Middle school is a critical time for adolescents as they mature and develop along their academic and personal journeys. In the spirit of Maria Montessori’s educational philosophy, the CMS Adolescent Program (AP) provides a holistic, interdisciplinary education that incorporates movement, purposeful work, extensive time outdoors, as well as creative and critical thinking.

CMS Activities Bring Students Outside of the Classroom

Students of CMS AP spent three nights with Big Muddy Adventures in 2021. They explored two of the largest rivers in North America, transported thirty-feet canoes around Chain of Rocks and swam in the fresh water springs at Bottomland Forest that are only visible during low tides.

Their adventures across the local Missouri outdoors correspond directly with their lessons in humanities, which are presently focused on exploration, the founding of new lands, and native/Indigenous cultures. The adolescents worked together on their trip to overcome adversity and build their community through shared experiences.

Supporting the Whole Child to Prepare Them for High School

An essential component of the mission at Chesterfield Montessori involves supporting the development of the whole child so that each student is empowered to embark on a life-long quest for knowledge, and become innovative thinkers. This is reflected in our commitment to promoting an inclusive environment that allows children to be who they are, as well as our dedication to the Montessori educational philosophy. We seek to provide a learning culture in which the student’s success is connected to the social and emotional health of the child.

In an article for the Journal of Montessori Research, Elizabeth Lapon details her study of five students’ experiences of attending a Montessori middle school and then transitioning to a public high school. She suggests three elements of a successful transition to ninth grade, which include growing students’ academic and social-emotional skills, developing positive attitudes toward education, and promoting ways for students to form their own sense of self-reliance, self-advocacy and grit.

She writes, “The findings of this research indicate that the Montessori middle school enriched these students’ learning experience, made learning more personally meaningful, and fostered academic and emotional development. . . Students discussed how their interpersonal relationships in middle school helped them learn essential social skills, such as making friends, resolving conflict, and collaboration, which were necessary for high school."

How CMS Could Benefit Your Child

With smaller classrooms, a lower-pressure learning environment, and the opportunity to be active participants in their learning goals, students of CMS AP leave prepared to enter the next phase of their education, carrying with them a respect for people, a belief in the dignity of work, and a sense of responsibility for their own development as happy and productive human beings.

Our program takes advantage of the adolescent’s tendency toward dialog within a social context. Supplementing traditional learning materials such as textbooks and lectures, our seminar-style approach helps establish oral communication and critical thinking skills. Student-led discussions provide a strong platform for academic studies, including humanities, language, math, and literature. We seek to help students make connections between their studies and the world around them.

From camping trips across natural wonders, to the dissection of honeybees to learn more about adaptation and insect morphology,

CMS AP students are having fun while learning about the world and themselves. Schedule a tour today!