1st through 3rd Grade
Elementary classes are broken into two groups: Lower Elementary for 1st through 3rd grade and Upper Elementary for 4th through 6th grade. Students spend three years in these multi-aged classrooms.
Equipped with a strong foundation from the preschool/kindergarten classroom, the years spent in Lower Elementary are filled with imagination and exploration. Here children gain a broader perspective of our world and their role in it.
Montessori’s cosmic curriculum, where the child is encouraged to see her/his place within a universal perspective, is a major aim of our elementary program. Our Lower Elementary curriculum also emphasizes the natural sciences.
During this time, children begin to see the critical relationships between the subjects they are studying. We go beyond rote memorization of mathematics, language, science, history, and geography. Activities in Lower Elementary promote creativity, critical- thinking and problem-solving.
In addition to the core Montessori curriculum, our Lower Elementary students participate in:
Physical Education
Students participate in P.E. every other week. They learn how to play sports such as soccer or basketball, and practice drills.
Biannual Field Trips
Students participate in two field trips a year. Students get an opportunity to connect what they are learning in the classroom with the wonderful resources that are around the Greater Los Angeles area. Past field trips have included:
- The Gentle Barn
- The Annenberg Space for Photography
- The Griffith Observatory
- The Los Angeles Zoo
- Descanso Gardens
Hands on Science Experiments
Students in this classroom get to explore scientific concepts hands on. As topics are introduced in small groups the teachers will include interactive experiments to make the concepts come to life.
Bake Sale for Charity
Each year the students pick a charity to donate their Bake Sale earnings to. The students will research the charity and the cause that it is helping. They then create a menu for the Bake Sale and bake all the treats at school as a class. They are then in charge of advertising to and educating the families who come to purchase their treats on the charity. The students are in charge of all the money and get to practice their math skills in the process. Past charities include:
- Deworm the World
- The Red Cross of Equator
- Preservation of the Peruvian Rainforest
Art Instruction
Each week students participate in a weekly art class. In addition to their art class the students also learn to draw using the Monart drawing program. Through the Monart program the students learn to enjoy art develop an understanding of the five basic elements of shape families.
Learn more about our Core Curriculum.