Enrichment Classes
Art
Art is taught at Garden Montessori both through classic Montessori color shelf work and weekly art lessons. Starting in the Toddler and Preschool classrooms, students learn about color gradation, warm and cool colors, and the color wheel. The Early Childhood classrooms introduce a variety of mediums and materials to the students. In addition to color, Primary students begin to learn about major artists throughout history. Elementary and Middle School students also learn about art history, with a special focus on 19th and 20th century artists. Our curriculum is designed to teach students to think critically about perspective and composition in the artwork they create. Students improve their artistic techniques while learning about different styles of art and trying a variety of media, including acrylic and watercolor paint, oil pastel, crayon resist, and mixed media.
Music
Weekly music classes for all students build an appreciation for music and a foundation in musical skills. Early Childhood classrooms through Lower Elementary focus on singing, rhythmic, and movement activities. Upper Elementary students begin learning to read vocal and instrumental music and our Intermediate students start each day with a drum circle. Both Elementary classrooms look forward to attending local orchestral performances each year. Middle School students listen to and study a wide variety of musical styles, including classical, jazz, and rock. This year our talented Middle School students had the opportunity to perform Christmas music at the beautiful Tennessee Theatre.
Spanish
All students at Garden Montessori receive an introduction to conversational Spanish and Spanish cultures from a native speaker, with some focus on written Spanish and research in the upper grades. Early Childhood students sing songs in Spanish and complete a variety of activities to reinforce vocabulary words for numbers, colors, and family members. Elementary and Middle School students work to increase their Spanish vocabularies, learn conversational phrases, and translate and write essays in Spanish. The students look forward to a biennial school-wide fiesta, which focuses on a different Spanish speaking country or region each time.
Computer Science
As a progressive Montessori school, Garden recognizes the value of including digital literacy activites in our school-age curriculum . In addition to using computers as an aid to writing and research, students in Elementary, Intermediate and Middle School receive instruction in the history of computers and a foundation in Computer Science skills. Older students complete programming courses through Code.org, and Middle School students learn the basics of building and designing websites using HTML and CSS. Through our 1-1 Chrome book initiatve, our classrooms make use of Google Classroom, a digital platform that fosters collaborative learning and efficient communication between students, teachers and families. Through interactive features, students develop essential skills in navigating online spaces, submitting assignments, and engaging in meaningful discussions, preparing them for a tech-savvy future.