The Toddler Community at Quest Montessori School is a nurturing environment that serves our youngest students, ages 18 to 36 months. Our program offers an array of activities that support the development of movement, language, concentration, self-confidence and independence in daily life. Each day your child may choose to paint, water the garden, slice fruit, sing songs with friends, or work with materials that develop fine and gross motor coordination. They learn how to care for themselves and their environment through dressing and undressing, toileting, food preparation, table setting, activity choice and clean up, plant care, and tending to the classroom. We provide toddlers with a learning environment in which they are valued and contributing members of a mini-community and where they have the opportunity to develop independence, confidence and a love of learning. 

LEARN MORE: A Day in the Life of a Toddler at Quest

The preschool and kindergarten environment for children ages 3 to 6 years of age at Quest is called Primary. This mixed-age classroom environment is carefully designed to meet the needs of students this age, who are described by Dr. Montessori as possessing "absorbent minds." Children are given sequenced lessons designed to increase their skill and independence and the teacher acts as a nurturing guide and facilitator. Once they have been introduced to the activities and materials, children enjoy choosing their own work. They may practice skills to care for themselves or the classroom or work on writing words or stories. Some children may work together to solve a large equation with manipulative math materials. Others may care for plants by watering or washing the leaves. The Montessori materials, joyfully presented and freely chosen, create a strong foundation for reading, writing, creativity, critical thinking, and participation in an active, diverse community. By the time children have completed three years in Primary they have become poised, proud, and compassionate leaders for the younger children. They have learned to think for themselves, approach learning with joy, and self-regulate their emotions for social harmony. Children have developed academic skills, an inquisitive mind, and a confident manner in Primary and are then ready to move on to our Elementary Program.

LEARN MORE: A Day in the Life of a Primary at Quest

Montessori classrooms are multi-aged and span several grade levels. Elementary specifically is broken into Lower Elementary (Grades 1 -3) and Upper Elementary (Grades 4 -6).  This arrangement allows children to learn at their own pace. No child is rushed to move on to "keep up" with peers, or asked to slow down and wait for others to catch up. All elementary  children can be characterized by their reasoning minds, their ability to abstract and imagine, and their passion for research and exploration. This is an age when creativity, learning, cooperation, imagination, and responsibility all grow and thrive. Quest's Elementary Program is designed to encourage children to wonder, work, and explore.

Instead of sitting in a whole class lesson, Quest's elementary students work and learn in small groups on a variety of projects, building skills they will one day need as productive members of society. Elementary studies include geography, biology, history, language, mathematics, music, and art and are all explored beyond the traditional class lesson. Students are encouraged to dig deeper through trips outside the classroom to local museums, libraries, and theaters thereby enhancing the children's understanding about the community in which they live. This inclusive approach to education fosters a feeling of connectedness to all humanity, and encourages the natural desire to make contributions to the world. The ultimate goal of the Elementary Program is to develop the students' abilities and self confidence so that they are able to take charge of their own learning. Students who have gained an appreciation for the enormous scale and resources of the world through the Elementary curriculum are ready to explore their place within that world through our Middle School Program.

LEARN MORE: A Day in the Life of a Lower Elementary at Quest

A Day in the Life of an Upper Elementary at Quest

Middle school is a unique and critical time in an adolescent's development. No longer children but not yet adults, they are contemplating who they are, where they fit in, and what contributions they can make. At Quest, we center our Middle School curriculum on helping students successfully navigate the transitions from middle school, to high school, to college and into adulthood, instilling the character traits traits they need to grow and develop to ultimately become independent and contributing adults. Students receive a thorough grounding in algebra; scientific studies in physics, chemistry, biology; language work in a variety of written forms, with frequent oral presentations; and a comprehensive humanities curriculum focused on novel study with a wide-ranging survey of history, Western culture, and social studies. We offer an experience where students learn to respect themselves, others, and their environment and are expected to take ownership of their actions both academically and socially, and are encouraged to understand how their decisions affect themselves and their community.

LEARN MORE: Montessori Middle School: Beyond Academics and Connecting with the Real World