We Can
Build a World Where All Youth Are Safe, Strong & Valued
Who We Are
My name is Catherine Walker, aka Ms. Cat. I am the Executive Director and Lead Teacher of Golden Elementary Montessori, aka GEM.
My family and I moved back to Iowa in 2007. We had been living in California, where there are many Montessori schools from infant through elementary. I worked at a Montessori preschool 2005-2007 while living in CA and it was there I found my love for Montessori education.
When we returned to Iowa, I discovered there was a Montessori preschool in Dubuque! I was very excited because I knew nothing about it before I had children. As I taught in the 3-6 year old classroom, I was continually amazed at the growth of our students. I knew Montessori Elementary was something they needed to continue the growth the children were having.
This has been a dream that is coming to reality. Starting small and growing and learning each year, Golden Elementary Montessori (GEM) will open and eventually serve children in grades first through sixth.
If you ever have questions, feel free to contact me and I will be happy to answer them. I look forward to opening and cannot wait to meet the families and children who will be a part of this Montessori community!
What We Do
01.
— We Foster Independence
“The child looks for his independence first, not because he does not desire to be dependent on the adult. But because he has in himself some fire, some urge, to do certain things and not other things.” ~ Dr. Maria Montessori. We need to learn to work with others, but also independently. Montessori materials allow children to do this.
02.
— We Build Community
Through field trips outside of our walls and bringing guest speakers to us, we will build relationships with the community around us.
03.
— We Volunteer
We learn kindness by helping others. We will read to preschool children. We will ask around the community to see if there are things we can do to help in some way and build our community through these experiences.
04.
— We Experience
Learning through experiences helps it stick. Children learn more by going to the store with $5 and looking at their list to decide what they can purchase than by doing a worksheet with the same calculation. Experiences are important and we want to give the children as many experiences to help them learn as we possibly can. Learning doesn’t always take place within the walls of a classroom. It happens all around and all day long.
05.
— We Explore
Dissecting flowers, learning about public transportation, and finding interesting facts about everything! Children learn when they are able to explore their interests. We allow them to follow their interests and learn in a way that is best for them.
06.
— We Observe
By observing things around us, we learn that we are part of a bigger picture. By observing, we slow down and pay attention to things around us. We learn how animals move, eat, and play. We become scientists and take notes on the slightest changes in a growing plant. Observation is a key to learning.