Elementary

Our Elementary School offers strong progressive academics, including Mathematics, Language, Science and History. Our classrooms are filled with math and science materials that isolate specific concepts for the child and allow concrete math and science skills to be fostered through hands-on and didactic lessons that require further inquiry and investigation to solve the problem.

Reading, writing, and language skills are developed and mastered through all learning disciplines and are connected to explorations, research, and experiments. In addition, reading and writing workshops are a common theme in the classroom and range from writing children's stories to reading historical biographies in a literature group. All content is aligned with the common core standards to ensure alignment to college and career readiness. In addition to academics, we offer music, art, life-skills, Spanish language, and technology programs.

Alongside a rigorous and hands-on literacy curriculum, MAC incorporates a methodology called Orton-Gillingham (OG), a technique to use with our existing curriculum. It is a phonological approach to reading that is multi-sensory, systematic, structured, and success-oriented. All of our Elementary teachers have received Orton-Gillingham training which focuses on improving reading, writing and spelling skills, giving students necessary tools to achieve greater success in school and in life.

The Elementary Art Studio at MAC is an extension of the classroom where students explore and master art-making materials. The curriculum is emergent, driven by work in the classroom, the children's interests, and individual needs. Students have time and space to plan and implement big works, work collaboratively, and participate in group lessons. The students are engaged in artist studies, both historical and contemporary, and connect with art in the local and greater community.

Students are guided in understanding the importance of physical activity in their daily lives and encouraged to develop a positive outlook for leading healthy, active lifestyles. They are introduced to the concepts of nutritional needs and explore how the body responds to exercise. Each child is encouraged to work toward his or her physical development level while incorporating teamwork, sportsmanship, and building community through physical activity and engagement.

Spanish Language acquisition is an integral component of the Elementary curriculum at MAC. Research demonstrates that learning a second language increases cognitive skills, such as critical thinking, attention and making connections. Our Spanish language teacher engages children with lessons in speaking, reading, writing and cultural studies using Spanish in their daily interactions and class activities.

MAC music classes combine Montessori pedagogy and music education with elements of both Kodaly and Orff methodologies to provide the students the opportunity to explore and develop their musical potential. Students play a variety of instruments and participate in creative exploration through movement, singing, and listening experiences. Students are also introduced to media technology through iMovie, Garageband and podcasts where they create weekly updates for the MAC community.

Going Outs, or children learning outside the classroom, are an essential tenet of the Elementary classroom. These experiential explorations are designed to take advantage of MAC’s metropolitan location and include weekly student-designed field trips. At MAC, we expand on this notion of experiential explorations by integrating research, curriculum, service learning, and community awareness into our going outs with the understanding that children learn by doing. Experiential learning requires our students to function as a group through the collaboration and respectful decision-making processes, allowing for socialization skills to be nurtured and enhanced.