We just got back from an absolutely EPIC overnight trip to Seabrook Island, SC! 💚 Our Upper Elementary students had the chance to explore incredible ecosystems, study the plants and animals that call them home, and grow both as individuals and as a community. From kayaking alongside dolphins to exploring muddy marshes, this trip was full of unforgettable moments! Our adventure began with a challenging kayak trip through the estuary, where a pair of dolphins swam alongside us

Yesterday marked an exciting little milestone at DGS: six weeks back at school! By this point in the year, something special is beginning to happen in a Montessori classroom. The newness starts to settle, and routines begin to become familiar. The children know where things belong, how our days flow, and what their responsibilities are to themselves and one another. In Montessori language, we begin to see our classroom normalize -- settling into the purposeful, peaceful rhyth

Over the last couple of weeks, Upper Elementary has been exploring ecosystems! We defined an ecosystem as a community where living and non-living things interact and depend on one another to survive. An ecosystem is a lot like a team...all of the pieces and players have an important role to play. If one piece is missing, it can affect the rest of the system. We used the fraction materials from the classroom to help us visualize all of the different pieces that make up an ecos

Our classroom has been the best kind of busy for the past couple of weeks! Our Lower Elementary students are settling deeply into their individual academic paths, and it has been exciting to watch their confidence, independence, and stamina grow as our work cycles take shape. An impressive number of children have already completed their first research project of the year! One of the joys of Montessori research is that children's curiosity helps lead the way, so we've all lear

As we start our second full week of school, the students are already taking ownership of their environment. Our returning students have been patient mentors, and our new friends have joined in with enthusiasm, together creating a healthy sense of community. Today the Student Board Committee facilitated our first student-led Morning Meeting of the year. Coming together in circle to start our day truly sets the tone for the rest of the day. The process started last week when

We wrapped up another year's poetry study with Poets' Cafe. Each studet recited poetry, shared recorded poetry with art and enjoyed all the cafe vibes. We studied a variety of poetic elements and styles and spent this last part of the school year reading, writing and listening to poetry. Thank you to our fifth level leaders who created a cozy vibe complete with candles and chocolate fondue. For the recorded poetry, each student practiced reading a poem of their own or anoth

We started building community with Habitat for Humanity last year. It's been wonderful to partner with this organization that contributes so much to our region. https://www.habitatcltregion.org/ We have painted baffles, decorated art for homes, hosted a book drive for Julia's Cafe https://www.juliascafe.org/ and now - fueled a crew. With each step, we have learned more about the work they do and been able to see some of that work in action. This week we brought lunch to th

All of their hard work came to life last week at the Upper Elementary Wax Museum! Their process: choose a person of interest to study read a biography about that person find at least two resources for research take notes document sources write a biographical essay create a backdrop with words and images highlighting that person's life practice reading your essay aloud assemble costume and props presentation day What a joy to experience the culmination of their efforts!

Upper Elementary recently participated in Junior Achievement Biztown. Biztown is an interactive simulation of an actual town, thriving with businesses and its own government. Students spent several weeks working through in-class lessons. Topics included financial literacy, community and economy, work and career readiness, and business management. Students worked in groups as they prepared to run two of the businesses at the simulation. As in real life, things did not go as

In Upper Elementary, we have continued our exploration of the coming of the universe, how all living things have come to be and their interconnectedness. We have read stories, examined timelines, researched, created art, experimented and created literary connections to Montessori’s Great Lessons. Please take the time to read about Cosmic Education in Montessori and the Second Plane of Development in this article from American Montessori Society’s Montessori Life....

In Upper Elementary, we always enjoy reading great stories and learning about our world through literature. We have gone on many journeys this year through these stories. We have laughed and cried along with the characters, learned about different cultures and time periods throughout history all while making connections to the present. Here’s what we’ve been up to…. Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo Connections: We read this story as a literature circle with discussio

Lunar New Year is coming up on February 17th and we will celebrate this spring festival with traditional lucky foods next week. While the Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world, we focused our learning on ancient China. This brought our attention to social hierarchies. As might be expected in ancient China, the emperor and royal family were the top of the heap, with wealth and power. However, just below these dynasties were the civil servants, respected because the

The theme for our annual Problem-Solved Expo in UE is Rube Goldberg Machines. According to Zach's Contraptions, a Rube Goldberg Machine "takes a simple task and uses as many steps as possible to complicate things using everyday objects in a humorous way". Prior to this week, the kids have explored the concepts of energy and simple machines. They have practiced identifying where energy transfers occur and created blueprints for their very own Rube Goldberg Machines. This i

On Monday, we spent time examining the history of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. As we explored the significance of each, we focused on an important theme - the necessity for complete and honest history. This is the only way to make truly informed decisions about how we feel about a topic. We learned about the Native American practice of honorable harvest, which encourages a reciprocal relationship with nature. Some of the principles include taking only what y

Yesterday, Upper Elementary reignited our partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Last year, UE facilitated a book drive to support the non-profit and their mission to build homes, community and hope. Our first project of this school year was painting baffles which will be used to keep insulation in place, making the homes more energy efficient. In addition to buying these houses, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of personal labor. They will get to see the artful panels

Geometry 3-Part Cards “ The second period, six to twelve, is a peaceful period of a singular regularity. This age is a time of rest. The...

Last week, our class welcomed some of the first level students during our Peace Circle. It was so heartwarming to see how gentle and...

When I took my training for Montessori education I felt like I understood math for the very first time. I had always memorized the steps...

We are so happy to be back to school. Please take a moment to see all the ways we are building community. Cooking together! Learning...