Co-Curricular

Art at HMS provides an opportunity for students to experience the delight, wonder and self-assurance that comes with creative accomplishment. Beginning in Children’s House, where art is incorporated into the daily classroom environment, students work with a wide range of materials.

Students in Lower and Upper Elementary visit our dedicated art studio once a week, where they explore different approaches, subject matter and artists.

In the Middle School, students can choose to take art once a week; art appreciation and art history are also woven into the curriculum as students examine the role of art in human history.

Our separate ceramics studio provides a place for all students to experiment with clay and creativity. The studio is well equipped with three Brent wheels for throwing clay, a large Skutt kiln for firing and countless tools for hand building.

Our library is a learning environment where students can research, read, study, and browse. With over 12,000 items in the collection, the library provides print and electronic resources to support the curriculum and satisfy students’ educational and personal interests.

The HMS library is automated through INFOhio, which gives students and teachers access to a comprehensive web-based library catalog. INFOhio brings together rich, reliable and up-to-date resources on many subjects, including a large collection of maps, pictures and charts; homework help and videos; test-taking strategies; online encyclopedias; and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Education in music is critical to the development of the whole child. Beginning in Children’s House, HMS students have access to music training in their home classrooms through singing, poetry, tone matching and listening to various styles of music. They attend music class weekly to receive more in-depth music training through poetry, songs, instrumental exploration, movement and dance.

Lower Elementary students further develop foundational musical skills by attending music class twice a week. Students learn music created by master musicians of various cultures in addition to note reading, note writing and music theory. Regular exposure to solo singing, part singing, basic keyboard, recorder performance, ensemble performance and social dance deepen their musical understanding and ability.

Upper Elementary students begin studying a string, woodwind or brass instrument. They use their musical skills to play in solo, small ensemble and large ensemble settings as they create music with others. Many students choose to further their study as part of the Conservatory of Music at HMS, which includes HMS students and students from the greater community. This enriches and accelerates their development and adds to the ability of the group.

Middle School students choose to participate as part of the Middle School Ensemble or in creative expression opportunities where they, in concert with a skilled faculty member, set the course for the area they wish to explore. Creative expressions topics have included basic guitar performance, small group singing and sound recording, among many others. Music in the Middle School encapsulates the aim of education at HMS, helping students develop leadership, responsibility, confidence and a sense of greater purpose.

Recent brain research has confirmed what Montessori has always known: that movement and activity are essential to the learning process. The freedom to move in the classroom, to work on the floor or outdoors rather than sitting at desks for long periods of time has always distinguished Montessori from traditional education. Whether it is working on lacing cards, walking on a balance beam or participating in team games, movement and physical activity helps children’s focus and well-being.

Children’s House students participate in weekly physical education classes to strengthen their balance, hand-eye coordination, tactile awareness, directionality and agility. Cooperative games strengthen the classroom community and encourage the spirit of good sportsmanship.

In the elementary program, the overall objective is to provide students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to make active living a way of life through weekly classes. Cooperation, fair play, sportsmanship, communication and respect are emphasized at all times and coupled with lessons on wellness. Areas covered include cooperative games and general fitness activities; throwing, passing and catching; principles of offense and defense; as well as nutrition, sleep and stress management.

Middle school students are given a choice to try out a sport or activity with specialists in five-week sessions—an approach designed to complement adolescents’ developing personalities. Over the course of an academic year, students have the opportunity to explore an array of activities, including yoga, trail running, basketball, physical comedy and tennis.

¡Hola y Bienvenidos!

Welcome to our Spanish language program where learning a new language is a joyful journey that opens the door to a world of cultural exploration and connection where children see themselves as global citizens, open to connect with people from different backgrounds. By nurturing this sense of global citizenship, students are empowered to become confident communicators who appreciate the beauty and richness of our shared human experience. Inspired by the Montessori philosophy, lessons include a rich array of hands-on materials, songs, stories, developmentally appropriate technology, practical life activities, vocabulary building, exploration of the diverse cultures of the Spanish-speaking world, and the construction of cultural competencies. The curriculum is based on the national standards of world language learning: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities.

Program levels:

Children’s House & Kindergarten: Students receive weekly instruction and participate in songs, games, and engaging activities

Elementary: Students participate in two sessions per week. Lessons focus on building vocabulary, practicing grammatical structures, and developing cultural competencies through real-life scenarios.

Middle School: Students follow a rigorous curriculum with an emphasis on real-world, global competency and the integration of language skills with cultural understanding, preparing them for high school Spanish.

Latin

The Middle School Latin program offers students an opportunity to explore the language of the ancient Romans. Students work with grammar and build vocabulary while delving into the history of one of the most influential civilizations in Western culture. Students also investigate English etymology, discovering how Latin has shaped the words we use today.

All students from kindergarten through 8th grade participate in our innovative Computational Thinking Lab (CTL). The curriculum provides developmentally appropriate challenges that nurture computational thinking based on state and national standards in computer science and technology. Our youngest learners begin with screen-free coding activities that build foundational computer science concepts like logic, pattern recognition, loops, conditionals, and sequencing. In the elementary years, students advance to hands-on physical computing, using robots in cooperative learning scenarios, before transitioning to online platforms, and making work and project choices to learn basic text-based programming. Students are not just learning to code, but they develop an active approach to problem-solving, collaborating, and thinking critically in an environment consistent with Montessori philosophy.