Schedule a Tour
(401) 783 3222
[email protected]
1150 Boston Neck Road, Narragansett, RI 02882
Quest Montessori School Quest Montessori School
  • Montessori
    • Maria Montessori
    • The Education
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • About
    • The Quest Mission
    • Our History
    • Our Families
      • Parent Education
      • Quest Community Organization (QCO)
    • After Quest
      • Our Alumni
    • Faculty
      • Employment
    • Board of Directors
    • The Blog
  • Programs
    • Toddlers
    • Primary
    • Lower Elementary
    • Upper Elementary
    • Middle School
      • Narrow River Naturals
    • Projects and Experiences
    • Enrichment
      • Visual Arts
      • Music
      • Spanish
      • Physical Education
    • Extended Care
    • Vacation & Summer Camp
  • Admissions
    • Discover Quest
    • Admissions Events
    • Admissions Process
      • Schedule A Tour
      • Application Forms
    • Testimonials
    • After Quest
  • Giving
    • Donate to Quest
  • Blog
  • COVID-19 INFO
  • Contact
  • Montessori
    • Maria Montessori
    • The Education
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • About
    • The Quest Mission
    • Our History
    • Our Families
      • Parent Education
      • Quest Community Organization (QCO)
    • After Quest
      • Our Alumni
    • Faculty
      • Employment
    • Board of Directors
    • The Blog
  • Programs
    • Toddlers
    • Primary
    • Lower Elementary
    • Upper Elementary
    • Middle School
      • Narrow River Naturals
    • Projects and Experiences
    • Enrichment
      • Visual Arts
      • Music
      • Spanish
      • Physical Education
    • Extended Care
    • Vacation & Summer Camp
  • Admissions
    • Discover Quest
    • Admissions Events
    • Admissions Process
      • Schedule A Tour
      • Application Forms
    • Testimonials
    • After Quest
  • Giving
    • Donate to Quest
  • Blog
  • COVID-19 INFO
  • Contact

Middle School

  • Home
  • Middle School
  • Montessori Middle School: Building Connections

Montessori Middle School: Building Connections

  • Posted by Middle School
  • Categories Middle School, Quest News, School News
  • Date May 9, 2019

Traveling to a place with a different way of life brings perspective on one’s self and one’s role in the community and human society. It helps answer questions central to the work of adolescents: Who am I? Where do I fit into society? How can I be of use?

This year, the eighth graders and two of their Quest guides traveled to Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic for the culminating international trip.  One of the highlights was building a relationship with the Las Terrenas International School, which is one of the many programs/projects run by the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation.  The school is much like Quest, in that it is a small, private pre-kindergarten to middle school. It is bilingual English and Spanish.

Our students spent two full days with the middle school students (8th and 9th graders) from the International School, and we engaged in some really meaningful time together.  It began with the van ride to El Limon Waterfall. We piled into the van and were warmly welcomed and made to feel part of the group. Everyone was themselves, singing to music, laughing, and joking.  The hike was educational and enjoyable. Jose Bourget, president of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, was our tour guide. We even got to hike through a semi-tropical rainforest and take some refreshing dips in some swimming holes.

That same day, we returned back to the International School and led an activity of tie-dying t-shirts.  It was a great way to socialize and further get to know our new friends. We all got a Quest t-shirt and made our own unique designs.  The results were fun and colorful.

Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 1
Hiking El Limon
Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 2
International School Classroom
Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 3
Lessons by Jose at the mouth of the river
Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 4
Quest Tie Dyes

The next day, our Quest students led an environmental lesson about watersheds and pollution.  We then all walked into town and painted two murals about protection of the sea. The teamwork and transformation was impressive.  We turned two drab walls into colorful masterpieces with important messages in a matter of hours. People who lived in the area were coming out to take pictures and thanking our group for beautifying the area.

From there, we walked down by the river and to the beach to learn more about pollution, water management, solid waste, impact on people, and vegetation.  Jose was our teacher again for this guided walk. We then traveled to the beachfront and talked about global warming, climate change, rising waters, coral reefs, and parrot fish.  Sadly, only 20% of our world’s original corals are remaining, however, we learned about a local Dominican organization that is successfully “planting” coral. We were excited to learn this.

Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 5
Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 6
Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 7
Completed Mural
Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 8
Lessons by Jose at the mouth of the river
Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 9
Fun at Playa Punta Popy

We culminated with some fun and relaxation at Punta Playa Popy, one of the more beautiful beaches on the Samana Peninsula.  The entire group then went back to our hotel, swam in the pool, played ping pong, and ate pizza. We all built some some really meaningful and lasting connections with the students, teachers, and staff from the International School.  It was the highlight of our trip.

While the eighth year students were exploring and learning in the Dominican Republic, the seventh years had a special week at Quest. One highlight of the week was taking the time to build connections with next year’s classmates. Over the course of the year, middle school students have worked with Mariah deFreitas from URI’s Center for Leadership Development. So, it was beneficial for her to help the students plan a two-hour block of team-building activities for which the sixth year students would join us. The benefits of bringing the two groups together were many. Most significantly, next year’s middle school class had time to connect and build relationships. Although many of the students were together in Upper Elementary, as they have grown, dynamics have changed, so it is beneficial to reestablish camaraderie and take time to work on group dynamics. Having the sixth and seventh year students work together was also a valuable opportunity for a teacher to see the new students engaged in challenging activities and to observe interactions among the group. Building connections, student-led projects, and multi-age learning are key aspects of our program that coalesced beautifully in this endeavor.

Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 10
Trolly Activity
Montessori Middle School: Building Connections 11
Rising Middle School
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
  • Tweet
  • Pinterest
Middle School

Previous post

Annual Fund 10K Matching Campaign
May 9, 2019

Next post

Middle School Student Newsletter, 5/10/19
10 May, 2019

You may also like

  • Quest Montessori Middle School Estuary Field Studies
    Middle School Estuary Field Studies
    23 April, 2021
  • 1 Primary Mixed Age Thread Needle
    Montessori Mixed-Age Classrooms
    28 January, 2021
  • Learning In Person in the Upper Elementary Classroom
    Learning In-Person in the Upper Elementary Montessori Classroom
    14 January, 2021

Subscribe to
the Quest Blog

Sign up to receive the latest updates from the Quest Blog:

Subscribe

Blog Categories

  • Art (9)
  • Books (8)
  • Connected Home Learning (6)
  • Events (10)
  • Head of School Blog (16)
  • Lower Elementary (17)
  • Middle School (57)
  • Middle School Student Newsletter (33)
  • Montessori (15)
  • Music (4)
  • Narragansett Bay Study (5)
  • News & Notes (1)
  • Parenting (22)
  • Primary (17)
  • Quest at a Glance (9)
  • Quest News (71)
  • Quest Videos (14)
  • School News (74)
  • Toddler (14)
  • Upper Elementary (20)

Archives

  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • January 2017
  • October 2016
  • October 2015
  • January 2012
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Quest Montessori School

1150 Boston Neck Road
Narragansett, RI 02882

P (401) 783 3222
F (401) 783 3229

AISNE Accredited Montessori School Rhode Island
AMS Pathway
American Montessori Accredited School

Non Discriminatory Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discrimination based on race, color, national origin...
Read more »

Title IX Policy »

Quest Montessori School · All Rights Reserved

  • Montessori
  • About Us
  • Programs
  • Admissions
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy