We are a Public Elementary Montessori Charter school.
New Discoveries Montessori Academy District 4161
1000 5th Avenue SE, Hutchinson, MN 55350
phone: 320.234.6362 fax: 320.234.6300
[email protected]
Kirsten Kinzler, Executive Director
[email protected]
Peggy Enerson, CH PLC Leader
[email protected]
Ethan Marcus, E1 PLC Leader
[email protected]
Michelle Stevens Martig, E2/E3 PLC Leader
[email protected]
Erin E. Anderson, Director of Charter School Authorizing
1730 New Brighton Blvd Suite 104, PMB 196
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Office: (612) 331 – 4181
[email protected] ospreywilds.org/charter-school-division
The mission of Osprey Wilds is to ensure quality academic and environmental literacy outcomes for Minnesota students through effective charter school authorizing.
Osprey Wilds – NDMA Authorizer
Minnesota Association of Charter Schools (MACS) – charter school information
Minnesota Department of Education – all MN public schools information
FAQAdd your content here
The Montessori curriculum is interdisciplinary subjects studied together, not in isolation. This integrated curriculum offers the child learning opportunities that result in a strong foundation in the Core subject areas: Language Arts (reading, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, handwriting, and creative writing), Social Studies (history, geography, and cultures), Science, and Math. It is worth noting that while dividing the world into these separate “subjects” is perhaps a convenient way to write about our work at school, it is not how children experience it. The curriculum complies with all expectations regarding Minnesota’s new Academic Standards.
The Montessori classroom allows children to take responsibility for their education in a “prepared environment.” Within a framework of order, children are free to choose the activities that will assist them in their process of self-construction. The classroom contains self-correcting, sequenced Montessori materials.
Yearly Learning Progression Plan
The Yearly Learning Progression Plan document is a “living” document collaboratively worked on by classroom teachers at each age level facilitated by leadership team members. The Yearly Learning Progression Plan delineates the basic topics and standards to be taught during the school year by grade level. This document serves as a guide for all who teach and support the learning of all NDMA students. This document is revised throughout the year by instructional staff and uploaded as revised.
Grade Level Standards Alignment
Local Literacy Plan
NDMA Literacy Plan 2023-2024
Click the link and follow these directions:
- Click on the green “Parents” button at the bottom of the MDE screen
- Under current data search results, instead of Statewide change to New Discoveries Montessori Academy on the drop-down arrow.
- The left side displays the trend data for NDMA and the right side displays the trend data for the State.
- The drop-down menus may be changed for additional comparison graphs and data.
Assessments: NDMA uses a variety of assessments to help evaluate student performance. The results of these assessments provide data to schools, teachers, students, and parents that show areas of strength and areas requiring improvement.
How important are these tests? For students in grades K-6, these tests assess students’ achievement concerning the Minnesota Academic Standards. They also measure academic growth from year to year.
With testing stakes high, students must come prepared to do their best. Three kinds of parental involvement at home are consistently associated with higher student achievement:
- Actively organizing and monitoring a child’s time
- Helping with homework
- Discussing school matters
Assessment Calendars
2023-2024 Assessment Schedule
Assessment Results
If you have any assessment questions, please contact:
Kirsten Kinzler
Data and Instructional Coach/Assessment Coordinator
320-234-6362 ext. 2004
[email protected]
Paraprofessional
New Discoveries Montessori Academy is looking for special education paraprofessionals to serve up to 35 hours a week. We serve pre-k through 8th grade at New Discoveries. An employment application is available at the top of this page, or by contacting Tara Erickson at 320.234-6362, or [email protected]
Teacher & Paraprofessional Substitutes
New Discoveries Montessori Academy is looking for substitutes for teaching and paraprofessional positions. We serve pre-k through 8th grade at New Discoveries. An employment application is available at the top of this page, or by contacting Tara Erickson at 320.234-6362, or [email protected]
New Discoveries Montessori Academy is an equal-opportunity employer. New Discoveries Montessori Academy does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration based on race, religion, gender, ethnicity, belief, family status, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or in violation of any federal, state, or local laws or executive rights.
What is Title I?
Title I is a federally funded program, providing financial resources to assist districts in their efforts to provide services that address student needs. Title I helps students who may need extra assistance in reading, math, or both. Title I is not part of the special education program. Children move in and out of Title I as their needs change. At New Discoveries Montessori Academy, we believe in early intervention. Our Title I program may service kindergarten through sixth grade students.
What assessments/criteria are used to determine which children may need assistance?
Students are assessed in the fall at the beginning of the school year with various assessments. In kindergarten students are assessed on letter recognition, letter sounds, sight words, concepts of print, phoneme segmentation, and sentences for reading, and oral counting, number identification, quantity discrimination, and missing number for math. First grade students are assessed on letter sounds, sight words, phoneme segmentation, and fluency for reading, and oral counting, number identification, quantity discrimination, missing number, and computation for math. Every second through sixth grade student is assessed on fluency for reading, and computation and applications for math. All of these assessments are standardized tests that give us a “snapshot” or your child’s reading and math ability. This “snapshot” is then compared with the child’s performance in the classroom and on classroom assessments. Students may be recommended to the Title I program if the assessments and classroom performance indicate a possible difficulty.
What if parents do not agree with the Title I recommendation?
New Discoveries Montessori Academy Title I prefers to take a proactive position, especially concerning early literacy and mathematics. At this point in time, the vast majority of research supports early reading and mathematics supports for students who may struggle in the future. According to an early article in the Fall 2004 issue of the American Federation of Teachers, “…over identification may be the best policy. For not at-risk students, the intervention will simply reinforce their skills, acting like an “insurance policy” against future problems with reading/mathematics. And, with progress monitoring, these students will test out of the intervention quickly.” It is much more effective to work with students at a young age, rather than waiting until the student is further and further behind their peers. Students who continually struggle in school will tend to have negative feelings towards school and learning. Our goal is to begin interventions at a time when the student is still eager to learn, and interventions are statistically shown to be most beneficial. The classroom and Title I teachers would not recommend Title without assessment data and observations to support this recommendation; however, parents know their children best. Parents ultimately make the final decision of whether or not their child participates in the Title I program.
How long will my child be in the Title I program?
Children move in and out of the program as their needs change. Children are sometimes in the program for less than a year.
What does the Title I program look like in the classroom?
Title I services are different for each child depending on the child’s needs. Teachers are careful to schedule Title I services so that it will cause minimal disruption in the child’s day. Some students work in their classroom with a teaching partner, while other students work with a Title I teacher in another location within the school.
What do the Title I students do during Title I time?
Most Title I students are receiving reinforcement of the skills and concepts that their grade-level peers are also working on. Some students are working on specific skills and with specific interventions. For information regarding what your child is learning in Title I, please speak with either their classroom teacher or the Title I teachers.
What can I do as a parent to help my child do their best?
Parents and teachers both have a common goal – helping children succeed. Parents are the first and most important teachers. Do not assume that your child is getting everything they could possibly need in school. You are the most important part of the learning process! (And the research supports that, too!) Please communicate regularly with your child’s teacher about your student’s progress. Follow through with suggestions that the Title I teacher offers, such as working at home on letter names, sounds, vocabulary, and math facts. One of the most important things a parent can do with their child is to read, read, read, and then read again. You do not have to be the world’s best reader either. Children just need to see that you value reading and that you value what they do every day. Read to your child. Have your child read to you. Have siblings read together. Play books on tape. Take turns reading sections of the book. Read about what the child is interested in. There are hundreds of ways to make reading more exciting. The important part is that you are reading often.
For more information or questions, please contact…
Margaret Shimpa, K-6 Title I Teacher
[email protected]
320.234.6362 x2027
Kirsten Kinzler, Executive Director
[email protected]
320.234.6362 x2004