What Makes Us Unique
Montessori Curriculum
Hudson Montessori School’s mission is to create lifelong learners, independent thinkers, and problem solvers. Hudson Montessori School is unique because the school finds ways to enrich and enhance student experiences and knowledge while also delivering on the Montessori philosophy.
A beautiful component of the Montessori model is the multi-age-level approach to learning, with students as mentors. Our assemblies each week offer students a forum for presenting their ideas and showing their peers and teachers what they have created. Students receive valuable feedback, reflect on their work, and consider their next steps or a future project.
Montessori creates a foundation for learning that comes naturally, even into adulthood. Students push themselves to learn because they want to, not because they have to. Knowledge is inspiring and powerful and leads children to keep learning more.
Theme-Based Learning
At Hudson Montessori School, the school believes learning is more meaningful when connected to real life. At the beginning of each year, the entire school embarks on a year-long study based on an annual theme.
Theme-based learning excites the learning process. A student who learns during an "experience" will retain and reflect upon their learnings, remembering it fondly many years later than if it was only taught from a book or presented as a lecture.
Children as little as age 2 and up to Middle School learn a facet (or many parts of that theme, depending on their learning level). The annual theme then becomes integrated into the children's curriculum throughout the year. At the end of the school year, the year-long study is showcased with the annual Social Studies Fair, featuring a museum-quality, 14-classroom exhibition. Next, students aged 3 and up sing, dance, and act out their theme-based academic exploits at the Year End Celebration at a packed house of 800-seats at the Margaret Williams Theatre at New Jersey City University.
STEAM Makers
In 2019, Hudson Montessori School became the first STEM-certified elementary school in New Jersey by the National Institute for STEM Education.
However, Hudson Montessori School doesn't stop at "STEM." It is a STEAM school; the added "A" is for the arts. "STEAM" learning is more well-rounded, energizing both sides of the brain—creative and analytical. Creativity is essential for artistic expression, problem-solving, prototyping, and public presentation skills.
STEAM learning is another way the students engage in activities where they become "makers" and can see and feel the connections they are making in the community, at the Hudson River, and on a global stage. Hudson Montessori School is preparing its students to be innovators and critical thinkers as the world advances into the 21st century.
The World As a Classroom
Immersion is a very fast teacher. As part of its efforts to prepare Hudson Montessori School students for the real world, the classroom expands past its four walls. The children learn by experiencing the world.
Teachers take the students on regular trips to the Hudson River to learn how to collect data and contribute their findings to meaningful research conducted by institutions like Columbia University. It's also a short walk to Liberty State Park, where students go birding, study the estuary, or learn about the park's ecosystem and other park wildlife.
The older students participate in the Montessori Model United Nations every year for three days. They take ferries to Governors Island to join the Billion Oyster Project for reinvigorating oyster growth in New York Harbor.
