Outdoor Program Substitute

Spark Montessori is an authentic Montessori school that seeks substitute teachers to support its Outdoor Program for both Toddler (15 months to 3 years) and Primary (3 – 6 years) classrooms. The Outdoor Program takes place at Horner Park and runs from 3pm to 6pm year-round in all weather. The Outdoor Program focuses on helping children to build a relationship with the natural world through freely exploring the park with the support of Outdoor Guides as needed.

Spark Montessori is a school that exists within an urban setting, but we prioritize the use of the Outdoor Classroom in multiple ways. First, each classroom has immediate access to the outdoors from right outside their classrooms in a small side yard next to the building. This space is used regularly throughout the day as an extension of the works that occur in the classroom. Children can garden, shovel sand, work with water, and sit peacefully under the trees as part of their daily activities. Second, our location immediately across the street from Horner Park provides unique opportunities for our students to immerse themselves in nature. Going beyond a daily visit to the park’s playground, Spark Montessori’s program will take full advantage of all the green space offered by Horner Park including the beautiful Riverfront trail that the US Army Corps of Engineers have rebuilt in the last 5 years to recreate the Prairie-land that used to exist in this area of the country.