Gloucester Montessori School
P.O. Box 15068381 George Washington Memorial Highway
Gloucester, Virginia, 23061
Tel: (804) 693-6455
info@gloucestermontessori.org
GMS offers Montessori education to children ages two and a half through twelve years of age. Each classroom consists of 18-20 students and is staffed with an accredited lead teacher and a trained associate teacher. Classroom teachers are trained in Spanish, and provide instruction informally at the PreK level and formally
at lower and upper elementary levels. Classrooms are attractive and fully equipped with the Montessori core materials, books, research materials, computers and living elements such as animals and plants that provide the children with the experience of stewardship and responsibility.
Each program builds upon the previous one and prepares the child to move into the next. Children attending through the sixth grade have the advantage of completing all three programs and emerge with a comprehensive Montessori education of the highest quality.
GMS offers a Montessori Preschool Program for children ages two and a half to six years. Hours are from 8:30-11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. Children engage in a wide variety of activities including practical skills, sensory refinement, language, mathematics, geography, cultural studies, and science. They also study Spanish, art, music and movement. The morning ends with outdoor play.
At the end of the morning, the preschool children are dismissed. Some are picked up by their parents while others remain with us to participate in our Preschool Extended Day Program. This program meets the needs of three and four year olds who are ready for a longer, more stimulating day or whose parents require that their children remain at school beyond normal school hours. The schedule for the afternoon includes lunch time, a rest period and another work cycle featuring arts and crafts, creative/dramatic play, and extensions of the morning's lessons.
After the preschool children are dismissed, the kindergarten students remain in their classrooms for the afternoon. They are then able to concentrate on more demanding subjects such as reading, writing, mathematics, geography, and science. Students participate in field trips and swimming lessons at nearby Riverside Wellness Center. Kindergarteners also play an important role in the morning, functioning as leaders and peer teachers and helping to take care of the classroom. Their day ends at 2:30 pm.
Lower Elementary (Gloucester Campus only)
In this program, children in first through third grade build upon completed kindergarten work with concrete materials. As a result of this early work, students progress into more abstract learning. Language, mathematics, history, geography, and science combine to form the basis of the program. Virginia's Standards of Learning are met and, in many cases, exceeded for the appropriate grade level. Students are tested in the fall and again in the spring, allowing the progress of each child to be carefully tracked. The elementary program is conducted from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Children are instructed in Spanish and also engage in a daily physical education program including weekly swimming instruction, organized activities and recess. In this program children also experience their first overnight study trip. Students and parents go on a two night excursion to a location that is relevant to their current course of study. Recent trips have taken students to Luray Caverns and Washington, D.C.
Upper Elementary (Gloucester Campus only)
The Upper Elementary program for grades 4-6 builds upon the skills and content of the Lower Elementary. Children continue to progress academically and begin to take a more active role in their own learning process. Students learn about the significant historical contributions of individuals and great civilizations of the past as they begin to understand the relationship of past to present. They learn that their actions can have global impact through work with local charities as well as organizations like the Heifer project that address world hunger. They continue to study Spanish; other interdisciplinary activities include drama, art and music. Students meet growing academic challenges while building a foundation of organization, self discipline and cooperation.