Upper Elementary
(Ages 9 – 12 years) (Grades 4 – 6)

Montessori observed that children between the ages of nine and twelve are capable of more abstract thought, including the ability to think hypothetically. Upper Elementary is a time when children cross the bridge from using hands–on, manipulative materials to acquiring a fully abstract understanding of concepts. Whereas the child in Lower Elementary has been using three or four materials to compute multiplication problems, the older student transitions to paper and pencil. The Elementary guide (“teacher”) is a trained observer, watching carefully to find the exact moment when the child makes the leap to abstraction with a particular concept. The guide meets regularly with each student to support her in setting goals and self-assessment. Time management, organization, and setting reasonable, responsible goals (executive function skills) are a priority at this level.

An important component of the elementary program is what we call “Going Out.”  This occurs for a group of children when exploration of a topic exhausts the resources of the classroom. A “Going Out” is a planned undertaking by a small group of children.  They find a resource in the community, schedule the outing, arrange for their own transportation and supervision (by staff or parent volunteers), prepare themselves for the experience, conduct themselves with dignity while out in public, and return to share their research with the rest of the class.  Not only a research opportunity, each “Going Out” is an entire course of study on independence, responsibility, and good citizenship.

Upper Elementary students are honing their leadership skills. In addition to planning “Going Out” trips, students develop their own community service projects, fundraising efforts, and opportunities to mentor younger children.

Upper Elementary Faculty:

Denise Hudgens

Reading and Writing Specialist for Lower & Upper Elementary

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.

Grace Lewis

Upper Elementary Math Specialist

Grace was born in the Netherlands while her parents were on sabbatical, a trip that originally meant to last half a year that was extended several times. Grace moved back to the United States when she was 8 years old. She spent her childhood in the New Jersey countryside (yes, it exists) which was followed by 4 years at Grinnell, a small liberal arts college in Iowa. There she learned how to hug trees and love mathematics. Grace rounded out her education in New York studying ethics and graphic design at Union and Parsons respectively. Two children later, Grace fell in love with Montessori education and began working at their school: Alegria. She earned her Infant/Toddler Montessori Teaching Credential from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in North Carolina in 2019. A lover of clean lines, Grace enjoys creating materials for her classroom where she spends her days learning lessons in kindness, honesty, and mindfulness from the toddlers she spends her time with.

Gabriela Valencia

Spanish and Music Teacher for Upper and Middle School and Art Teacher for Lower and Upper Elementary

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.