In addition to the rich Montessori curriculum provided in the 3-6 classroom, students have the opportunity to study art, foreign language and music in the course of their day. Recess and lunch are specially designed to further develop children’s sense of curiosity and love of independence.

The Music curriculum at the Montessori School of Syracuse begins at age three and goes through age twelve. In the 3-6 classroom, students learn to use their voices, participate in singing games, and generally enjoy the area of music. They also learn basic rudiments of music theory such as rhythm vs. beat, loud vs. soft and fast vs. slow. By the kindergarten year, students are learning the basic rhythmic units such as half, quarter and eighth notes. In addition, they have the opportunity to apply their musical knowledge as they learn to play the school’s Orff Instruments. These beautiful wooden instruments are designed to isolate difficulty, and assist students in playing simple or complex pieces in an ensemble. Kindergarten students present a choral performance and Orff concert each spring.

The French curriculum at the Montessori School of Syracuse carefully follows students’ developmental windows. Most research on foreign language acquisition shows that the best time to learn a foreign language is from 0 – 6 years of age. The Montessori French program mirrors much of the regular classroom instruction, but in French. Working with a teacher who speaks French throughout the lesson, students are introduced to colors, parts of the body, numbers, and basic phrases. Games, exercise and songs also bring French to life in the classroom.

Art is ever-present in the Montessori classroom. Beginning with the classic prints that decorate the walls of a Montessori classroom, children are exposed to an environment that invites them to develop an aesthetic sense of the beautiful. Water color, tempera paint, cutting, gluing, and pasting are all part of the daily offering of activities in the Montessori classroom. Students will often study a specific artist, such as Van Gogh, Picasso or Kahla, learning about the artist’s style and life.

Students who stay for the all-day 3-6 program have a 45 minute recess each day. There is a dedicated 3-6 recess area on the north side of the MSS campus. This area includes a climbing structure, sandbox, and additional items to encourage unstructured play and independent exploration of nature. Students will often go on nature walks. In addition to the fun of being outside, students may collect samples (i.e., autumn leaves) that they can bring back to the classroom for further study. Outdoor play occurs every day, unless there is significant rain, or the wind chill falls below zero.

After recess, students enjoy a 45-minute lunch period in their classroom, at tables of two or three children. The lunch experience is meant to be an extension of the Montessori curriculum. Not only are students eating their lunches -- they are learning to socialize with their lunch partner(s), eat healthy foods first, and then, at the end of the meal, clean up after themselves. With the help of the teachers and the example of the older students in the class, young students soon become adept at wiping off their tables, sweeping the floor, and putting their lunch boxes and placemats away.