How the School Community Brings STEAM to Life at Hudson Montessori

At Hudson Montessori, STEAM is much more than a program; it’s our school’s shared mindset that extends into every classroom. While we are proud to have a team of nationally STEM-certified educators, every teacher plays a role in bringing STEAM to life. From our Toddler teachers, who spark curiosity in our youngest learners, to our Middle School educators, who challenge students to think critically and solve complex problems, every classroom nurtures inquiry, creativity, and discovery.

A hallmark of our approach is transdisciplinary learning. Rather than teaching science, math, language arts, and history as separate subjects, our teachers collaborate and integrate each discipline, leading students to discover and solve real-world problems.

 

A Pumpkin Is More Than a Pumpkin

Learning about pumpkins in our Primary (Preschool) classrooms illustrates this beautifully.

• Science and Culture: Children learn that pumpkins are a type of squash and, botanically, a fruit. They observe differences in color, shape, size, and texture while connecting their learning to the changing seasons and autumn traditions. Students sketch their observations, while Kindergarteners write descriptive sentences.

  
  

• Beyond Science: Students take local walking field trips to see pumpkins in the neighborhood during the fall season, predict whether pumpkins will sink or float in a tub of water, and carefully identify and illustrate each part of the pumpkin. Some teachers will use the pulp and seeds and incorporate them into recipes.

  
  

• Math and Language Arts Connection: After cutting the pumpkin into halves, students estimate how many seeds are inside, count them together, and organize the results into bar graphs. Along the way, they use rich descriptive language to explain the textures they feel, strengthening vocabulary while engaging all of their senses.

One lesson naturally becomes science, mathematics, language, art, observation, and critical thinking—all working together. This same integrated approach continues throughout every stage of a Hudson Montessori education, from Toddlers through Middle School.

Why Does This Matter?

A STEAM education isn't simply about adding science or technology to the curriculum. It helps students make meaningful connections across disciplines, think creatively, ask thoughtful questions, and solve authentic problems. Rather than developing a surface understanding of individual subjects, students gain a deeper appreciation for how ideas connect and apply to the world around them.

Our Nationally STEM-Certified CampusHudson Montessori is proud to be the first—and still the only—National Institute for STEM Education (NISE) STEM-certified school campus in New Jersey. Achieving this distinction required nearly 18 months of gathering evidence of our schoolwide collaboration and demonstrated excellence in teaching and learning in 2019, and we achieved recertification in 2025. STEAM Co-Directors Michelle Velho and Dr. Grace Sanvictores led the initiative, and their leadership guided our campus through the certification process and continues to shape our STEAM-integrated curriculum today.

Making STEAM Connections

As we prepare to launch our STEAM Connections information hub online, we'll be leading you on the journey of our experiences, told by students, our teachers, and our community partnerships, which are at the heart of what makes our STEAM program so strong.

We invite you to join us as we explore how Montessori and STEAM come together at Hudson Montessori School to inspire the next generation of curious thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and compassionate leaders.

Hudson Montessori School, located in downtown Jersey City, serves children from 18 months through 8th grade. The teachers use an interdisciplinary, theme-based learning approach grounded in Montessori philosophy and methodology to foster students' love of learning. Our nationally certified STEM campus is the only one of its kind in New Jersey, featuring STEM-certified teachers who meet the highest standards set by the National Institute for STEM Education. The school welcomes parents to a school tour to learn more about its programs.