Montessori school expands to add toddler program

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by Mandy Moran Froemming
Union Editor

A local private school has expanded its programming to include the youngest of learners.

Late last year the Minnesota Renaissance School, an Anoka-based Montessori education center, started a toddler program for children ages 16 though 32 months old.

“The timing was right,” said Administrative Liaison Jody Kimball on why the school chose to expand its programming to toddlers. “We had the space and we saw there was a need.”

In fact, several of the toddlers are siblings of older children already attending the Minnesota Renaissance School, directed by Dan VanBogart. The school, in its 17th year, had previously offered education from preschool through eighth-grade.

There are currently eight toddlers enrolled, which enjoy a very low student to teacher ratio. The class is currently taught by Karla Wagner and assistant Patrice Gierdal. While new to the Minnesota Renaissance School, the pair have worked together for a number of years in Montessori education.

The allowed ratio for this age group is seven toddlers for every adult in the room.

“What is special about this program is that we encourage a lot of independence,” said Wagner, who holds a bachelor of arts in music education. Kids are encouraged to both think and be creative. “We let them succeed and fail and learn from that.”

In the toddler room, the basics of the Montessori education are taught. The system fosters independence, creative thought and supports teachers meeting a student where they are at in their learning and development.

There is an emphasis on personal responsibility – the children are encouraged to finish one task before they move on to the next, and are expected to clean up after themselves when messes are made or before they start something new.

“There is a lot of parallel play, which is pretty common at this age,” said Wagner.

Students spend a lot of time with tactile objects – learning to pour things like sand and rice between containers – and learn there are consequences from their actions.

These activities help to develop a child’s fine motor skills, according to Wagner, that eventually lead to holding a pen or a pencil.

Four days a week, the school’s middle school students spend time with the toddlers, helping with art projects or other school work.

Having new faces come to the classroom daily helps the youngest children with some of the stranger anxiety typical for toddlers, said Kimball. And at the same time the middle school students are learning a lot about child development. She has seen the effects in her own son.

“We have no young relatives in our family that live close by,” said Kimball. “But I see that he is more in tune, and more comfortable, with younger children.”

The program includes typical activities for children this age, including circle time, outdoor recess when the weather cooperates, afternoon naps as well as daily time in the school’s gymnasium.

“We meet the needs of the individual child in a way that supports development academically and socially,” said Wagner. “We take them from where they are help move them forward. You’ll never hear us say, ‘no you can’t try something’.”

Currently the fees are $200 per week for a full day session. The facility is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more detailed information about the school, and its tuition rates, visit www.MRSchoolinc.com.

Minnesota Renaissance School is located at 1335 Fifth Ave. in Anoka, across the street from Lincoln Elementary School.

Mandy Moran Froemming is at editor.anokaunion@ecm-inc.com