9 to 12 years of age
Maria Montessori called the elementary years the “Age of Imagination,” because the children’s minds are “like fertile fields, ready to be harvested.” By the age of 9 or 10, students at SFMS have developed the necessary skills required to conduct academic research with a degree of proficiency not typically seen until high school. They generate sophisticated science and history projects; produce poetry, plays, and short stories; learn to take notes; do bibliographies and webographies; conduct detailed observation in the earth sciences; become capable speakers and discussion leaders; and achieve high levels of computer literacy.
Students are helped to become effective critical thinkers and decision makers. They learn creative problem-solving and conflict resolution. While planning and participating in school and local events—field trips, fund-raisers, theatrical productions, community service projects—students develop skills in collaboration and learn about good citizenship. Our students grow into well-rounded young people who are able to conduct themselves with maturity and distinction in scholastic as well as social settings.
The “Cosmic Curriculum” stretches the
academic and creative abilities of the 9-12 year old students within the
context of interdisciplinary experiences in the sciences, humanities,
and arts. Each classroom at the elementary level is led by a Montessori
Certified Head Teacher and an assistant. Additional instruction includes
Spanish, P.E., and computer.
The SFMS Jr. II class takes an annual Field Trip for one week every year. Last Year, while studying Ancient History, they traveled to Florida. They traveled up and down the coast of Florida, stopping in St. Augustine, NASA and the Everglades. It was a fabulous trip and the students learned so much. This year the students are studying U.S. History and will be traveling to Washington D.C. In order to defer cost to the Jr.II students, the class will do two fundraisers. The class will sell Pizza to the entire school and they will deliver the pizza to each classroom. They must count out how much pizza, plates, napkins and drinks needed to service each classroom. The second fundraiser will be Innisbrook Wrap. Once the orders come in, they will be responsible for separating and delivering each item to the proper classroom.