Enrichment Activities at Montclair School
Montclair School of Academics and Enrichment is strongly committed to providing an enriched learning environment for all students. In an effort to enhance the standards-based curriculum, Renzulli's Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) allows us to provide all students with opportunities that bring learning to life.
"The SEM can be used as a detailed blueprint for total school improvement. Since the SEM is based upon the vision that schools are places for talent development, the SEM takes into account the varying abilities, backgrounds, experiences and learning styles of each student and capitalizes upon these strengths and interests so that all children are able to meet their greatest potential through an educational experience that is both challenging and individualized." Renzulli, Joseph (1997)
We fulfill this commitment in several ways. We provide general curriculum and cultural enrichment through in-school experiences, including guest speakers, all-school assemblies, classroom videos, etc. as well as out of school field experiences. We also provide opportunities for all students to explore topics beyond the curriculum through our Brown Bag Lunches and our Enrichment Clusters . Students who are ready to take their learning further can work on Independent Projects .
Curriculum and Cultural Enrichment
Our assembly program consists of at least one assembly monthly (except March). In 2007-08, our focus was on learning about cultures around the world. We had Aztec dancers, a Chinese New Year's celebration, a performance from the Hannah Kahn ballet and a jazz band from DSA. Additionally, we celebrated Earth Day with a visit from the Energy Hog and Thanksgiving with songs from American history. We also had assemblies on weather and dental health. In addition to the content of the assemblies themselves, regular whole school meetings allow students to practice their Montclair manners and to learn appropriate "performance" behaviors. A tentative schedule of this year's assemblies is posted here.
We also invite guest speakers into individual classrooms or for an entire grade level, depending upon the topics that are being studied, particularly in science and social studies. Most of these speakers bring a depth of experience and passion in a field that we believe to be inspirational to our students. Many of them also provide some means of providing a "hands-on" experience for our students. Notices of these enrichment experiences go home with students prior to event.
Whenever possible, we also try to offer high quality, content-rich videos to supplement classroom discussions and textbooks. Many students today are strong visual learners and find deeper understanding of materials through visual learning that support the verbal/auditory modes of learning that make up a large part of classroom learning.
Out of school field trips that support our curriculum are scheduled whenever possible. This is more easily accomplished for some topics than others, but we are always open to suggestions! We make use of both RTD and school buses and are always in need of chaperones. Grade level parents help organize chaperones, so contact them to volunteer!
We do the best we can to keep costs for these events to an absolute minimum. We are very grateful to our PTA who has been very generous in sponsoring all of our in-school assemblies through the proceeds from the Mingle for Montclair and the Spring Plant sale. We all appreciate your support of these events. However, field trips and some speakers involve costs that we cover with our enrichment fee. You will receive information about the enrichment fee for the upcoming year during the spring and will be asked to pay the enrichment fee at the time of registration.