Brooksfield School Viewbook

Welcome

For more than 30 years, The Brooksfield School has provided a unique Montessori experience, taught within a loving, creative community, with a focus on the arts and nature. Free to experience, explore, and create, Brooksfield students discover their unique gifts and develop a lifelong love for learning.

Explore

At Brooksfield children enter a dynamic environment where learning is active and hands-on. Our students are actively moving, investigating, and exploring an exciting, experiential curriculum! They discover their own unique gifts and talents with in a loving school environment.

Wonder

Brooksfield students are encouraged to creatively express themselves. A focus on the arts, nature, and mindfulness is a part of what sets us apart from traditional schools. Surrounded by gardens and woods, allowed to let their imaginations soar, children enter The Brooksfield School each day asking, “What wonder awaits today?”

Grow

All children at Brooksfield are honored and celebrated – for who they are, and for who they are becoming. Instilling in each child a spirit of confidence and independence, we help them to discover their talents and to see exciting possibilities for their lives. We observe them grow and flourish.

Explore: The Montessori Method

“The greatest sign of success for a teacher...is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’” That is the essence –and the unique potential – of an immersive Montessori education.”

–Maria Montessori

A Brooksfield Education

The Montessori method is a child-centered educational approach based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning, and collaborative play. In the Montessori classroom, children make creative choices in their learning, while the classroom and the teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process.

An Innovative Curriculum

The Montessori curriculum enables children to learn through their own experience and at their own pace. Working both individually as well as in groups, children are able to pursue their curiosity of the world around them, developing a love of learning that they’ll carry with them throughout their education and life.

A Close Community

Our exciting learning environment is grounded in a loving, welcoming community. Here, friendships are built – among students, teachers, parents and families – which last a lifetime. Ours is a collaborative learning community in every way – a place where all are invited and feel a sense of belonging. We extend ourselves to the large community through service projects.

Explore: The Montessori Classroom

Peek into our classrooms and witness the magic of Montessori. You’ll find us counting and doing multiplication using beads, building maps of the seven continents, experiencing the foods and traditions of different cultures, learning the life cycles of plants and animals – and the hands-on, energized learning goes on and on.

Follow the Child Montessori’s phrase “follow the child” means constantly observing students’ interests, recommending developmentally appropriate activities, and then allowing students to choose work that interests and intrigues them. As Maria Montessori described it, “Follow the child, but follow the child as his leader.”

An Exceptional Faculty

Leading our student-centered education is an experienced and well-trained faculty and staff. Experts in the Montessori method, our gifted teachers encourage, nurture, and respect the unique learning styles and interests of each child. Brooksfield teachers are caring, inspiring, and devoted to seeing the best outcome for every child.

A Study in Independence

Working individually and in small groups, our students learn to address challenges and become problem solvers at a young age. Free to discover on their own, they learn how to organize, focus, and self-regulate, developing into creative, confident learners. Given a larger role in their education, they learn responsibility and independence.

Wonder: The Great Outdoors

At Brooksfield, outdoor education is a part of our everyday curriculum. Our five acres of woodlands offer a beautiful environment, as we study the wonder of nature and seasonal changes amid our gardens, woods, trails, outdoor classroom, and more. Being outside, digging in the dirt is healthy and highly educational.

Organic Gardening Program

At the core of our outdoor curriculum is our organic gardening program. Students learn about plants and foods by growing their own vegetables and herbs. They plant seeds, water them, maintain the garden beds, and participate in both harvesting and preparing cooked meals. Their garden teaches our students how to grow their own food.

Connecting with Nature

The outdoor program enables children to develop a relationship with, and respect for, the earth. As active participants in the garden’s success, they see food develop from a seed through all the changes and processes it undergoes before arriving at the table. They gain an awareness of nature and make an important connection with it.

Setting the Table for Nutrition

As part of their organic gardening experience, children learn about the importance of nutrition and how individual foods both positively or negatively affect their bodies. Having helped nourish their food from seed to table, children are more likely to try these nutritious foods and make healthy food choices in the future. Building a healthy life style from an early age sets the stage for a healthy future.

Wonder: A Focus on the Arts

Brooksfield is a uniquely creative environment. Here, the arts are integrated into the school day to spur our students’ creative growth and development. Our highly trained specialist teachers bring talent and expertise in art, yoga, spanish, and music to help guide each child’s artistic exploration.

Art: Finding the Artist Within

At Brooksfield, we know how important it is for children of all ages to be exposed to art and be given time to explore and create. All of our students experience both formal art classes led by an art specialist as well as free art in their individual classrooms. They are given every opportunity, every day, to let their imaginations soar.

Yoga/Fun and Fit

Yoga/creative movement enables children to stay fit and learn about the breath and the importance of exercise. Students learn yoga poses as well as participate in lively, age-appropriate games and movement exercises. Children acquire knowledge of their bodies, gain skills and confidence, and discover fun ways to be active and healthy.

Music: A Program of Note

Music is an integral part of the creative Brooksfield education. Children are introduced from day one to basic music concepts and skills through activities including singing, listening and movement. Guided by experienced instructors, students develop skills, confidence, and a joy and love for music.

Grow: Mindful of Ourselves and Others

By integrating mindfulness, values, and community service into our curriculum, we are committed to educating children with the skills and tools that allow them to grow into healthy, happy and authentic versions of themselves.

Practicing Mindfulness

Mindfulness is practiced throughout the school day at Brooksfield, infusing students’ days with opportunities to recharge, cultivate gratitude, and simply be present. Whether during a classroom activity, outdoor nature walks, or quiet time of reflection, children practice mindfulness to help train their awareness and appreciate the moment.

Character Education

Through our whole child education, community service, and valuesdriven culture, we are committed to helping our children grow into caring, responsible citizens. Kindness, compassion, honesty, and respect – these and other values are integrated into our curriculum and are practiced daily at Brooksfield School.

Mindful of Serving Others

Our community service is about small hands and big hearts. Through our many outreach activities, children see firsthand the impact they have on others’ lives. With hands on service activities such as cooking for families in need, our children learn compassion for others.

Grow: Our Academic Programs

A well-rounded education, distinguished by experiential learning and an emphasis on the arts and outdoors, is found across all divisions at The Brooksfield School. At every level – Toddler and Primary – our students pursue an education of investigation and discovery that instills a curiosity and love for learning.

TODDLER PROGRAM (Age 2+)

During this first school experience, we emphasize routine, care of self, care of environment, and care of each other. Following the child, encouraging the use of imagination and creativity, we allow the child to grow towards independence and learning. Areas of the classroom include practical life, language, math, sensorial, and manipulatives, as well as gross motor skills and creative pursuits. Lessons incorporating kindness, manners, sharing, and expressing feelings are prompted every day.

PRIMARY PROGRAM (Age 3-6)

Our primary program cherishes each child and honors each student’s individual learning style. The hands-on, student-centered learning environment cultivates a level of independence and responsibility, and fosters an excitement and love for learning. From language, math, and science, to cultural studies, the arts, and outdoor education, Primary students engage in a comprehensive program that empowers them to grow into capable citizens and caring individuals.

KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM (Age 5)

Our innovative Montessori Kindergarten curriculum uses advanced handson materials to assist students to learn and master high level concepts. The comprehensive program includes lessons in math, science, language, and reading, writing, science, geography, history and outdoor education. Specialist classes each week include organic gardening, outdoor education, Spanish, music, art, computers and yoga. Students also spend time in both small and large groups, gaining exposure to all types of teaching styles and classroom situations. This program is the culmination of a three-year Primary Montessori cycle and allows for leadership skills and independence to develop.

Experience: After School and Summer

At Brooksfield, active, joyful learning continues beyond the school day and even into the summer. Our popular Extended Day Program and award-winning Summer Camp provide a relaxing, family-like environment where kids can learn – and have fun doing it!

Extended Day

Extended Day is our rich before and after-school program offered in a warm homelike environment. Led by experienced, well-trained teachers, activities are designed to be age-appropriate and fun for the children in each age group. A wide variety of activities include arts and crafts, cooking, games, outdoor play, and free-play. Time is set aside for homework, enabling families to focus on family time in the evening. True to our Montessori mission, Extended Day is an opportunity for children to learn, play and discover new skills.

Summer Camp

Brooksfield Summer Camp, which is held on our school grounds, is an 8-week program for children ages three through ten years. Beautifully situated on five acres of serene woodlands, organic gardens, and open fields, the program offers a family atmosphere filled with fun, sports and educational activities. The camp’s scheduled day encompasses a wide variety of activities suited to each group’s maturity and interests – including swimming, arts and crafts, tennis, field games, soccer, yoga, dance, organic gardening, and more.

Explore Brooksfield

We would love to share the Brooksfield experience with you. Allow us the honor of introducing you to our community. Schedule a tour and see for yourself how dynamic, creative, and inspiring a Brooksfield education can be.