LADYBIRD MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Lower and Upper Elementary Private School Program

1st to 6th grade

A HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCE

At Ladybird, we created our Montessori Elementary Program in the Fall of 2018. Our Lead Guide’s in our Elementary classrooms hold both a bachelor’s degree as well as a specialized Montessori Elementary Education certification.

The Lower Elementary classrooms serve children from 6-9 years of age, and the 1st-3rd grade. Our Upper Elementary classrooms serve children from 9-12 years of age, and 4th-6th grade. The elementary classrooms are furnished with a complete set of the Montessori Elementary Curriculum and the Lead Guides are able to customize each child’s learning journey with the Montessori works available in each classroom.

The elementary school also has the following electives: nature class, physical activity, music, and Spanish. Art is naturally integrated into the actual academic portions of the school day.

What sets Montessori apart in the Elementary years—ages 6 – 12—is the individually paced curriculum that challenges children academically and safeguards their well-being and sense of self. Engaging as contributing members of a respectful community, they learn to question, think critically, and take responsibility for their own learning—skills that will support them in later education and in life. 

As at all Montessori levels, the Elementary program is based on the belief that children learn best through movement and work with their hands, and provides cognitive, social, and emotional support to help them reach their full potential.

This includes addressing their needs as they enter a new period of development characterized by:

  • A transition from concrete to abstract thinking
  • Growing interest in socialization
  • Thinking and memory that is enhanced by creativity and imagination
  • An interest in fairness, social justice, and compassion

In a Montessori Elementary classroom, students work individually or in small groups, at tables or on mats on the floor.

Children who are new to Montessori quickly feel at home with the inspired teaching that appeals to their deepest interests, and with the distinctive, hands-on learning materials that teachers introduce sequentially according to the students’ developmental needs. For students who have completed Montessori Early Childhood programs, the environment offers continuity with familiar routines and learning materials that offer new lessons and opportunities for more complex exploration and discovery. Expectations are both exquisitely clear and engagingly open-ended.

The Montessori Elementary curriculum contains the following areas of learning:

Practical Life

Within the Elementary program, the Practical Life curriculum expands from the foundation laid in Early Childhood. Practical Life at the Elementary level shifts from a focus on self-care and fine motor skills, to skills that help children connect with their interests in the outside world, organize their time, and take part in their community.

While self-care and appropriate social interactions continue to be supported, lessons that teach responsibility are the focus. Use of tools, such as work plans, to support organization and time management skills, are incorporated into the daily routine.

Teachers and students often work together to post reminders about assignments, projects, and ideas. Using these, children make independent work choices, prioritize activities, and meet deadlines.

Math

The ideas of number concepts, place value, numerals, and related quantities are reinforced and expanded upon within the Elementary program. Newfound purposes for familiar math materials provide children with the means to consider number concepts, mathematical operations, and more complex functions, helping to expand advanced mathematical knowledge and understanding.

Language

Reading and writing are integral to all subjects in Montessori Elementary, as children express their interests and satisfy their curiosity. Students master conventions with thorough studies of grammar, spelling, and mechanics. They produce final copies with careful penmanship and keyboarding. They read, analyze, think critically, and compare and contrast literature to support personal opinion and perspective. Using these reading and writing skills, they present ideas through formal and informal presentations.

Cultural studies

Cultural studies are interdisciplinary and integrate zoology, botany, geography, geology, physical and life sciences, and anthropology. Through these lessons, children explore the interconnectedness of all living things. Additionally, in-depth studies of history, physical and political world geography, civics, economics, peace and justice, the arts, world language, and physical education are introduced.

Science and Social Studies

Interdisciplinary and integrated studies of geology, geography, physical and life sciences, anthropology, and history are built around “Great Lessons,” a series of dramatic stories that explore the origins of the universe, our planet, and the continuous development of human advancement. The laws of physics and chemistry reveal the interdependency of all living things. Beginning with a study of civilization, students explore the contributions of history and what it means to be a responsible citizen and to seek ways to make the world a better, more peaceful place.

Montessori Learning Materials

Montessori students don’t just memorize facts and figures. They also learn the “hows,” “whens,” and “whys,” ensuring that learning takes place on a deep and fundamental level. Specially designed learning materials that use real objects and actions to translate abstract ideas into concrete form support them in this learning.

Teachers introduce materials to students according to their level of development and readiness. Students then work with the materials to make exciting discoveries—such as why, when dividing fractions, we invert and multiply. Inherent in the use of Montessori materials is the understanding of the power of discovering answers on one’s own. (American Montessori Society)

The students can work on the floor to spread out and have more room.  
The students have access to a variety of hands-on materials to learn their lessons.  

Electives

Environmental Science

  • Ladybird Montessori is located on 14.5 acres of land in Buda, TX. The birth-3 program gets to experience our nature program by going on stroller rides on the walking trail at our school farm and outdoor classroom space. The 3-6 years olds get to go on nature walks on the walking trail, have lessons in the outdoor classroom space, and also have a 2,000 square foot covered porch attached to their classrooms to encourage outdoor learning. The elementary students have a nature class elective in our outdoor classroom space and help care for our farm animals. The future middle school students will have a makerspace where they design different elements for our outdoor spaces such as water irrigation, planter boxes, permaculture projects, etc.

  • Spanish Program

  • Ladybird Montessori has a Spanish program that is hosted by Mariposas Spanish School for Kids. An instructor comes out weekly to present new lessons that the students continue to practice in their classrooms throughout the week.

  • Music Program

  • In the birth-3 and 3-6 programs music is a big part of our group lessons and a wonderful way to teach a variety of lessons in language and social emotional development. In the elementary and middle school programs there are sound bars and lessons where the students practice reading and writing sheet music which can springboard to support any instrument the student may be learning at home. The elementary program also has a choir that has a few performances throughout the year and the middle school will have school plays that incorporate musical elements.

  • The Arts

  • In the birth-3 and 3-6 classrooms, there is a designated art section in the classrooms that will rotate to expose students to a variety of art lessons. In the elementary program, there is an art shelf and art is also integrated into the project based learning assignments in the curriculum. In the middle school, the students will have the ability to create a variety of art projects and art installations in the new makerspace.

  • Global Citizens

  • In the 3-6 classrooms the students study geography and cultural lessons to learn about people different than they are. In the elementary classrooms the students get to start their “going out” activities and volunteer in the local community at places such as the Hays County Food Bank. In the middle school the students also volunteer locally as well as have some opportunities to travel as a class for a weekend or week getaway to a farther off destination to learn about permaculture or other interesting lessons at facilities intended for academic growth and hands-on experiences to help improve our world, such as at the Blackwood Land Institute in Hempstead, TX.

  • 2023-2024 Tuition and Fees

    New Enrollment

    For students new to Ladybird Montessori.

    Application: $50.00 (per student)
    Enrollment: $200.00 (per family)
    Enrichment: $150.00 (per student)

    Total: $400.00

    (Application, Enrollment, and Enrichment Fees are Non-Refundable and hold your child’s placement in the classroom prior to start date.)

    Re-Enrollment

    For returning students each school year.

    Re-Enrollment: $150.00
    (re-enrollment fee covers all children in that family)
    Enrichment: $150.00 (per student)
    (fee goes towards supplies for the year)

    Total: $300.00 (per student)
    Total for family with 2 students: $450.00

    (Re-enrollment and enrichment fees are non-refundable.)

    Monthly Tuition:

    Nido Community (NC): (8 weeks – 18 months)
    NC: $1,350/month (7:00am-6:00pm) (12-month program)

    Young Children’s Community (YCC): (18 months – 3 years)
    YCC: $1,250/month (7:00am-6:00pm) (12-month program)

    Children’s House (CH): (3 years – 6 years OR preschool – kindergarten)
    CH Half Day Program: $900/month (8:30am-12:00pm) (12-month program)
    CH Full Day Program: $950/month (8:30am-3:30pm) (12-month program)
    CH Extended Day Program: $1,200/month (7:00am-6:00pm) (12-month program)
    CH After Care: $200/month (3:00pm-6:00pm) (12-month program)

    Elementary Program (Lower El (6-9 years OR 1st – 3rd grade) and Upper El (9-12 years OR 3rd – 6th grade))
    Elementary Program: $1,000/month (8:00am-3:00pm) (10-month program)
    Elementary After Care: $225/month (3:00pm-6:00pm) 10-month program)

    Middle School Program (12-15 years OR 7th – 9th grade)
    Middle School Program: $1,300/month (8:00am-3:00pm) (10-month program)
    Middle School After Care: $225/month (3:00pm-6:00pm) (10-month program)

    Discounts:

    Sibling Discount: $25 off per child, per month (cannot be applied to pay in advance options)
    Pay in Advance Discount:
    Pay 6 months in advance:
    5% discount off tuition
    Pay 12 months in advance: 10% discount off tuition
    Elementary Alumni Graduates who re-enroll for Middle School: 15% discount off tuition

    Field Trip Fees:

    Lower Elementary: $400.00 annually or $200.00 bi-annually
    Upper Elementary: $500.00 annually or $250.00 bi-annually
    Middle School: $600.00 annually or $300.00 bi-annually

    ***Does not include the optional Model UN field trip to New York in the spring of 2024***