Chris Noel

by Theresa Powers, Program Director There are specific phrases that you hear when people describe Montessori classrooms, and “freedom within limits” is one that may seem contradictory at first.  However, when you see children in a Montessori environment working independently with autonomy to make choices about their tasks as they interact with grace and courtesy … Read more

The mission of the MSSA music program is to assist and guide each student in developing their innate musicality with a rich, developmentally based curriculum that leads to lifelong participation, enjoyment, and appreciation of music in various forms.  The core of the music curriculum is the Kodaly philosophy of music education, which encourages good vocal … Read more

In a recent conversation with MSSA Class of 2021 member Kate Ogden, she discussed how each level shaped her and has prepared her for high school. As a sophomore at Clark High School, she credits her success to the foundational skills taught at MSSA. Here is a snippet of her interview. Q: Looking back, what … Read more

PE in elementary schools has come a long way since some of us last experienced it.  Long gone are the days of the teacher separating the class into two, handing each side a couple of red balls and then allowing each side to pelt the other by throwing the balls as hard as they could … Read more

MSSA administers standardized tests for third through eighth-grade students in October and November. In past years, MSSA has administered the CoGAT test as an aptitude test for third, fifth, and seventh-grade students, and the Iowa Assessments, an achievement test, for students in years three through eight. This year, we are using new aptitude and achievement … Read more

The 2022 MSSA Fall Family Festival is coming soon, on Friday, October 14, from 5:00-7:30 p.m. Bring your family and enjoy a fun evening on the MSSA campus! Admission to the event is free and dinner can be purchased from our exciting lineup of local food trucks, which include Benji’s Munch, Slider Provider, and Tlaloc. … Read more

MSSA’s PTC is delighted to have award-winning author Michele Borba, Ed.D. as our guest speaker Thursday, October 6 at 6:30 pm. Dr. Borba is an internationally renowned educator and child parenting expert recognized for her solution-based strategies to strengthen children’s character, resilience and reduce peer cruelty. She is the award-winning author of over 24 books translated into … Read more

MSSA is delighted to offer parents the Montessori Journey on Thursday, September 22 at 6:30 pm.  The Montessori Journey allows parents to travel through classrooms hearing about one element of study and how that element changes throughout the years and levels.      The focus for our upcoming session of The Montessori Journey will be science, and we will see how … Read more

by Theresa Powers, MSSA Program Director It is well-known that Maria Montessori was a pioneer in the field of education, with books and lectures from the early 1900’s that have been translated into many languages throughout the world.  On initial encounter, some Montessori terminology can be oblique; words like normalization and horme* are words that seem old-fashioned … Read more