Traditions & Events
All dates can be confirmed on our calendar.
Traditions join our past with our present and at Hilltop Montessori School, we take delight in these time honored events! They may be community-wide efforts in the physical upkeep of our school, fundraisers that keep our budget on track, classroom events where students present their work, or gathering as a community on our beautiful 43 acre campus just to have fun! View our most current listing of events here.
Community Work Party
Many hands make light work, as the saying goes, and Our Community Work Party does just that! At the end of August, we gather to help prepare the classrooms and campus for the new school year. This is a great opportunity for parents and kids to reconnect after the summer and for new families to get acquainted with the school and make new friends!
Hilltop Family Picnic
In early September, families come together for a great big pot luck dinner. It’s always a festive time with live music provided by our wonderful music teacher, Jay Cook and some of his friends – some of whom are Hilltop students! We spread our blankets, listen to great music, enjoy one another’s company and eat terrific food!
All School Gathering (ASG)
Students and staff gather weekly to sing, share stories, learning, and events from the classrooms. Parents and visitors are always welcome.
Parent Meetings
Parent Meetings are designed to deepen a parents understanding of the Montessori Curriculum at all program levels. Whether it is September and Learning about the Year Ahead, Supporting Home to School Life, or our February Curriculum Morning where parents visit different program levels to experience the lessons as students move through the curriculum.
International Peace Day Celebration
Maria Montessori was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. We honor her and all humanity by celebrating International Peace Day every year at Hilltop. Students and staff gather outdoors for a peace ceremony. This is also the very special day when older students are introduced to their younger “Peace Buddies”. Students work and play with their Peace Buddies throughout the school year and attend weekly All School Gatherings together.
Annual Fund Week
Fundraising is critical in allowing us to provide vibrant programs at Hilltop. A healthy Annual Fund keeps Hilltop humming and covers the gap between tuition and the actual cost of running our school. Every dime contributed to the Annual Fund serves Hilltop students by further enriching our strong programs, whether new materials like a new set of knobbed cylinder blocks for the Children’s House, tickets to Sturbridge Village for Upper Elementary students, or computers for the Middle School.
Grandparent and Special Friends Day
Twice a year we invite grandparents and special friends to visit in the classroom with their grandchild or special friend and attend an All School Sing. The first is held in the fall before Thanksgiving and the second on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. Students love showing off their classroom and their hard work!
Stone Soup
On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break the entire student body and faculty join forces to prepare Stone Soup. We always read the story of Stone Soup and reflect on its messages of sharing and graciousness. Then, we sit together and share in the fall harvest as one big family. We also take this time to celebrate the soups made by Middle School students throughout the year and encourage everyone to bring in non-perishable foods for a local food pantry.
Field Day and Bead Ceremony
Field Day is an all-school event with sack races, running races, obstacle courses, balloon toss and much more. After field day we all join together for the Moving Up Bead Ceremony where students welcome younger children into their program.
Hilltop Montessori Graduation
All families are welcome to the Hilltop Montessori graduation ceremony. This event sums up each graduate’s individual experience and is a wonderful community celebration. We are not only celebrating the great passage of the eighth graders but also the tremendous work and growth of all the students.