Southampton Montessori School is a private pre-school and kindergarten. It is an affiliate of the American Montessori Society and chartered by the New York State Department of Education. The school is located just outside of Southampton Village on approximately four acres nestled in beautiful Shinnecock Hills overlooking one of Southampton's finest golf courses.

The school building is contemporary in design and takes full advantage of both the sunlight and the view. It houses four classrooms including a greenhouse and a gymnasium for special classes in movement, music, art, and foreign language. An observation room is open to parents and visitors daily. There is a secluded student garden area and a closed-in courtyard for outdoor learning. The playground offers many recreational amenities and an onsite nature walk is available to students for environmental studies.

The young child has a strong desire to understand the order in the world and a unique ability to absorb new concepts. The Montessori environment is a miniature world, carefully and attractively designed, which the child can examine and control. The child learns by working with a rich variety of manipulative materials. The three year curriculum includes practical life, sensorial, language, history, science, art, music, and movement.

Ability to focus on a chosen activity aids the child in developing concentration and a logical approach to problem solving. The Montessori materials present one concept at a time in a sequential manner, thus increasing the child's chance for successful completion and encouraging confidence and concentration. The child gains a sense of peaceful satisfaction from his or her accomplishments.

The Montessori teacher carefully prepares and maintains the learning environment. She is essential in bringing together the child and the materials and in guiding children's social and emotional development.

Daily observations are made by the teacher in order to follow each child's initiative and capture his or her interest when introducing appropriate materials. A material is considered appropriate and is most easily mastered when It corresponds to a child's particular "sensitive period" for learning. Spontaneity is key to the learning process in a Montessori environment

Most of the class time is spent in individual and small-group work. This uninterrupted period allows the individual and the class to develop a work cycle. Children who work independently and purposefully are free to move where their interests and abilities take them, thus developing their own sense of pace and rhythm.

Teachers offer guidance and support, initiating activities and responding to the children's individual interests. The daily schedule also includes collective gatherings for discussions, music, stories, games, celebrations, group lessons and guest visits. Our extended day program for kindergarten students includes more advanced work, special projects, field trips and daily formal lessons in preparation for first grade.

Southampton Montessori School provides the pre-primary level of Montessori education. Children are enrolled in the year of their third birthday and may continue in the program for a three year period. Both the morning and afternoon sessions are composed of an inter-age group of 3-6 year olds which run approximately 3 hours a day, five days a week. An extended day session is offered to students who have been enrolled in the program at least one year and who are eligible for kindergarten.

We encourage three years in our Montessori environment before moving on to first grade. This allows the child to take full advantage of our program and work in all curriculum areas. A third year Montessori child has a chance not only to progress but also to go back to earlier work and perfect it.

The three year cycle and mixed age grouping further aid social development by giving children an opportunity to learn from and teach each other and to accept different levels of ability. This results in a stimulating atmosphere. By remaining for three years, children have the experience of being the youngest and oldest in the group.

Irene Hope Gazza, founder of the Southampton Montessori School, is owner and director. She holds BA and MS degrees in education and is certified by both New York State and the American Montessori Society. Her goal has been to provide a Montessori education for her own children and the children in our community.

Certified Montessori teachers direct each class. Our student-teacher ratio never exceeds ten to one. Certified Art, Music and Physical Education teachers provide daily special classes.

On site screening is conducted each year by local professionals for speech, hearing, vision and dental hygiene. A family Social Worker and Pediatrician, both of Southampton, are affiliated with the school for students' special needs.

We recognize the need for parents and teachers to work together to serve the best interests of the child. Mutual respect and basic agreement on general educational goals is extremely important. Discussions on the Montessori philosophy and child development are held throughout the year to educate parents in the Montessori method.

Parents are invited to observe their child's class whenever convenient. Our observation room affords privacy and a total view of each classroom area. We've found that this experience has been beneficial to parents and visitors in obtaining a better understanding of the Montessori philosophy and our program.

Parents are also welcome to visit their child's class to share their special interests, talents and occupations with the children. Parent-teacher conferences are held twice a year and can be arranged more often when needed. Written reports are prepared upon graduation.

Interested parents should contact the school and arrange to observe a class in session. The application form must then be submitted along with an application fee. An interview with the child will then be scheduled.

Enrollment is open to children of all races, nationalities and religions. Preference is given to children who enter school before the age of four, and to siblings of presently enrolled students. Early application is recommended.