Physical Education
Structured, Sequential and DevelopmentalThe program should not take anything away from free play on the playground.
Physical Education at RMS
A good physical education program is one that sets aside time for structured, sequential and developmental activities for children. The program should not take anything away from free play on the playground.
One of the core philosophical tenets of Maria Montessori’s education for children was her understanding of the need and importance for movement to perfect their coordination of both large and refined movements. She understood, and which has been confirmed in recent years by brain research studies, the link between movement and activity to the development of the intellect. The freedom to move in the classroom, to work on the floor or outdoors rather than being restricted to sitting for long periods of time at a desk, has always been a Montessori distinction from traditional education. Whether it was the hands of the child manipulating beautiful pieces of material or creating handwork, to Primary children walking on the line or elementary students participating in team games, movement is essential to the development of the whole child. Movement and physical activity help to create peaceful children.
The Physical Education (PE) program at RMS emphasizes teamwork, good sportsmanship, and the spirit of the game, rather than competition. Games and activities work on physical development, especially fine and gross motor skills, and building or increasing physical stamina.
Pre-Primary (18 months - 3 Years)
The Toddler physical education program is a fun and exciting way to develop and enhance the gross motor skills of a toddler. Based on the individual toddler’s developmental skills, basic skills such as balance, hopping, jumping, crawling and running are explored. Classes are once weekly.
Primary ( 3 - 6 Years)
The PE program for the Primary children focuses on developing gross and fine motor skills through a variety of games and activities. Throwing, catching, balancing activities and simple games of running, tag or relays provide fun exercise for young children.
The children will learn many activities that will build strength and endurance while developing their gross motor skills. Each class will consist of stretching, warm up and a physical education lesson ending with a fun game related to the day’s lesson. As the year continues the children will be introduced to various sports as part of the physical education program. Classes are once a week for three- and four-year-olds and twice a week for kindergarten students.
In addition to our structured PE time, daily time on the playground provides a useful outlet for the Primary children’s endless energy, while helping their bodies to gain greater coordination, strength and health. The outdoor playground area allows for safe running and playing, while slides, monkey bars and swings test a young child’s strength and coordination skills.
Elementary (1st to 6th Grades)
At the Elementary level, the focus is on teamwork, good sportsmanship, the spirit of the game, physical development (both fine and gross motor), and building or increasing physical stamina.
Competition is minimized as the students play and learn the fundamentals of a variety of team sports: basketball, soccer, football, baseball and volleyball. Each class will consist of stretching, running and a physical or health education lesson. During the year the children will learn leadership skills by taking charge of stretching and exercise activities. They will participate in many different running and strength exercises to build strength and endurance, such as sprints, middle and long distance running, pushups, sit ups, jumping jacks. The children will also have lessons in health that will promote healthy eating habits and what foods are good or bad for a healthy diet. During the winter, the class will take part in an ice-skating program that teaches the children the basic skills in figure skating and hockey. Classes are once a week for an hour and half.
Team building activities are an important element of the Physical Education program at RMS and they are an integral part of the program since it complements well the RMS philosophy of building community and relationships, as well as increasing self-awareness.
Testimonials
What Parents are Saying
Parent /Gaurdian on Greatschools.org
We’ve been part of the RMS community for the past 8 years, and both my children have absolutely thrived at the school (one is in kindergarten there now, and the other was there through third grade). The teachers are dedicated and caring, the schoolwork is interesting and challenging, and the specials offered are excellent (French, art, music, etc). The school truly feels like one big family, and it’s a really nurturing environment for kids of all ages and backgrounds. I especially like the cultural diversity of the school, and the fact that the teachers and staff do such a good job honoring and teaching about a wide variety of holidays and cultural practices. In reading some of the other reviews, I have to clarify that the school *has* had quite an effective COVID mitigation strategy in place. What the previous poster neglected to say is that the teacher/student COVID cases mentioned in that post were literally the only two COVID cases in the school all year. The school *did* indeed communicate those cases to the entire school via email. RMS went to great lengths, in fact, to minimize class size and create new teaching pods in favor of smaller groups when COVID first started. They also have hand sanitizer everywhere, kids wash their hands often, and all staff and students wear masks indoors. Overall, we truly love the school and feel that it’s been a great, supportive environment that’s helped both our kids become the best version of themselves from an academic, social and emotional perspective.
A review by parent on greatschool.org
My children have been at Reston Montessori (RMS) since they were only a few months old. After touring many schools in the area, from the moment we walked into RMS it was nurturing, kind, welcoming, adaptable, and have gone above and beyond for our children. The RMS teachers and staff are not only excellent and nurturing teachers but the curriculum and structure is far and above others. We have also experiencing some issues with the owner, but my children are not learning from the owner, they are learning and with teachers and their peers everyday. I would also add in the five years we have been at RMS my children have not experienced any turnover in teachers or aides in the classroom.
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