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The Montessori Lower Elementary
Curriculum (6 - 9 years old)
The Upper Elementary Curriculum (9 - 12 years old)
Most students
in Blaisdale Montessori School's Elementary program are graduates from
the lower levels of the Montessori program. The school accepts limited
registrations from children that have not had the benefit of the
pre-school Montessori program.
Acceptance is based on availability and an interview with the
school's Administrator or Teacher.
There are no Open Houses for Elementary children as they are seen
by appointment only.
The Montessori Curriculum for children between the ages of 6 and 12 years
is based on the following 5 areas of learning:
(The
Curriculum is vast. The following
serves as a brief overview of the program.)
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1.
Language/French
2. Math
3. Science Social and Cultural Studies
4. The Arts
5. Health and Physical Education
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Children are
placed in family age groups of 3 years, e.g. 6, 7 & 8 year-olds work
together, 9, 10 & 11 year olds work together and the full curriculum is
designed to be completed over a 3 year period. In keeping with the Montessori philosophy
of education, subjects are offered in an integrated way and the children
come to understand the interrelation of knowledge.
Children work at their own pace.
Emphasis is placed on developing strong work habits and
responsibility for completing assignments to the best of one's ability.
In order to accommodate a multi-age range and to facilitate children of
diverse learning styles, the Montessori curriculum is highly enriched and
designed to cover a comprehensive range of interests and abilities. The learning environment is carefully
structured for challenge and success at all levels. The Teacher uses a child's curiosity,
imagination and developing social skills as natural motivators for
learning.
Younger children are stimulated by the work that their older classmates do,
while older children have an opportunity to develop strong leadership
skills within the group. The
multi-age classroom provides a sense of stability to the children, who
ideally will work with the same teacher for 3 years.
Learning at the Lower Elementary level is still based on the use of
concrete materials. Children learn
through experience and discovery.
The computer is used occasionally for memorization of number facts
and if appropriate, as a tool for research.
Gradually, as they work their way through the curriculum, they
develop abstract concepts and begin to work more with pencil and paper.
Language Curriculum (Lower Elementary)
The Lower
Elementary language curriculum offers children a carefully structured
program of oral, reading and writing skills:
Spelling, Grammar, Vocabulary Enrichment, Comprehension, Sentence Analysis
and Dictionary Usage. These are all
introduced in the early part of the curriculum and build on the literacy
skills that the children have already acquired in the Early Childhood
program.
Emphasis is placed on the development of excellent writing skills. The children write everyday and on many
topics. The conventions of written
language: Punctuation,
Capitalization, Spelling and Sentence Structure are taught as specific
lessons and then applied to the child's own work.
Strong research skills develop as the child learns where and how to locate
information, then how to classify and organize it appropriately. The computer is used for some research.
Research skills are applied to the study of subjects all across the
curriculum. The child discovers that
knowledge in one area is related to other areas, e.g. a study of early life
on earth will move from prehistory to botany, to climate, to math;
throughout there will be an increase in the child's oral and written
language skills.
Creative writing in all its forms (stories, poetry, journals, drama) is
nourished and valued in the Montessori classroom. The Lower Elementary child takes
exceptional pleasure in playing with words.
Unusual words, long words and precise words are a fascination for 6
to 9 year olds. Their capacity for
enrichment is limitless at this age and is evident in the amount of writing
they choose to do during the course of a day.
The children are encouraged to present their projects and read their
stories with confidence, clarity and expression, therefore strengthening
their oral language skills.
Good literature is always available in the classroom Library. The children enjoy well-written story and
information books on all subject areas of the curriculum. The classrooms also use Reading Labs
and/or Reading Comprehension books in addition to the Montessori
curriculum.
Language Curriculum (Upper
Elementary)
Oral language
skills:
Students are
expected to read aloud with animation and make clear, articulate, oral
presentations to their classmates, parents and community groups.
Debating skills and public speaking are an integral part of the curriculum.
Students learn to articulate, project and modulate their voices
effectively.
The appropriate use of visual aids is demonstrated and practiced.
Vocabulary enrichment and complex sentence structure are encouraged. Exercises in summarizing, relating and
critiquing information are practiced routinely.
Written language skills:
Students undertake analyses of all the genres; poetry, drama, journals,
reports, stories, letters and memos.
They study the conventions of poetry; rhyme, verse, simile, metaphor,
sonnet and ballad. They examine aspects
of bias, objectivity, fact, fiction, opinion, negative and positive points
of view.
Students learn to record using headings, point-form, key messages, and
summaries.
Creative writing is enriched through the use of sophisticated and precise
vocabulary, complex sentence structure and careful development of plot and
character.
Editing and proofreading skills are undertaken with a partner or
individually to eliminate spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.
Projects such as publishing a class newspaper, making an anthology of class
poetry, creating a storybook for younger children, writing to a local
newspaper about something in particular, all help to develop specific
skills and talents.
Literature in all its forms;
Fiction, Biography, Autobiography, Historical, Science Fiction,
Myths and Legends are available to the Upper Elementary student. Book reviews are used to contrast and
compare different writers, evaluate similar themes, styles and traditions,
identify the role of principal and supporting characters, critique main and
sub plots. The classrooms also uses Reading Labs and/or Reading
Comprehension books in addition to the Montessori curriculum.
Language is seen as the thread that runs through every aspect of the
integrated Montessori curriculum.
The students are constantly engaged in projects that require copious
written work. Their ability to
research and classify information demands a sophisticated level of language
competence.
French (Lower and Upper
Elementary)
French
classes are taught once a day by a French Teacher. The children may be grouped in accordance
to their age level in a more traditional format. Classes of 20 - 25 children receive 30 -
45 minutes of instruction per day.
The aim of the program is to develop basic communication skills in
the French language and build on the literacy skills that the children have
already acquired in the Early programs.
Text books and work books are used for this class. These are all introduced in the early
part of the curriculum.
Math Curriculum (Lower
Elementary)
The
Montessori Lower Elementary Math curriculum is firmly based on learning
through experience. Children use a
wide variety of carefully constructed materials to lead them to an
understanding of mathematical operations and concepts. A systematic series of activities and
exercises help the child to discover what it really means to add numbers
together, divide a whole into many equal parts, also recognize similarities
and equivalencies in two and three dimensional shapes.
Gradually the child moves from concrete to symbolic math, then eventually
enjoys and understands abstract Math at an advanced level.
Children in a Lower Elementary classroom are explorers. They thrive on every opportunity to
discover the laws of their environment.
Mathematical laws fascinate them.
They are excited by huge amounts up to 1,000,000 and explore their
values, sequence and rules. Because
the materials promote discovery, children frequently identify Math as a
favourite subject in school. The
computer can be used as a tool to help with memorizing number facts. Traditional text books are occasionally
used as well as the Montessori materials.
Over the three-year period children will:
- Work with the
four operations; addition, multiplication, subtraction and division
using whole numbers, decimals and fractions.
- Explore the rules
for factors and multiples.
- Build square
numbers on bases 1 to 10.
- Memorize number
facts by skip counting by 2,3,4, up to 10.
- Read data in
pictograph, bar graph and circle graph forms.
- Use one-to-many
correspondence, e.g. one tree represents 1,000 trees.
- Estimate length,
capacity and mass using non-standard and standard units of
measurement.
- Measure time and
temperature using standard units of measurement.
- Investigate and
identify all geometric solids.
- Identify, measure
and construct (using appropriate geometric instruments) angles,
triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons and circles.
- Demonstrate
equivalency, congruency, symmetry and similarity.
- Read, write and
spell all mathematical vocabulary used in the Lower Elementary
curriculum.
- Read and write
mathematical symbols for concepts, e.g. <, >,=, +, etc.
- Apply Math skills
to daily activities, e.g. baking, weather charts, woodwork,
map-making, budgeting.
Students will predominantly use the Montessori Materials in this area
however some text books are used for follow up work.
Math
Curriculum (Upper Elementary)
The
Montessori Upper Elementary Math curriculum leads students to an abstract
understanding of mathematical operations and concepts. A systematic series of activities and
exercises help the child to internalize all the information she received at
the early childhood and Lower Elementary levels through the use of concrete
materials.
Children in an Upper Elementary classroom are explorers. They thrive on every opportunity to
discover the laws of their environment.
Mathematical laws fascinate them.
They are compelled to test them and draw their own conclusions from
the data they collect and analyze.
Upper Elementary students explore mathematical concepts in
arithmetic, geometry, algebra and trigonometry.
Over the three-year period children will:
- Internalize the
four operations as they relate to whole, fractional and decimal
numbers.
- Explore the concepts
of positive and negative numbers.
- Learn the rules
for squaring and cubing numbers.
- Find the square
root and cube root of numbers.
- Learn the
formulae for finding ratio and proportion.
- Work with
non-decimal bases.
- Study the
fundamentals of algebra.
- Problem solve for
distance, rate and time.
- Problem solve for
principal, rate and time.
- Measure area,
volume, mass and capacity.
- Study the
qualities of 2 & 3 dimensional figures.
- Identify the
parts and characteristics of lines, angles, triangles, squares and
polygons.
- Measure, bisect,
reduce and enlarge regular as well as odd shapes.
- Explore movement
using flips, slides and rotations.
- Apply math skills
to everyday situations;
budgeting, banking, home decorating and cooking.
The Math curriculum
is designed to meet all academic learning styles and abilities. At the Upper Elementary level there is
scope for a wide achievement range. Students use text books in addition to
the materials in this class. Some
students may be ready for an introduction to curriculum activities while
others will be ready for sophisticated, in-depth study. Students progress
at their own pace and emphasis is always placed on achieving one's personal
best.
The child who requires extra time in order to fully understand a concept
will have that time; those children
who grasp the concept quickly and are ready for more challenging work, will
have that work. No child is expected
to progress at someone else's speed and emphasis is always placed on
achieving one's personal best.
Montessori
Science, Social and Cultural Curriculum (Lower Elementary)
The Science,
Social and Cultural curriculum is seen as the backbone of an Elementary
Montessori classroom. Basic skills
in literacy and numeration are taught in order to make the works of culture
available to the child. The
integrated (cosmic) curriculum explores History, Geography, Science,
Anthropology, Commerce, Literature, the Arts and Music. Children learn through the exploration of
key timelines and classification charts, impressionistic lessons and
experiments. They are encouraged to
research subjects of particular interest to themselves. There is no limit to the range of
projects that can be undertaken and the children work at their own personal
best level of ability.
History (Lower
Elementary)
History in a Lower Montessori classroom is introduced through the use of
large time-lines that give children a visual impression of pre-historic
life, the world of early people on earth and the emergence of some of the first
civilizations; Sumerians,
Babylonians.
- The children
explore many different myths of Creation that contribute to our
present understanding of the origins of Earth.
- Key lessons are
used to present the history of emerging language and numeration in civilizations.
- Fundamental needs
of people through the ages and how these were satisfied, are examined
in detail.
- Causes and means
of migration are explored and identified as being hostile or
friendly. The history of
shelter, travel, clothing, defence and the arts are traced through
time.
- The life styles
of the first people in Canada are explored and compared.
- Early
European settlers are identified and their trade routes charted.
History (Upper Elementary)
History in an Upper Elementary Montessori classroom does
not follow any particular curriculum. The students use an interdisciplinary
knowledge base in order to research topics of particular interest.
- Early
civilizations, their political structure, justice system, laws of
ownership, culture, religion, tradition, commerce and rural and urban
lifestyles will be a source of exploration for some students.
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Others will choose to look at the first
people around the world and how they met their fundamental needs for
shelter, food, clothing and defence.
- A group may
examine world religions, political structures and migration of people.
- Famous people and
their contribution to humanity, significant social and political
events, customs, celebrations and traditions are all topics of
historical interest to Upper Elementary students and will be
researched in an interdisciplinary fashion by drawing on relevant
information and skills from other subject areas.
Geography (Lower
Elementary)
Geography materials illustrate the birth of planet Earth,
its place in the universe and how it contributed to the history of
humankind.
- The curriculum
begins with the creation of the Universe, the Solar System and the
evolution of Earth.
- The children
study land and water forms, composition of the Earth and the scientific
laws that govern it, the Solar System and the Continents.
- They learn about
Earth's rivers, lakes, mountains, deserts and wealth of natural
resources.
- They investigate
land, air and water phenomena;
volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes and tidal waves.
- They record
weather conditions and study their impact on people and their
environment.
- They identify and
classify rocks.
- They read maps
and make their own, using scale and legend.
- They use graphs
and charts to record information.
- They learn the
names and locations of the countries and capitals of all continents.
- They learn the
names, locations, capitals and flags of the provinces and territories
of Canada.
Geography (Upper
Elementary)
Geography in
the Upper Elementary level encourages the student to explore the creation
of the Universe, the Solar System, the Earth and the scientific laws that
govern them.
- They investigate
Earth's rivers, lakes, mountains, deserts and wealth of natural
resources, and their significance in the lives of people. They
investigate land, air and water phenomena: volcanoes, earthquakes,
avalanches, typhoons, tornadoes, and tidal waves. They are interested in how, why and
where these phenomena occur and want to know the methods used to
forecast and measure them and what services are available to support
people whose lives are affected by them.
- They record
weather conditions, wind currents, monsoons and precipitation, and
study their impact on people and their environment.
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Pollution, endangered species, global warming,
deforestation, over- harvesting and erosion, are all possible subjects for
study at the Upper Elementary level.
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The students learn to read and make maps
using conventional forms for scale and location.
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They understand time zones and the
International Date Line.
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Project work crosses several subject areas,
and students strive to achieve their own personal best while cooperating
with others.
Science (Lower
Elementary)
Science experiments help the child to understand the laws
of the Universe.
Some experiments include; Rotation
of the earth, Night and day, the Seasons, Friction, Gravity, the Water
cycle, Mineral and energy sources, Plant and animal needs, Life cycles and
the Interdependence of species. The
Outdoor environment is used to Plant flowers and vegetables, Examine trees,
wild flowers and animal tracks, Identify and classify types of soil and
rocks, Experiment with various growing conditions and Measuring rainfall.
Science (Upper
Elementary)
Science in the Upper Elementary curriculum encompasses Physics, Chemistry,
Botany, Biology and Zoology.
Students learn how to collect and analyze data, observe
systematically and carry out experiments using appropriate scientific
methods. They study:
- Magnetism,
Gravity, Energy, Light, Sound
- States of matter,
Periodic Table, Identification of plants, Fundamental needs
- Health and
safety, Nutrition
- Classification of
animals, Habitat
- Solutions and
suspensions, Molecules and atoms
- Parts and
functions, Cultivation
- Systems of the
body, Body functions
- Life cycles,
Fundamental needs, Compounds, Chemical formulae
- Classification of
plants
- Fundamental
needs, Developmental stages
- Systems; They
recognise the trees, flowers, birds and wildlife that inhabit the
local area.
- They gain
experience of the affects of weather conditions on growth.
- Birds, reptiles,
insects and mammals are discussed and can be observed in their natural
habitat.
- Trees and shrubs
are watched as they respond to seasonal changes.
- They collect
flowers and leaves and examine their parts and symmetry.
- They may bring
caterpillars and tadpoles into the classroom and observe their
development into butterflies and frogs.
Upper Elementary Children participate in a yearly
Science Fair to exhibit some of their work. As with all other areas of the
curriculum, there is no limit to subject matter.
Social Curriculum (Lower
Elementary)
The Lower Elementary Montessori Social curriculum at this
level recognizes the child's awakening interest in an ethical value system,
social rules and the community.
Children are given strategies for consulting and collaborating with
others. They learn conflict
resolution skills, respect for individual differences, shared
responsibility, an awareness of the unique contribution that every person
makes to the community and its environment.
The Lower Elementary Montessori curriculum lays the foundation for further
growth and understanding, as the child moves from a carefully structured
environment to one that the child will construct, using the base of
concrete understanding that she has developed between the ages of 6 & 9
years.
Social Curriculum (Upper
Elementary)
Social skills are very important in the Upper Elementary
level. Students at this age are working
hard to understand and be a part of the greater community outside their
family and school.
- They learn
appropriate strategies for working harmoniously with others.
- Collaborating,
cooperating, negotiating successfully are all learned social skills that
challenge the pre-adolescent student.
- Social groups,
their rules and hierarchies are important and influential at this age.
- Exercises in
conflict resolution are practiced.
- Courtesy and
consideration for others are behaviours that are positively and
consistently supported.
- This is a time
when students raise powerful moral and ethical issues for debate.
Their sense of social justice develops and they are concerned about
poverty, homelessness, frailty, threats to people and the environment.
- Upper Elementary
students are avid participants in community service, fund-raising
events and social awareness groups.
- They learn that
they can make a difference to such challenges as world peace,
conservation of resources and wildlife preservation.
- They willingly
participate in social action, e.g. fostering a third world-child,
supporting food drives and raising funds to protect an endangered
species.
- Field trips and
visits to places of interest are an integral part of the Upper
Elementary program.
- Students
experience empowerment and respect when they identify the places they
wish to visit, make the bookings, plan a budget, arrange
transportation and complete a follow-up report.
- They share their
concerns with politicians, journalists, and social activists, and are
quick to write letters, make phone calls, send e-mails, and organize
petitions, to support their cause or relate their concerns and
objections.
Through
all of this work, Upper Elementary students develop strong interpersonal
skills. They come to understand who
they are and why and how they are valuable beings. They construct
themselves as individuals and contributing members of human race.
The Arts
Music
(Lower Elementary)
The children
have music classes once a week with a music teacher. They sing songs from a variety of cultures
and historical periods and listen to, perform and create music. They compose their own words for familiar
tunes using their knowledge of rhythm to ensure the new text fits with the
melody. In the Lower Elementary, the
children create music with simple rhythm sticks, bells, the triangle,
tambourine, drums, etc. The children
are taught to identify the beat, rhythm, melodic contour, dynamics and
tempo in familiar pieces of music.
Time signature, whole notes, half notes, quarter notes and eighth
notes are introduced. The school has
a Music-of-the-Month program where a different classical composer is
studied each month and an extra-curricular choir. The children are exposed to and learn to
appreciate and identify classical selections. They also learn to identify and recognize
the sounds of the orchestra instruments.
Music (Upper
Elementary)
In the Upper Elementary, the children create music with recorders. They are taught to read familiar music
that contain whole notes, half notes, quarter-notes and eighth-notes and
their corresponding rests in 4/4 time.
Children are taught to identify simple structural patterns in music
that they sing, play or hear. The
school has a Music-of-the-Month program where a different classical
composer is studied each month and an extra-curricular choir. Children are expected to be able
communicate their thoughts and feelings about the music they hear.
Visual Arts (Lower
Elementary)
The Visual
Arts program is integrated into the curriculum and the children also
produce works for special events.
The children produce 2 & 3 dimensional works of art that
communicate their thoughts and feelings about specific topics or themes
(e.g. produce a diorama showing a type of habitat through colour, shape and
line). The children identify and
explain the specific choices they made in planning, producing and
displaying their own artwork.
Visual Arts
(Upper Elementary)
The Visual
Arts program in the Upper Elementary is taught by an Art specialist. The program is also integrated into the
curriculum by their Teacher and the children also produce works for special
events. The children produce 2 &
3 dimensional works of art that communicate their thoughts and feelings
about specific topics or themes (e.g. produce a diorama showing a type of
habitat through colour, shape and line).
Children describe, in their plan for a work of art, how they
research their subject matter, select their media and use the elements and
principles of design in solving the artistic problems in the work. They identify strengths and areas for
improvement in their own work and that of others. They discuss specific art works and
identify and explain the specific choices they made in planning, producing
and displaying their own art work.
Art history is taught in conjunction with creative projects.
Drama
(Lower/Upper Elementary)
Drama is
integrated into the curriculum. For
example, the children can perform skits and re-enact moments in history
through dramatic expression. They
solve problems in different kinds of dramatic situations through role
playing and movement. The children
create their own short dramatic pieces and perform them and/or put on a
large production to perform to their parents either before the holidays or
at the end of the year. The children
create dramatic works to communicate the meaning of poems, stories,
paintings, myths and other source material drawn from a wide range of
cultures.
Dance (Lower/Upper Elementary)
Dance is
integrated through the Phys-Ed program.
The children are encouraged to communicate, through movement, their
thoughts and feelings about selected topics. Children are introduced to dance as a
part of the Phys-Ed curriculum. At
the end, the children are expected to recognize and choose appropriate
elements of movement for dramatizing their responses to different stimuli
or ideas. The older children have
supervised dances through out the year.
Health and Physical Education (Lower Elementary)
Healthy
eating is stressed at Blaisdale Montessori School. The children are encouraged to bring
fresh fruits and vegetables for refreshments. We discuss the benefits of healthy food
choices, allergies, physical activity, healthy bodies and dental
health. We also discuss safety
procedures and practices at home, school and in the community (e.g., fire
drills, railway-crossing and crosswalk procedures). Personal safety topics such as bullying,
bicycle safety, sun protection, how to call 911, evacuations and fire
safety are also discussed. We
arrange occasional visits from the Fire Department and Police Department
who reinforce this.
The children have Physical Education classes twice a week. A Physical Education Specialist teaches
once a week and the classroom Teacher teaches the class the other day of
the week. The children are taught
basic movement skills required to participate in the physical activities in
the program. The school has 6
Physical Education modules it follows throughout the year: September - Borden Ball; October - Flag Football; November/December - Swimming; January and February -
Skiing/Skating; April - Jump for
Heart/Folk Dance; May - Soccer; June - Track and Field. We have a school tournament following the
Borden Ball module, the Soccer module, and the Track and Field module. All the Elementary children participate
in the Terry Fox Run. The children
may also sign up for extra curricular chess, karate and golf lessons.
Skills for participating in these activities are taught at the child's own
level. Fitness, participation, good
sportsmanship and teamwork are encouraged.
Health and Physical Education (Upper Elementary)
Healthy eating is stressed at Blaisdale Montessori School. The children are encouraged to bring
fresh fruits and vegetables for refreshments. We discuss the benefits of healthy food
choices, allergies, physical activity, healthy bodies and dental
health. We discuss safety procedures
and practices at home, school and in the community (e.g., fire drills,
railway-crossing and crosswalk procedures).
Safety topics such as bullying, bicycle safety, sun protection, how
to call 911, evacuations and fire safety are also discussed. We arrange occasional visits from the Fire
Department and Police Department who reinforce this. A Health Nurse comes in once or twice a
year to discuss with the Upper Elementary the major parts of the
reproductive system and their functions, and relate them to puberty,
menstruation, fertilization and birth control. The nurse also discusses the influences
of drugs and the legalities of them.
This is a lesson that younger children attend only with parental
permission. We expect that the
children will be able to use living skills to address most personal safety
and injury prevention issues.
The children have Physical Education classes twice a week. A Physical Education Specialist teaches
once a week and the classroom Teacher teaches the class the other day of
the week. The children are taught
movements and skills required to participate in the physical
activities. The school has 6
Physical Education modules it follows throughout the year: September -
Borden Ball; October - Flag
Football; November/December -
Swimming; January/February -
Skiing/Skating; March/April - Jump
for Heart/Folk Dance; May - Soccer;
June -Track and Field. We have a
school tournament following the Borden Ball module, the Soccer module, and
the Track and Field module. All the
Elementary children participate in the Terry Fox Run. The children may also sign up for extra
curricular chess, karate and golf lessons.
Skills for participating in these activities are taught at the child's own
level. Fitness, participation, good
sportsmanship and teamwork are encouraged.
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Extra
Curricular
- Skiing
- Chess Club
- Swimming
- Computers
- Choir
- 3 Athletic
Tournaments a year
- Intramural
Sports - This can be dependent on parent
volunteers and may vary from campus to campus.
- School
Dances/Socials (older children)
- Ballet
- Karate
- Skating
- Overnight Trips
(voluntary older children only)
- Science Fair
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Parent
Nights
- Mothers Day
Tea/Social
- Report Cards
- Parent
Information Evenings
- Parent
Volunteer Groups
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