St Monica’s Little Lambs

Montessori School
and Co-Op

School Mission

To bring children closer to God while building upon the natural God given gifts they have been given. To BUILD BIG BEAUTIFUL BRAINS, so they can be contributing members to our world and to build the KINGDOM OF GOD. To help the child have a good foundation with God.

Introduction

We are happy that you are considering joining our school family. A commitment of this nature shows your recognition of the significance of these early years. We look forward to sharing in your child’s learning and growing.
We serve children 3 years old to 8th grade.

Montessori Areas of Learning

Our Montessori program focuses on developing the individual child for up to Kindergarten. Activities such as those used in the practical life area may appear unimportant or insignificant. However, the value lies within the process of these activities. These Practical Life tasks nurture the child’s qualities of respect, independence, concentration, confidence, attention for detail, and coordination. All are qualities for successful living. Our Sensorial Area focuses on all of your child’s senses and will open the world to them. Through Sensorial the child can start making determinations and propel themself forward and start to problem solve. Language area focuses on oral communication and learning to read and write. Our Math area goes from the concrete to the written symbol and then to association of the concrete and the written symbol. They will finally move to abstraction.

A Catholic & Classical Philosophy of Education

Classical Education is an education which seeks to cultivate intellectual and moral excellence in students. To the goal of intellectual excellence, children are introduced to the great books, poetry, history, and art of the Western tradition. They are also exposed to many opportunities to understand the beauty of the world through writing, reading, and mathematics. They are taught reasoning, argumentation, and logic through conversation on all subjects of life. To the goal of moral excellence, students are taught the virtues by name and learn to identify them in characters in literature, history, poetry, short stories, and most importantly, in themselves.Ultimately, children are directed, through their education, to the identification and the love of truth, beauty, and goodness. For the classics, this leads to a life of constant searching and questioning. Fortunately enough for Catholics, we have a name and source of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. Classical education is essential for Catholics because it is an exceptional educational model in which to show students that all of life is infused with the mercy, justice, love, and ultimate truth of the Lord.The Books:
All the books we will use in class are either intentionally classical or lend themselves well to classical education.Math: We will use Singapore Math. Singapore is used widely by classical educators and is well-known for instilling age-appropriate levels of algebraic and logical thinking. Historically, this particular program has produced a love of math in my students as well as great amounts of growth for all levels of math competency. Students will have small group lessons each day we are in-class together working with manipulatives and whiteboards.Grammar and Handwriting: We will continue to use the Seton books as years before. Your children’s grammar and English education will be supplemented with practice in sentence diagramming, book reports, letter writing, creative writing, and structured essays and research reports appropriate to the grade level.Poetry/Short Stories: Part of classical education is exposing children to beautiful thoughts through beautiful words. Children will regularly read fables, poetry, and short moral stories. Students will learn to simply enjoy these texts and the beauty they convey as well as how to analyze them both metaphorically and technically.Literature: Classical education is commonly referred to as a “Great Books” education. This means students are taught the great books of the Western canon which are valuable for many reasons. They are called the great books because they have captured children and adults alike for generations, giving them examples of great heroism, courage, hope, love, and goodness itself. They are also the foundation for innumerable cultural references.In our classes, students will have the opportunity to read as well as to simply enjoy the stories and be read to. We will seminar on the texts, learning the motivations for the characters, identifying virtues and vices within them, determining the intentions of the author, and the rhetorical devices used to portray those intentions. The best way for children to read and write well is to read great works.The Virtues: Students will keep a study of the virtues in a notebook. We will discuss their definitions, opposites, and applications. These will often come up in conversation throughout each week. The virtues studied will be threefold:
- The theological virtues: faith, hope, and love
- The cardinal virtues: courage, prudence, temperance, justice
- The “little” virtues of youth: humility, honesty, docility, silence, modesty, studiousness, and industriousness.Weekly Plans:
Lesson Plans: Each week, families will receive a lesson plan for the week by the preceding Sunday at 5pm. Major projects and deadlines will be announced at least 2 weeks in advance.Required Work: In order for students to complete their books and learning objectives by the end of the year, they will be required to complete certain work. This includes daily math exercises, literature reading, grammar and handwriting exercises, and projects. Parents will be responsible for ensuring the required work has been completed by the end of each week.

Catechesis of the
Good Shepherd

We also offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd once a week. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a religious education program created to Sophia Cavalletti and her Montessori collaborator Gianna Gobbi in Rome. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is Scripture and Liturgical Based program with a hands-on focus. This program is optional, and you may choose to opt-out. We have Level 1 for ages 3 to 6 years old. Level II for ages 6 to 9. Level III for ages 9 to 12.

School Racial Nondiscrimination Policy

St. Monica’s Montessori School and Co-Op recruits students of any race, color, ethnic origin to all its rights, privileges, programs, and activity. In addition, the school will not discriminate on the basis of race, color,national and ethnic origin in administration policies, employment. Scholarship and loan programs, and other administered programs.

Teachers

Elizabeth Nance

Grades 1 and 2
Administration

Mrs. Nance has been working for the Diocese of Phoenix since 1999 and earned her certification as a Master Catechist in the same year. Additionally, she became certified as a Level 1 Catechist for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 2001. Over the years, she has progressed to obtain Level 2 and Level 3 Catechist certifications and is now a Level 1 trainer for new Catechists. Recognizing the need for a quality Catholic education for her granddaughter, Mrs. Nance returned to school in 2019 to earn her Montessori degree.

In 2019 Mrs. Nance opened St. Monica's Montessori School. Since then God has been leading her to grow a beautiful Catholic School with a staff that is active in their faith and who are committed in teaching our beautiful Catholic faith.

Carolina Vibbert

Grades 3-8
Math, Grammar, Literature, Latin, Middle School Religion

Mrs. Vibbert discovered her love for teaching in 2016 after earning her Ph.B. (Pontifical Bachelors of Philosophy) in Philosophy, Theology and Religious studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. She has since taught for Great Hearts Academies and Regina Caeli Academy. After discovering a passion for classical education, she earned an M.A. with distinction in Classical Liberal Education and Leadership from ASU, earning her college’s award for Outstanding Graduate (Thesis: “Renewing Classical Liberal Arts in Catholic Schools: The Path Forward”).

Mrs. Vibbert joined St. Monica’s in 2023. She is so grateful that she and her family are a part of a community that so deeply loves the Lord. Mrs. Vibbert is a life-long learner and enjoys spending time with her family, especially in the kitchen!

Danielle Pardon

Grades 3-8
History, Science

A native of Arizona, Mrs. Pardon holds a Master of the Arts in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelor of the Arts in Special Education from Arizona State University. Mrs. Pardon holds a K-12 teaching certificate with an endorsement in English as well as principal certification. She has over 15 years experience in the public education setting, including three years as an instructional assistant, nine years as a classroom teacher and department chair, and three years as a teacher specialist at the district level.

In 2020, Mrs. Pardon left public education to follow God's call to homeschool her children. In 2023, she joined the community of St. Monica as both a parent and teacher to students in the classical elementary co-op program.Mr and Mrs. Pardon live in Gilbert, AZ with their three children. In her spare time, Mrs. Pardon enjoys reading books about the Catholic faith and spending time with our Lord in Eucharistic adoration. Mrs. Pardon has particular devotions to St. John Paul II and the Divine Mercy chaplet.

Larissa Spencer

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
Montessori Guide

Larissa Spencer is an Arizona Native who literally grew up with a Montessori classroom in her living room. In 1994 she started working as an assistant in a Montessori preschool/kindergarten program as she furthered her education to pursue her calling to teach. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education with a minor in music from Northern Arizona University. Larissa did her student teaching for the Department of Defense schools in Germany at Wetzel Elementary School. She enjoyed traveling with fellow teachers every weekend and exploring new countries and cultures. She started teaching in the public schools when she returned in 2000. She spent time volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in her spare time to build housing near South Mountain for families in need. At the same time she started her Montessori training. Larissa is a certified Montessori teacher who started teaching in a Montessori classroom in 2001. She loves learning something new every day and sharing that love of learning.

Mr. and Mrs. Spencer live in Mesa with their four children. Larissa loves being outside and enjoying God’s creation. She is her children’s biggest fan and loves to sing and read to her youngest.

Barbara Edwards

Level 1 Guide
Catechesisof the Good Shepard

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Teacher Assistants

Jessica Hilliar

Hi! I’m Jessica and I live in Gilbert, I attend St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. I’ve been working at St. Monica’s for two years going on three. I love reading and writing during my free time, as well as coloring and baking. I volunteer at St. Mary Magdalene in their choir and
STAAGE at St. Anne’s.

Sara Mikus

Ms. Sara Mikus is 18 years old and graduated from Higley Virtual Academy in May 2024. She has been working at Saint Monica's for the past six months and has volunteered at the school for several events within the last few years. She enjoys playing instruments, teaching piano lessons, and volunteering at various youth programs. She will be attending Chandler Gilbert Community College this fall in pursuit of a business degree.

Contact

Elizabeth Nance
(480) 272-7010
[email protected]
Gilbert, AZ

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