Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori graduates 23 kindergartners

The Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori graduated its 13th kindergarten class May 15 at the Ahwatukee Foothills Golf Course.

Dressed in yellow caps and gowns, each student from the Class of 2008 received a diploma and told the audience about what they wanted to be when they grew up, including everything from doctors and teachers to an electrical engineer.

Parents packed the isles with their cameras in hand to capture their children on the balloon-filled stage. Veronica Lezaja led graduates in a Spanish presentation and Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori director Jan Vickery completed the celebration by initiating a loud "hip-hip hooray" before officially calling the class kindergarten graduates.

"Graduation is very special to me," Vickery said. "I think you need a right of passage. It's a clear-cut change to the next step and, by doing that, they adjust beautifully. It's a wonderful last experience."

Montessori differs from traditional teaching. It is a hands-on approach, where children from 2 to 6 years of age interact together rather than being separated by age group. Vickery says this method of teaching gives children the ability to develop leadership skills and grasp difficult concepts such as algebra.

"Children don't learn by sitting and being preached to," Vickery said. "They learn by doing and, when you provide a beautiful environment with all of these materials, they blossom."

Andrea Bloom is interning this summer for the AFN. She is a senior at Arizona State University.