Supplemental Programming

Time and again, important components of the Montessori approach, developed over one hundred years ago, are proven to be beneficial in a modern context. One of these is the benefits of integrating arts into other components of the curriculum. In our authentic Montessori classrooms, drawing, music, drama, and performance are integrated as a means of learning and expressing all areas of the curriculum.

Arts integration is something that Hilltop Montessori School does amazingly well. The regular classroom teachers are at least bilingual, if not trilingual, in “academics” and art, music, and/or drama. Some of them have professional or educational backgrounds in the arts, while others have strong “hobbies” and passions that they bring to the classroom and share with the students. All have a deep appreciation for the arts as a means to further explore and express both personal ideas and knowledge gained.

The math manipulatives, language, science and cultural lessons, all can have follow-up works that use art. At Hilltop, art, music, and drama are integrated in such an amazing, organic, and natural way! 

Here a just a few examples of note:

• Elementary Poetry Performances that include music, naturally keeping more children engaged in each poem and considering how to express the tone, emotion, and content of the spoken word.
• All School Gathering where students of all ages find being on stage a natural and familiar forum to share their work weekly (with an audience of 150!).
• Cultural and geography studies grow into beautiful artistic map work, timelines, charts, board games, animated films and any number of imaginative ideas put into personal expressions of choice.

This integration of the arts not only grows students who view themselves as artists, musicians, and performers but has been proven to help children learn and retain academic skills and information.

HILLTOP’S IN-HOUSE WINTER SPORTS PROGRAM

Hilltop has seen the “mission” of Winter Sports to expose/teach children who may not otherwise have an opportunity to do such sports (skating, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing/snowboarding) to have access to learn one or more of these Vermont winter culture sports that could turn into a lifelong activity. With a lens increasingly focused on equity, community, and environmental sustainability, Hilltop is proud to celebrate and explore nature and winter on our very own hill. We are fortunate to have skating, cross-country trails, and even a downhill “mountain” right in our neighborhood. If the weather cooperates, groups will divide by their chosen sport and will have 2 hours of concentrated skill building. Kindergarten students have ice skating lessons at Living Memorial Park. We offer students in Elementary and Middle School the options of skating, intro to skiing, cross-country skiing, and downhill at The Brattleboro Ski Hill (or on campus) as their main choice of activity to focus on. Advanced skiers might have the options of ski jumping, ski racing, and designing and making terrain features. If the weather is not at all cooperative for skiing, we offer other options that could be available for students on those days. Depending on weather and students interests these options might include wilderness survival skills, hiking and snowshoeing around the mountain and on school trails, bonfires, making snow forts and snow castles, sledding, animal tracking, and more!

Mountain Days are an integral part of Hilltop’s curriculum, and all fees are included in tuition.

After school sports are offered seasonally through the school year. These programs are optional and there is a fee in addition to the school tuition.

• SOCCER: Hilltop offers coed soccer skill building for lower elementary students and coed teams for Upper and Middle School students who will play games with other area schools. Whether your student is a beginner or advanced soccer player, they will surely enjoy this serious but fun sports opportunity.
• BASKETBALL: Hilltop offers a coed, fundamental skill development clinic for students Kindergarten through Lower Elementary. A continued skill development is offered for Upper Elementary and Middle School students. UE and MS Teams will play away games only with other area schools, as the Hilltop Gym is not large enough.