A new Montessori school will open in Nyon on 9 January 2017, catering for both expats and locals.
Conveniently situated in the new La Petite Prairie development, half way between Nyon train station and the A1 motorway, The Secret of Childhood Montessori school will offer a full-time school programme for children aged 3 to 6 years. The curriculum will follow the HarmoS standard that has been adopted by all French-speaking cantons in Switzerland and which facilitates the transition to the public school system.
When the school opens in January, there will be two teachers on the staff, one English-speaking and one French-speaking, both with diplomas awarded by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and many years of experience as teachers in a Montessori environment.
Asked why they decided to open a new Montessori school in Nyon, teachers Alexandra Ecoeur and Guadalupe Torrevillas told knowitall.ch, “The school has been set up because there is a clear need for an alternative to the public school. In Nyon and surroundings there are many expat families and the English/French bilingual programme offered by the Secret of Childhood Montessori School is something one does not find in the public school system for children in this age group.”
They continued, "The new Secret of Childhood Montessori School will offer education for children aged 3 to 4 years old, who would normally attend a “crèche”, as well as children of obligatory school age (4-6 years old). Compared to a crèche the children will be offered a much more structured environment with specialized pedagogic material that facilitates learning of many subjects, such as language, mathematics, geography, biology, music and practical life. Like in other Montessori schools, the children will be free to move around and work on topics they choose themselves. The teachers will act as a link between the children and the material and as soon as the various materials have been demonstrated to the children they will be free to work with these materials on their own at their own pace."
The core Montessori programme will run from 8h to 16h, after which there will be the option to attend an after-school workshop (atelier parascolaire). The children will also be allowed to stay at school for lunch, either bringing their own lunch-box, which can be heated in the school, or eating a warm launch provided by a local catering company.
The Secret of Childhood Montessori School is expected to prove popular with both local and expat families, living in Nyon and the surrounding area. A key attraction for families where both parents work full time will be the full-day programme from 8h to 18h30, five days per week. However, it is also possible to subscribe to a shorter half-day programme if preferred. The school is also likely to appeal to those families who have children turning 4 years old after 31 July, as they would normally have to wait until the next year before they are accepted in the public school system. According to Alexandra and Guadalupe, these children will benefit greatly from the more structured approach of her Montessori programme, rather than a crèche.
The Secret of Childhood Montessori School
Bilingual French/English school
Allée de la Petite Prairie 14
CH-1260 Nyon
022 369 32 33
079 884 56 10
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www.secretofchildhood.ch
