Art Enrichment

The mission of the art program is to supply each student with the skills necessary to bring their ideas to life through visual art. This is achieved through ongoing instruction in visual language utilizing 2D and 3D techniques, exposure to a variety of art materials, and introduction to the work of both historical and contemporary artists.

The fundamentals of drawing and composition are used as the platform on which to build other skills. With confidence in these areas, students are able to successfully express themselves across a range of media.

In addition to our art classes, we offer After-School Art Clubs. Our Art Clubs focus on topics that cover a range of materials and ideas. The students work independently and in groups. The Art Club format allows special interest topics to be explored.

Library and Media Lab

The mission of our Library and Media Lab is to enable students to take ownership of their learning experience by empowering them to explore the world through the independent pursuit of information from a variety of media and resources. It is our hope that these tools will help them to take initiative, creatively and intellectually, both individually and within our learning community.

Our Digital Media Lab focuses on strengthening our students’ understanding of computers and technology, starting in their third year of elementary. Students meet weekly in small groups at the Media Lab, located in one of the historic silos on our campus. They began working on typing skills, basic computer hardware knowledge, and personal projects using Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Scratch, and other programs.

To be prepared for the future, students must learn to think analytically and innovatively and need to know how to solve problems, manage and retrieve information, and communicate effectively. By mastering information problem-solving skills, our students ready themselves for an information-based society and a technological workplace.

The role of our Library is to assist faculty and students in the realization of these goals. The Library houses a sizable collection of books, periodicals, and computers that complement the academic programs of the school. A full-time media specialist is available to assist both faculty and students with any research endeavor.

Greenspring Montessori is committed to the seamless integration of resources throughout the curriculum, ensuring that students learn information literacy skills that will serve them well in their current academic setting and in the future.

The library is open and available to our school community before school begins every day, throughout the school day, and after school until 4:00pm on most days. We welcome and encourage parents to visit our library in an effort to promote a life long love of reading through the enjoyment of literature.

Physical Education

The mission of our Physical Education program is to enable each student to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to lead an active, healthy lifestyle. In other words, we hope that what they learn through this program will help to keep each child active throughout their lives.

Our Physical Education Program serves students from our Children's House (ages 3-6) through our Adolescent Community (7th and 8th grade). In Physical Education classes, each student takes part in a variety of games and sports that help develop coordination, a capacity for teamwork, and a sense of joy in movement. Our goal here is to emphasize active fun within a skill-building framework. Classes are tailored to the specific physical and developmental needs of each age group. Older children work on skills like kicking, volleying and racket-striking, while younger children focus on methods of traveling, jumping, balance, and so on. These programs provide students with varied, life-long fitness options, enjoyment, and an understanding of sportsmanship and teamwork.

We also offer a variety of After-School Athletic Programs, including interscholastic Soccer, Cross Country, and Basketball Programs. Examples of other offerings include non-competitive soccer clinics, yoga, and dance.

Music Enrichment

The mission of the Music Program at Greenspring Montessori is to provide each child, at all levels, with a well-rounded and diverse musical education, encompassing both performance and appreciation.

Students from the Lower Elementary Program up will encounter units on percussion, keyboard (piano), guitar, and recorder. Additionally, vocal repertoire will be included throughout the year, with songs in multiple genres, from multiple time periods, both current and classic.

In every activity, musical literacy will be stressed, with the goal that, by year's end, all students have a basic ability to read music. Students will also express their own creativity through the creation and performance of their own musical compositions.

In addition to our music classes, After-School classes in violin are offered, with several performance opportunities throughout the year.

Spanish Language

The mission of the Spanish Language Program at Greenspring Montessori School is to provide exposure and opportunity for students to build Spanish comprehension and communication. Each student is encouraged to nurture a love for the language and culture that will motivate them to continue learning and exploring Spanish for years to come.

Why language instruction is important to our school

The study of another language leads to improved communication skills, cultural understandings, enhanced critical thinking skills, and interdisciplinary perspectives. Maria Montessori’s term “sowing the seeds of interest” could be used to describe the overall goal of the second language program (especially in the earlier years). This means creating enjoyment, awareness, and an eagerness to learn more. It also means that different children will achieve different levels of communicative competence, given individual needs, personality, and learning processes.

We expect that early exposure to other languages will create a facility for understanding and speaking and greater ease in later language study. It also creates an early consciousness of cultures – an awareness of the richness of our many ways of being human.

In a Montessori setting, a second language may be viewed as one more learning experience within the prepared environment – offered in ways that will attract children’s natural interest and engage their response.

Methodology

Concepts and vocabulary are presented and reiterated throughout each class so that students can develop conversational Spanish skills. Interactive activities and games give each student opportunities to express themselves in Spanish. By making Spanish fun, we help students become comfortable using their learned language skills and able to respond with full sentences. Through the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, students are able to broaden their awareness, familiarity, and comfort with the Spanish language. 

This program is designed for all children including English language learners, students with learning differences, and advanced learners.

Each Spanish class covers a range of topics including grammar, vocabulary, conversational skills, pronunciation, reading, and writing. The curriculum integrates key elements by themes, such as numbers, colors, animals, school, and home, using these themes to introduce new concepts and vocabulary, actions, and verb phrases. These topics are reviewed in each class through games, songs, and activities to reinforce language connections. Once the basics are learned, it is possible to move on to more complex ideas.

Implementation

The goal of the Spanish program is to be integrated into the Montessori curriculum at every level, from children 18 months old to grade 8. Children receive Spanish lessons in their own classroom environments and around campus based on the lessons.

Learn more

For more information on our programs, schedule a time to visit the school and learn more.