards from the Rekenkast. In addition to language and arithmetic, we naturally also work on projects in the context of cosmic education and culture (KEC). In addition, there is singing and drama and the children work together more and more intensively. There is also a separate information booklet for parents of children starting in the middenbouw.
Bovenbouw (age 9-12)
There is often a remarkably quiet working atmosphere in the bovenbouw. Children are almost all working at their table. You can see that they all work on something different, because the freedom of choice of work also applies in the bovenbouw. Nevertheless, the obligations and responsibilities are very clearly arranged for the children. Children have a work card/goal card for a period from holiday to holiday. Several times a week, the children receive instruction from the teacher in a group. The children then process what has been offered at a time of their own choosing. Of course, the work must be ready for the next instruction moment. Cosmic education in the bovenbouw is also linked to giving lectures, book reviews and making assignments. The children receive regular homework from group 7 onwards. A separate information booklet has also been made for parents of children starting in the bovenbouw.