Enrichment Programs

The Montessori Children's Center offers three additional classes for children to expand their learning: Music, Creative Movement, and Sign Language.

Music

Every other Friday, 2 – 2:45 pm

Taught by Keta Bill

The children of MCC are invited to learn music with Keta Bill. The class teaches the children to sing and develop rhythm through nursery rhymes, melody, and movement. Last year, Keta helped the children rehearse and perform Three Billy Goats Gruff at the annual School Picnic as an end-of-the-year production.

Keta Bill, a choral and music class teacher with the San Francisco Public Schools, has a magical way of working with children. She has been teaching the music class at MCC for the past ten years.

Creative Movement

Wednesdays, 3 – 4 pm

Taught by Jamie Venci

Creative Movement is a weekly after-school dance class at MCC which offers children the chance to develop basic motor skills and rhythmic locomotion. Taught by Jamie Venci, a San Francisco dancer and artist, the class will help the children learn the fundamentals of body movement. As they gain confidence in their abilities, they move into working on more complex elements such as isolations, rhythm, line and shape, and dynamics.

Jamie Venci is a movement artist based in San Francisco. Since moving here four years ago, she has been a resident artist at the Garage Theater, worked closely with several local choreographers, and performed in their finished works. She currently studies dance at Lines Ballet Dance Center and ODC Dance Commons.

Sign Language

Thursdays, 11 – 11:45 am

Taught by Jean Fontana

Jean Fontana, a certified American Sign Language (ASL) teacher, visits the school once a week to give the children a casual introduction to sign language. Using puppetry, books, language games, and other creative methods, Jean teaches the children how to sign the alphabet, numbers and colors, and basic words and phrases.

Jean Fontana has been teaching sign language at the Center for five years. In the past, she has taught ASL to infants and has been an active teacher with the San Francisco Unified School District.