Upper Elementary
Empowering the Independent Learner
The 4th through 6th-grade years are a time of remarkable intellectual growth, when students are ready to think more deeply, take on increasingly complex academic challenges, and assume greater responsibility for their own learning. Following Montessori philosophy, our mastery-based, multi-age Upper Elementary program combines rigorous academics with purposeful independence, hands-on exploration, and meaningful real-world application. Students are challenged to analyze, question, problem-solve, communicate their ideas, and pursue work with increasing depth and sophistication—all while developing the confidence, self-discipline, and leadership skills that prepare them for what comes next.
Why Upper Elementary Students Thrive at DGS
Upper Elementary is where independence meets expectation. As students move through 4th, 5th, and 6th grade, they are ready for greater academic complexity, greater personal responsibility, and a more sophisticated level of thinking. Our Montessori program challenges students not simply to complete assignments, but to master essential skills, defend their thinking, manage increasingly complex work, and take meaningful ownership of their growth as learners.
From Understanding to Mastery
Upper Elementary students are moving decisively from concrete learning toward increasingly abstract and complex thought. Mathematics becomes more sophisticated, reading demands deeper analysis, writing requires greater clarity and evidence, and science and cultural studies invite students to investigate systems, relationships, causes, and consequences. Our mastery-based approach holds students to high academic expectations while giving them the instruction, practice, and challenge necessary to build genuine understanding before advancing to more complex work.
Independence with Accountability
Montessori independence is not the absence of expectations—it is learning to meet them with increasing ownership. Upper Elementary students learn to plan their work, manage time, meet deadlines, organize long-term assignments, seek help when needed, and evaluate the quality of what they produce. Teachers remain active guides and instructors while gradually placing greater responsibility in the hands of students. The result is a learner who doesn't simply wait to be told what to do next, but develops the discipline and confidence to move their own learning forward.
Leadership with Real Responsibility
In our multi-age classroom, leadership isn't a title reserved for a few students; it is part of the three-year experience. As students mature, they become mentors, role models, collaborators, and contributors to the classroom and school community. Sixth graders, in particular, step into meaningful leadership as the oldest elementary students on campus—strengthening their confidence while learning that leadership means responsibility, service, initiative, and setting an example for others.
Research, Inquiry & Intellectual Independence
Upper Elementary students are ready to go beyond the lesson and pursue questions with greater depth. Independent and collaborative research gives them opportunities to formulate questions, locate and evaluate information, synthesize ideas, solve problems, and communicate what they have learned through increasingly sophisticated written, oral, and creative work. Student interests can ignite the inquiry, but the process demands persistence, critical thinking, and strong academic skills—the habits of mind they will need for the next stage of their education.
Real-World Learning in Action
By Upper Elementary, students are ready to put their knowledge, independence, and growing capabilities to work in increasingly meaningful ways. Learning extends well beyond the classroom as students apply mathematics, communication, science, research, collaboration, and problem-solving to authentic challenges. At Davidson Green School, real-world experiences aren't extras added to the curriculum—they are opportunities for students to discover what they can do with what they know.
Entrepreneurship in Action
Our students don't just learn about business—they experience it. Through participation in the Davidson Farmers Market and other entrepreneurial projects, students develop products, consider costs and pricing, communicate with customers, handle real money, and experience the successes and challenges of bringing an idea to market. Along the way, mathematics, writing, communication, creativity, and financial literacy become skills with an immediate purpose.
Student Leadership & Ownership
Upper Elementary students have a genuine voice in the life of their school. Through student-led committees, campus responsibilities, and planning events such as Fun Fridays, students move from having ideas to making them happen. They learn to develop a plan, divide responsibilities, communicate effectively, solve unexpected problems, and follow through—discovering that real leadership requires initiative, collaboration, accountability, and work.
Engineering, Innovation & Complex Problem-Solving
As students' capacity for abstract thought grows, so does the complexity of the problems we ask them to solve. Engineering challenges, Rube Goldberg machines, design projects, and our Problem Solved Expo push students to imagine possibilities, apply scientific and mathematical thinking, build prototypes, test solutions, encounter failure, revise their thinking, and try again. The goal isn't simply to build something that works—it's to become a thinker who knows what to do when it doesn't.
Service with Meaningful Impact
Montessori education asks students to recognize both their place in the world and their responsibility to it. Through volunteer work, growing fresh produce for local food pantries, and partnerships with community organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, students see that their time, effort, and abilities can make a tangible difference. Service becomes more than something we talk about; it becomes something students actively do.
Adventure, Challenge & Independence
As students grow, so do the adventures we offer them. Field experiences, hiking trips, and overnight excursions to the mountains and to the beach take students into new environments where they learn firsthand, stretch beyond their comfort zones, and practice the independence and resilience they are developing at school. Away from the familiar routines of the classroom, students discover new capabilities in themselves and one another.
A Lasting Connection to the Natural World
Nature remains an essential part of the Upper Elementary experience. Our 3-acre campus provides daily opportunities to learn, work, explore, and simply spend meaningful time outdoors, while regular hikes and outdoor experiences take that connection even further. As students mature, their relationship with nature grows beyond exploration toward a deeper understanding of ecology, sustainability, stewardship, and their own responsibility for the natural world.
What Our Families Say
The Admissions
Process
Ready to see your young learner thrive? Follow these steps to begin your application and secure your spot for the upcoming year.
01
Attend an Info Session
Start by scheduling a visit. You will tour our classrooms and see our active curriculum in person.
02
Submit Your Application
Complete our online application along with the $80 application fee.
03
The Student Visit Day
We want to make sure DGS is a good fit. Your child will spend a day or more on campus participating in activities alongside their future peers.
04
Submit Records & Recommendations
As part of your application, you will provide your child's past school records and have their current teachers fill out our recommendation forms.
05
Enrollment Decision
Once we receive all your materials and visiting is complete, our team will review your application. We will reach out with an enrollment decision so you can begin planning for the school year ahead!