“Hoy vamos a jugar un juego de dinosaurios! Quien sabe cual es mi dinosaurio favorito? Es tiranosaurio rex!”
So began a lesson on dinosaurs — nearly entirely in Spanish — Wednesday night at Montessori del Mundo, a new charter school in Aurora.
Karen Farquharson, center, led the lesson for 10 students including Lindsey Myers, right, and Sebastian Canon and their parents.
The school, founded and led by Farquharson, is a unique hybrid of dual language instruction taught with Montessori methods. The school is the first charter school since 2008 to open within the Aurora Public Schools boundaries. However, to secure more funding, Montessori del Mundo is authorized through the state. Chalkbeat Colorado is following the school’s progress throughout the year.
While Farquharson was teaching her new students about dinosaurs — in particular the eating habits of the tyrannosaurus rex — the evening was also meant for parents to understand how their students would be taught. Farquharson used her whole body and figurines to convey some of the lesson. She mimicked eating and rubbed her stomach when she tried to convey to her students how much a tyrannosaurus rex ate.
The lesson followed a more formal presentation for parents on how to prepare for the first day of school and what to expect throughout the year.
Montessori del Mundo is staggering its opening from Aug. 18 through Aug. 29. The goal, Farquharson told parents, is to ensure students and teachers are establishing their relationships in small groups and develop strong classroom habits early.