If you ever want to understand the true spirit of childhood, spend the last day before winter break in Lower Elementary. The children arrived excitedly reminding me of the rules of the day: pajamas, stuffed animals, and, most importantly, no assigned work whatsoever . Challenge accepted. What unfolded was a masterclass in child-led creativity, engineering, and play: Students built a zoo from recycled materials Watched a space documentary and constructed constellations with ma

What an incredible whirlwind the past couple of months have been in lower elementary. As promised, here’s some photos and behind the scenes notes on what we have been up to! As I joined the class during Intercession, the children welcomed me with openness, confidence, and generosity. They didn’t just show me their work - they taught me how the classroom, and DGS in general, functions. Their collaboration, compassion, and curiosity confirmed what every Montessori teacher dream

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

Dear Readers, With the start of the new year, it was also time to start a new history unit, and as preparation, we had a discussion on single stories. Single stories are the stories our culture supports - our stereotypes, media exposure, and surface assumptions we all tend to make without even realizing we've done such a thing. While single stories are often infused with a thread of truth, they do not tell a complete story, and unfortunately they often leave out the humanity

We’ve been up to something extra fun down in the woods lately... FORT BUILDING! A few weeks ago, students began designing and building their own woodland forts. Winter is actually the perfect season for this kind of project. There are plenty of fallen branches to use, fewer leaves on the trees, and less wildlife to disturb. It also means no surprise snakes hiding under logs. Students have absolutely loved this project. Fort building naturally invites collaboration, and the ki

What a wonderful ending to our holiday unit! They did such a lovely job, and wanted to share. Quaid-e-Azam Day, Pakistan Ramadan, Senegal Coming of Age Day, Japan Christmas, Estonia Waitangi Day, New Zealand New Years Day, Argentina