Montessori Adolescent Program

The adolescent years are a period of profound self-construction, a time when young people seek to understand their place in the world and develop skills they need to thrive. The Montessori Adolescent Program (MAP) at CMS is specifically designed to support students through this exciting and challenging time, offering unique opportunities for personal growth within a supportive social community.

Our integrated curriculum is designed to spark curiosity, develop critical thinking skills, and prepare students for academic success. Our approach allows adolescents the freedom to explore their individual interests, fostering engagement and a sense of ownership over their education. Our goal is to go beyond meeting standards and cultivate a genuine love of learning.

Core Program Areas:

Language Arts: Our curriculum guides the development of reading, writing & presentation skills through literature circles, seminars, and interdisciplinary projects and research.
Mathematics: Small group work and lessons in pre-Algebra, Algebra, and Geometry are combined with weekly seminars that emphasize applied math and problem-solving.
Science/Occupations: A unique way of approaching scientific studies, through purposeful real-world activities. Concepts are presented and followed by project time where students engage in research, lab experiences, engineering projects, and weekly seminar challenges. Students don’t just learn science, they do science.
Humanities: The study of world cultures examines commonalities and their effect on our present day. Humanities incorporates history, the arts, government, psychology, and more.
Spanish: Experiential language learning through verbal and written activities and the inclusion of music, storytelling, and cultural studies.
Self-Expression & Physical Expression: Guided explorations in music, performance, art, and writing provide avenues for self expression and discovery. Physical expression includes health and wellness topics and opportunities for expanding athletic interests and skills.
Micro-Economy: Participation in running a small business develops entrepreneurship and economic literacy. Profits are reinvested into current (or future) business endeavors.

The Adolescent Community

Cultivating a genuine community is essential to the Montessori Adolescent Program. Our goal is to guide and support students as they expand their sense of personal identity, develop communication and problem-solving skills, and hone social-emotional intelligence. To achieve this, students participate in guided discussions that foster a positive class culture, including:

Weekly meetings in which all students discuss and make decisions regarding community challenges, and logistical, social, and program matters.
Creation of a class constitution with agreed-upon ground rules for positive engagement, active listening, and trust building within the diversity community.
Volunteer opportunities and service projects to foster teamwork, responsibility and leadership.
Twice-yearly overnight trips where students develop leadership skills through planning and budgeting, and collaborate to create memorable shared experiences.

Flexibility Within a Framework

The Montessori Adolescent Program utilizes a block schedule, providing both structured lesson time and open work periods. This allows students to work at their own pace within the curriculum while also developing necessary time management skills. Routines are flexible and can be adjusted to meet the needs of the community. Topics are typically covered in 4-6 week periods, which allow for deep dives within a structure of completion dates and presentations of student work.

The Classroom Without Walls

The Montessori approach embraces experiential learning. Seeking out educational opportunities beyond the classroom broadens the scope of learning for our adolescents. Students engage in a variety of real-world opportunities, including:

Farm work (building projects, animal care, etc.) and nature-based projects
Visits to museums and performances related to student research and interests
Engagement with experts assisting students with projects, micro-economy ventures, and more
Participation in competitions like MATHCON and Future City STEM, and conferences like the Montessori Model United Nations, connect students with peers beyond our school

Preparing for High School and Beyond

Adolescent students in our program thrive with the Montessori emphasis on independence and responsibility. Led by experienced educators, our Montessori Adolescent Program ensures adolescents develop the independence, academic skills, and confidence needed for the next stage of their journey.

Students develop strong organization and time management skills by using planners and creating portfolios and presentations of their work.
Students sign a digital use agreement and use a school email for IXL and Google classroom.
Students are periodically given timed assessments and assignments to ensure they have the skills needed to meet academic expectations.
CMS will administer a norm-reference national assessment yearly to affirm student progress, highlight their strengths, and provide direction for areas that require additional effort.
Transcripts are provided for graduating eighth graders.

2025-2026 School Year MAP Staff

The team members listed here are those individuals who will be working with students in the Montessori Adolescent Program on a regular basis for the entire school year. In addition, CMS has hired Alessandra Abel to consult on the Montessori Adolescent Program development. Alessandra is the Middle School Director at a large Montessori school in Houston and sits on the board of The Montessori Institute, an AMI training center in Denver. The Montessori Adolescent Program will also bring in experts to work with students in engineering, science, permaculture, woodworking, and other subject areas.

MAP Coordinator & Lead Guide - Veronica Rodriguez

Veronica has more than 18 years of Montessori teaching experience in both public and private schools. She has been with CMS since 2020, as both Lower Elementary Guide and Elementary Program Coordinator. In addition to Montessori certifications for both Primary and Elementary levels, she also has a bachelor’s degree in Montessori Education and is currently pursuing a master’s in Montessori Leadership. Veronica is part of the Sarasota Advisory Board and actively works with the Texas Education and Advocacy for Montessori as part of their advisory committee. If that’s not enough, she has also completed curriculum coach’s training and is enrolled in the AMI Adolescent Orientation program. We are thrilled to have Veronica leading the Montessori Adolescent Program this year!

MAP Assistant - Krystalyn Perry

This will be Krystalyn’s third year at CMS and she is excited to transition from Elementary Assistant to work with older students. Krystalyn completed AMI’s Montessori Sports certification program last year. In addition to her work supporting the Adolescent program, she will lead PE blocks for all elementary and adolescent students at CMS. Krystalyn is also a CMS parent with a daughter in our Casita program.

MAP Math Specialist - Michelle Gao

Michelle has AMI diplomas in all age levels, including Adolescent, which is quite an amazing feat! She has over 20 years of teaching experience, working with students from Children’s House to Adolescent ages. Michelle is currently the Guide in our Juniper Lower Elementary classroom. She is a passionate lover of math! Michelle is also a CMS parent, with four children in our Elementary program.

MAP Farm & Occupations Specialist - Tate Green

Tate joined CMS as Land Manager back in 2021, but prior to that was a teacher at McNeil High School in Austin. He has a farm of his own with goats, horses, chickens, and more! Tate was instrumental in the rebuild of the CMS chicken yard that our Adolescents completed last year and is really excited to work with the MAP community this year. Tate has two sons in the CMS Elementary program.

MAP Spanish Specialist - Alan Aragon

Alan Aragon has Montessori training for both Elementary and Adolescent levels and over a decade of teaching experience. He is currently the Guide in our Redbud Upper Elementary classroom but was part of the Adolescent Program at Camino de Paz Montessori and Farm and Colegio Montessori de Chihuahua before moving to Texas. Alan is a native of Mexico and enjoys sharing his Mexican culture and Spanish language with students.