3080 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5M 2M8, Canada
105-2235 Sheppard Ave East , North York, Ontario, M2J 5B5, Canada
1993
2002
200
84
Nursery/Toddler to 6
Nursery/Toddler to 3
Coed
Coed
Day
Day
English
English
Academic
Academic
Montessori
Montessori
15 to 24
Varies
Accelerated curriculum
$17,975 to $27,300
$14,500 to $18,500
Yes
No
0%
0%
None
None
$0
$0
18
11
0%
0%
100%
7%
Nursery/Toddler, Preschool, JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Nursery/Toddler, Preschool, JK, SK, 1, 2, 3
Rolling
Not available
Not available
Not available
Yes: grades Nursery/Toddler - 6
No
No
No
information not available
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Bannockburn is founded in Montessori, and hews close to the spirit of the method and its fundamental principles. There is an abiding attention to creating a supportive, student-centric environment, one that can stimulate and build on children’s curiosity. That said, there are a few welcome adaptations as well, such as lower teacher/student ratio that one might expect to see within a Montessori classroom. The school is very much an expression of the surrounding community—it was begun in 1993 by local parents and educators, and retains very close ties to the surrounding community today. The life of the school is informed by an active and robust parents’ association, with meetings held on the first Monday of each month. Given the location of the school, the fact that it sits on a five-acre property is an added plus, one that both adds to the atmosphere of the school, and allows for the programming, as appropriate, to spread beyond the interior instructional spaces. So, yes, the school has a strong Montessori program, though there is also a clear Bannockburn identity, one that nicely reflects the community that it serves.
View full reportUnique to Head Start Montessori is the deep involvement of its founder and director, Naureen Shah, along with director Sara Alvi, who both maintain a hands-on approach and an open-door policy, further strengthening the school’s welcoming environment. Head Start Montessori offers one of Toronto’s only infant Montessori programs, extending up to Grade 3. The school adheres to the AMI Philosophy, is CCMA Accredited, and CCYEA Licensed, reflecting its commitment to high-quality Montessori education. The school’s non-competitive atmosphere and lack of traditional testing contribute to self-driven academic achievements among students. With a focus on individual needs and collaboration with families, Head Start Montessori nurtures well-rounded development, preparing students for lifelong success. Additionally, the school’s curriculum is individualized, encompassing infant, toddler, casa environments, and lower elementary grades, along with extracurriculars like music, yoga, and gymnastics. The school provides summer and March camps, catered hot lunches, and places a strong emphasis on creating a warm, personalized community.
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"Bannockburn offers an outstanding, authentic Montessori learning environment, carefully implemented to meet the specific needs of children during the most crucial periods of their formative years. Each fully equipped classroom is directed by dedicated, qualified teachers complemented by specialist instruction in French, music, visual arts and physical education. We invite you to discover how Bannockburn can make a brilliant difference in your child's life.... from the very beginning."
"Head Start Montessori School was founded by Naureen Shah in 2002, because of her firm belief in Maria Montessori's vision, that the child, if provided with the right environment, will reach their full potential. Growing in the North York community, Naureen was joined by Sara Alvi in 2013, and they have now achieved their goal of nurturing children from the age of 9 months-9 years old. HSM is one of the only infant Montessori programs in Toronto, now going up to Grade 3. Both Naureen and Sara are Montessori trained teacher"
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"Each child at Head Start Montessori has an individualized Montessori curriculum. With both owners, Naureen and Sara, being Montessori trained teachers, parents can be rest assured that their child(ren) are being provided with an authentic Montessori education. We believe that the parents and the school have to collaborate in the best interest of the child. Keeping this in mind, HSM holds many parent workshops throughout the year, as learning never stops!"
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"HSM provides a warm, loving, personalized community of like-minded parents, staff and owners who believe in the importance of the foundational years of a child's life. The collaboration of Families-School is very important to Head Start Montessori and we have an open-door policy where parents are always welcome. HSM prides itself on good communication and transparency. We also have a Parent Council, ensuring that we are all working in the best interest of the children."
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"Starting with our youngest in the infant room, families don't realize the time, energy, effort and unconditional love each member of the school provides, in order to make Head Start Montessori a home away from home.
Our bond with families doesn't end when they leave. Our students come back to volunteer and visit throughout the year. Through numerous siblings, our school stays connected to many families for more than a decade, forming strong relationships and becoming like family."
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"Both owners, Sara Alvi and Naureen Shah, are Montessori trained teachers, and are always present at the school. They are both passionate about their work, and love to talk about Montessori, life and the children. Their office is always open for quick chat and a cup of tea!"
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Thank you taking the time to read about Bannockburn. I encourage you to pay us a visit and see what makes Bannockburn such a special place. It starts with our Toodlers who show us that these young individuals are capable of so much more than we would normally expect, and culminates with our Upper Elementary graduates who truly exhibit that they are responsible, nurturing, peaceful young people with self-esteem and respect for others. Bannockburn graduates are self-motivated, intellectually curious, love learning and achieve academic success.
Dear Parents,
We welcome you to Head Start Montessori School. For over 20 years we have been an important part of the community, promoting Montessori Education and overall well-being for our children. Please call or e-mail us to schedule an appointment to come and visit the school. We look forward to meeting.
Montessori
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Particularly popular in the younger grades (preschool to elementary), but sometimes available all the way up to high school, Montessori schools offer an alternative vision to the standard lesson format of most classrooms. Instead of listening to whole-class lessons, Montessori classrooms allow students to choose which "tasks" or activities interest them. These tasks centre around special Montessori puzzles - their essential feature being they contain a right answer and allow for selfcorrection. A strong emphasis is therefore placed on lessons being concrete and rooted in practical experience, along with students developing a sense of self-sufficiency, confidence and curiosity.
Particularly popular in the younger grades (preschool to elementary), but sometimes available all the way up to high school, Montessori schools offer an alternative vision to the standard lesson format of most classrooms. Instead of listening to whole-class lessons, Montessori classrooms allow students to choose which "tasks" or activities interest them. These tasks centre around special Montessori puzzles - their essential feature being they contain a right answer and allow for selfcorrection. A strong emphasis is therefore placed on lessons being concrete and rooted in practical experience, along with students developing a sense of self-sufficiency, confidence and curiosity.
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Bannockburn School leads in Montessori education by offering an exceptional, enriched Montessori curriculum and a nurturing, inspiring environment carefully prepared to meet the needs of children in the formative years of childhood. Every day in the classroom is a study in the balance of young children purposefully working to develop cognition, concentration and independence in a nurturing and carefully prepared environment.
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These math programs feature an equal balance of “Traditional” and “Discovery” methods.
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Phonics-intensive
Systematic-phonics programs teach young children to read by helping them to recognize and sound out the letters and syllables of words. Students are then led to blend these sounds together to sound out and recognize the whole word. While other reading programs might touch on phonetics (either incidentally or on a “when needed” basis), systematic phonics teaches phonics in a specific sequence, and uses extensive repetition and direct instruction to help readers associate specific letter patterns with their associated sounds.
Systematic-phonics programs teach young children to read by helping them to recognize and sound out the letters and syllables of words. Students are then led to blend these sounds together to sound out and recognize the whole word. While other reading programs might touch on phonetics (either incidentally or on a “when needed” basis), systematic phonics teaches phonics in a specific sequence, and uses extensive repetition and direct instruction to help readers associate specific letter patterns with their associated sounds.
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Programs that balance systematic and process approaches equally likely have an emphasis on giving young students ample opportunities to write, while providing supplementary class-wide instruction in grammar, parts of sentences, and various writing strategies.
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Inquiry-based science emphasizes teaching science as a way of thinking or practice, and therefore tries to get students “doing” science as much as possible -- and not just “learning” it. Students still learn foundational scientific ideas and content (and build on this knowledge progressively); however, relative to expository science instruction, inquiry-based programs have students spend more time developing and executing their own experiments (empirical and theoretical). Students are frequently challenged to develop critical and scientific-thinking skills by developing their own well-reasoned hypothesis and finding ways to test those hypotheses. Projects and experiments are emphasized over textbook learning. Skills are emphasized over breadth of knowledge.
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Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught
Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught
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In traditional literature programs students focus on decoding the mechanics of texts: plot, characterization, and themes. These texts tend to include a balance of contemporary and “classic” literature. When studying a past work, students investigate its historical context -- but only insofar as this adds understanding to the work itself. Past works are therefore studied “on their own terms”, and not merely as historical artifacts to be deconstructed: traditional literature programs are firmly rooted in the humanities, and carry the belief that great literature can reveal fundamental and universal truths about the human condition. These programs emphasize class discussions and critical essay writing, and aim to develop in students critical thinking, communication skills, and a cultivated taste and ethos.
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Ancient lit
English lit
World (non-Western) lit
European (continental) lit
American lit
Canadian lit
Ancient lit
English lit
World (non-Western) lit
European (continental) lit
American lit
Canadian lit
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Usually focused on teaching history and geography at an early age, the core knowledge approach uses story, drama, reading, and discussion to teach about significant people, places, and events. Breadth of content and knowledge is emphasized. The curriculum is often organized according to the underlying logic of the content: history might be taught sequentially, for example (as students move through the grades).
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The communicative method of language acquisition emphasizes the use of the target language in authentic contexts. The approach commonly features interactive group work, games, authentic texts, and opportunities to learn about the cultural background of the language. Drills and quizzes may still be used, but less frequently than with the audio-lingual method.
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Hebrew
ESL
Spanish
Russian
Latin
Japanese
Italian
Greek
German
French
Chinese-Mandarin
Chinese-Cantonese
Hebrew
ESL
Spanish
Russian
Latin
Japanese
Italian
Greek
German
French
Chinese-Mandarin
Chinese-Cantonese
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These programs have an equal emphasis on receptive and creative learning.
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Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
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Computers are used in the classroom from time to time, but integrating technology into everything students do is not a dominant focus. Digital literacy is understood to be a legitimate skill in the 21st century, but not one that should distract from teaching the subject at hand, or more fundamental skills and literacies. The idea is today’s students, being “digital natives”, are likely exposed to computers and new media enough outside the classroom: the role of the school, rather, should be to develop competencies that may otherwise get missed.
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Web design
Robotics
Computer science
Bannockburn’s Physical Education and Athletic program is an active and exciting part of the school with many classes and events to get our students' hearts and bodies moving. Within the school day, the Physical Education program accesses all Bannockburn students from Toddler to UEL. Our curriculum focuses on providing opportunities for our students to engage in a variety of physical activity, movement, and sport in an effort to develop a wide range of physical, social, and emotional skills. In addition to our Physical Education classes, Bannockburn has been active in attending inter-school athletic activities within the Toronto community. Additionally, Elementary students have the opportunity to participate on a team with our intramural sports program during recess. The primary goal of our Athletics program is to provide our students with positive opportunities to participate in sporting events, while demonstrating their improving skill, teamwork, and sportsmanship in a supportive environment.
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Montessori
Montessori programs aimed at preschool and Kindergarten- aged children allow young learners to choose which “tasks” or activities interest them. These tasks centre around special Montessori puzzles -- the essential features of these puzzles being they contain a “right answer” and allow for self-correction. A strong emphasis is therefore placed on learning being concrete and rooted in practical experience, along with children developing a sense of self-sufficiency and confidence. Specially trained teachers act as guides, introducing children to progressively more difficult materials when appropriate. A Montessori classroom is typically very calm and orderly, with children working alone or, sometimes, in small groups.
If you want to learn more about Montessori education, check out our comprehensive guide. You can also check out our guide to Montessori preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.
Montessori programs aimed at preschool and Kindergarten- aged children allow young learners to choose which “tasks” or activities interest them. These tasks centre around special Montessori puzzles -- the essential features of these puzzles being they contain a “right answer” and allow for self-correction. A strong emphasis is therefore placed on learning being concrete and rooted in practical experience, along with children developing a sense of self-sufficiency and confidence. Specially trained teachers act as guides, introducing children to progressively more difficult materials when appropriate. A Montessori classroom is typically very calm and orderly, with children working alone or, sometimes, in small groups.
If you want to learn more about Montessori education, check out our comprehensive guide. You can also check out our guide to Montessori preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.
The Primary-age child has an astounding capacity to learn and absorb, thus, utmost emphasis is placed on ensuring an uninterrupted work cycle. This enables the child to explore freely and learn through purposeful work in the different areas of the classroom: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics and Culture. Concrete, manipulative materials for each area enable the child to use the five senses to build an essential foundation of knowledge and concepts.
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Student-paced
The main curriculum accelerates beyond the pace of the provincial one; ALL students do the work of OLDER public-school peers in tangible and measurable ways. This accelerated pace is maintained by the teachers and school, (through textbook selection, topic selection, grading, assignment standards and expectations, etc).
The main curriculum pace is non-standardized and is HIGHLY responsive to the pacing of individual students, (via differentiated instruction, differentiated assessment, etc). In theory, some students outpace the default/normalized curriculum, while others spend periods "behind schedule" if they need the extra time.
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Supportive
A school with a “supportive” academic culture focuses more on process than short-term outcomes: academic performance is a welcomed side-benefit, but not the driving focus. This does not mean the school lacks standards, or has low expectations for its students: a school can have a supportive academic culture and still light the fire of ambition in its students. It does mean, however, the school provides a less intensive culture than schools with a “rigorous” academic classification, and is focused more simply on instilling a love of learning and life-long curiosity.
A school with a “supportive” academic culture focuses more on process than short-term outcomes: academic performance is a welcomed side-benefit, but not the driving focus. This does not mean the school lacks standards, or has low expectations for its students: a school can have a supportive academic culture and still light the fire of ambition in its students. It does mean, however, the school provides a less intensive culture than schools with a “rigorous” academic classification, and is focused more simply on instilling a love of learning and life-long curiosity.
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Balanced
Equal emphasis is placed on a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social and physical cultivation.
Balanced
Equal emphasis is placed on a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social and physical cultivation.
Intellectual
The goal is to cultivate "academically strong, creative and critical thinkers, capable of exercising rationality, apprehending truth, and making aesthetic distinctions."
Emotional
The goal is to cultivate "emotionally intelligent and confident individuals, capable of leading both themselves and others."
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CompetitiveComp. |
RecreationalRec. |
CompetitiveComp. |
RecreationalRec. |
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Badminton |
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Baseball |
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Basketball |
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Canoeing/Kayaking |
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Cricket |
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Cross-country skiing |
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Cycling |
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Downhill skiing |
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Equestrian |
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Fencing |
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Field Hockey |
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Figure Skating |
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Football |
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Golf |
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Gymnastics |
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Ice Hockey |
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Ice Skating |
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Lacrosse |
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Martial Arts |
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Mountain biking |
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Racquet Ball |
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Rowing |
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Rugby |
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Running |
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Sailing |
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Skateboarding |
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Snowboarding |
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Soccer |
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Softball |
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Squash |
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Swimming |
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Tennis |
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Track & Field |
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Volleyball |
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Weightlifting |
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Wrestling |
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Archery |
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Curling |
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Ultimate |
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Yoga
Yearbook
Student Council
Scouting
Science Club
School newspaper
Round Square
Robotics club
Radio club
Poetry/Literature club
Photography
Paintball
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Club
Online Magazine
Musical theatre/Opera
Math Club
Jazz Ensemble
Habitat for Humanity
Foreign Language Club
Environmental Club
Drama Club
Debate Club
Dance Club
Computer Club
Community Service
Choir
Chess Club
Band
Audiovisual Club
Astronomy Club
Art Club
Animation
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Yoga
Yearbook
Student Council
Scouting
Science Club
School newspaper
Round Square
Robotics club
Radio club
Poetry/Literature club
Photography
Paintball
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Club
Online Magazine
Musical theatre/Opera
Math Club
Jazz Ensemble
Habitat for Humanity
Foreign Language Club
Environmental Club
Drama Club
Debate Club
Dance Club
Computer Club
Community Service
Choir
Chess Club
Band
Audiovisual Club
Astronomy Club
Art Club
Animation
0%
0%
$0
$0
100%
7%
Nursery/Toddler, Preschool, JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Nursery/Toddler, Preschool, JK, SK, 1, 2, 3
Rolling
Not available
Not available
Not available
Yes: grades Nursery/Toddler - 6
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
ADMISSION POLICY
We ask that all interested families:
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
(September 1st – May 1st); payable to “Head Start Montessori School”
WITHDRAWAL POLICY