Elementary: The Ruby Bridges Classroom Community


The Elementary classroom community supports each 6- to 12-year-old student as a lifelong and independent learner and thinker.
Materials and manipulatives invite students to develop their senses of discovery, concentration, responsibility, and order.
​The Elementary Lead Guide is Ms. Brooke, and the Support Guide is Ms. Katie. Both Ms. Brooke and Ms. Katie are AMI certified Montessori guides.
The Elementary day begins at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 3:15 p.m.

Learn how the Montessori Elementary years prepare children intellectually, emotionally, and socially to navigate the next stage of their education.
The Magnolia Montessori Elementary curriculum is aligned with the Mississippi Department of Education academic guidelines ​for math and language arts, and features:

  • Experiential learning
  • Responsible, self-chosen studies
  • Small group projects
  • Hands-on materials
  • Individualized instruction
Montessori Elementary students gain solid foundations in:
​
  • History of ancient civilizations
  • The mechanics of language
  • Biological and geological classification
  • Physical and political geography
  • Mathematics and basic algebra

Features of the Magnolia Montessori Elementary Environment

Going Out
  • Elementary students may choose and research a topic of interest, then arrange a small group field trip, or "going out," into the community, accompanied by adult chaperons. Past going outs have included trips to The University of Mississippi Museum, The University of Mississippi Physical Acoustics Lab, The University of Mississippi Department of Archaeology, the Pontotoc County Amish communities, The Wolf Howl Animal Preserve in Etta, Mississippi, and The Airport at Ole Miss.
Service Projects
  • MMS Elementary students have conceived and implemented service projects in support of the Lafayette County Department of Human Services, disaster relief efforts, and other service-oriented organizations.
Community Collaboration
  • Our students regularly collaborate with the Lafayette County Literacy Council, the Oxford Maker's Market, Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, local sustainability efforts, and other community organizations.
Author Visits
  • In the past, MMS osted authors William Joyce, Nick Bruel, and Emma Virjan for interactive visits with the Elementary class.
Annual Field Trips
  • Children's Book Festival
  • The Strawberry Plains Audubon Center's Hummingbird Migration and Nature Celebration
Science Fair
  • The Elementary class participates in an optional, in-school science fair every spring. All research and project work is done during classroom hours.
Forest School
  • MMS Elementary students rotate attending a weekly guided nature walk, led by Lead Guide Brooke Fly Spears and Director of Sustainability Katelynn Dillard.
Opportunities for Families & Community Members
  • Family potluck meals
  • Family education nights
  • Open House, during which MMS Lead Guides demonstrate the use and purpose of Montessori materials
Historical Halloween
  • Students choose and research a historical figure, then present their research in costume for the school community.
AMI-certified Brooke Fly Spears is the lead guide of the Elementary classroom. Her assistant is Katie Ochs, who will complete AMI certification in 2019.

Why MMS Elementary?
​Watch the video below for answers to some common questions.

Elementary Wish List (Updated 8/2019):
Magnolia Montessori School is non-denominational and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, family structure, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its students, employment of faculty, or administration of policies.


Copyright 2019 Magnolia Montessori School