Lower Elementary

Lower Elementary
(Ages 6 – 9 years) (Grades 1 – 3)

The Montessori Lower Elementary program, for children between the ages of six and nine, is designed to meet the needs of your child in a new phase of development. This age is characterized by heightened social awareness, imagination, and a sense of morality.

The starting point for all courses of study is the “Great Lessons”; these impressionistic and scientific stories are presented every year and give the students the “big picture” of cosmology, astronomy, earth science, geography, chemistry, physics, biology, history, anthropology, cultural and social studies, language, math, music, and art.  Subsequent lessons offer the children keys for exploring these areas of human knowledge in more detail. As in the primary classroom, the lessons are starting points for your child’s own activity. Meaningful learning happens when children are inspired by a lesson and begin to explore the subject and work on their own.

Based on the foundation built during the Primary years, students continue to use hands-on materials to understand new concepts. Through observation, the guide determines when the child has internalized a concept and is ready for a new concept. Guides (“teachers”) keep meticulous notes of which lessons the child has received and which he or she still needs. For example, the child who has used the pegs to find common factors may be ready to find common denominators with the fraction pieces. Montessori students are empowered to ask for new lessons because they enjoy fresh challenges.

Lower Elementary Faculty:

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Lourdes was born and raised in Ecuador. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language from Cuenca University. As an ESL teacher, she has gained experience working at both the elementary and high school levels, as well as participating in activities beyond the traditional classroom. Her initial teaching experience took place during high school when she volunteered as an elementary religion teacher at her church for two years. Additionally, she spent five years working on one of Ecuador’s significant hydroelectric projects, Sopladora. She has also completed the Montessori training program for lower and upper elementary. Presently, Lourdes leads the Spanish immersion Lower Elementary classroom and is delighted to continue teaching Spanish and promoting Hispanic culture at Alegria. During her leisure time, she enjoys painting, reading, and tending to her flowers.

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Denise is a Florida native and moved to St Petersburg from Tampa in 2003. She attended USF and holds a B.S. in Environmental Science. She received her first AMS credential in Early Childhood Education and has been teaching in both primary and elementary classrooms for over 19 years. She has also received AMS certifications in Reading and Writing instruction. Additionally, she is certified as a Barton tutor and loves helping children in all aspects of learning. Outside of school Denise enjoys gardening, music, art, and spending time with her son, Nathan.

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Gabriela is a violinist and visual artist, originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador.She has lived in the Tampa Bay area for 14 years, where she has served as a violinist in community orchestras, taught violin, music, and art to elementary and middle school students. Owner of Gabriela Valencia Studio and Gallery at St. Pete Beach, Florida from 2013 to 2020, she holds a Masters Degree in Arts and Culture Management from Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

Gabriela’s artwork has been featured in private collections and galleries, art centers, throughout Ecuador and Florida. She has been involved in a spectrum of multidisciplinary artistic, educational and cultural projects with local and international collectives and nonprofit organizations. Visual arts, music, education, and community work are the foundation of her career. In her free time, she is currently developing an Arts & Music Workshop for Immigrants as part of the NicerFL Org. Gabriela enjoys gardening, reading, spending time in nature and playing the violin.