Art at HMS provides an opportunity for students to experience the delight, wonder and self-assurance that comes with creative accomplishment. Beginning in Children’s House, where art is incorporated into the daily classroom environment, students work with a wide range of materials.

Students in Lower and Upper Elementary visit our dedicated art studio once a week, where they explore different approaches, subject matter and artists.

In the Middle School, students can choose to take art once a week; art appreciation and art history are also woven into the curriculum as students examine the role of art in human history.

Our separate ceramics studio provides a place for all students to experiment with clay and creativity. The studio is well equipped with three Brent wheels for throwing clay, a large Skutt kiln for firing and countless tools for hand building.

Education in music is critical to the development of the whole child. Beginning in Children’s House, HMS students have access to music training in their home classrooms through singing, poetry, tone matching and listening to various styles of music. They attend music class weekly to receive more in-depth music training through poetry, songs, instrumental exploration, movement and dance.

Lower Elementary students further develop foundational musical skills by attending music class twice a week. Students learn music created by master musicians of various cultures in addition to note reading, note writing and music theory. Regular exposure to solo singing, part singing, basic keyboard, recorder performance, ensemble performance and social dance deepen their musical understanding and ability.

Upper Elementary students begin studying a string, woodwind or brass instrument. They use their musical skills to play in solo, small ensemble and large ensemble settings as they create music with others. Many students choose to further their study as part of the Conservatory of Music at HMS, which includes HMS students and students from the greater community.  This enriches and accelerates their development and adds to the ability of the group.

Middle School students choose to participate as part of the Middle School Ensemble or in creative expression opportunities where they, in concert with a skilled faculty member, set the course for the area they wish to explore. Creative expressions topics have included basic guitar performance, small group singing and sound recording, among many others. Music in the Middle School encapsulates the aim of education at HMS, helping students develop leadership, responsibility, confidence and a sense of greater purpose.

Recent brain research has confirmed what Montessori has always known: that movement and activity are essential to the learning process. The freedom to move in the classroom, to work on the floor or outdoors rather than sitting at desks for long periods of time has always distinguished Montessori from traditional education. Whether it is working on lacing cards, walking on a balance beam or participating in team games, movement and physical activity helps children’s focus and well-being.

Children’s House students participate in weekly physical education classes to strengthen their balance, hand-eye coordination, tactile awareness, directionality and agility. Cooperative games strengthen the classroom community and encourage the spirit of good sportsmanship.

In the elementary program, the overall objective is to provide students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to make active living a way of life through weekly classes. Cooperation, fair play, sportsmanship, communication and respect are emphasized at all times and coupled with lessons on wellness. Areas covered include cooperative games and general fitness activities; throwing, passing and catching; principles of offense and defense; as well as nutrition, sleep and stress management.

Middle school students are given a choice to try out a sport or activity with specialists in five-week sessions—an approach designed to complement adolescents’ developing personalities. Over the course of an academic year, students have the opportunity to explore an array of activities, including yoga, trail running, basketball, physical comedy and tennis.

All Hudson Montessori School students learn Spanish, starting in Children’s House, with weekly activities and games. In the Elementary program, students have Spanish twice weekly as they build their conversational skills through culturally appropriate interaction and communication in a fun environment.

Middle School students have Spanish four times a week, where they develop an ease and confidence with the language. Fast-paced lessons, authentic resources and situations, differentiated instruction, and creative projects such as puppet shows, scavenger hunts, fashion shows, and music video productions enable students to use Spanish in inventive and “real world” ways. A proficiency-based curriculum and performance-based assessments allow students to show what they can do in reading, writing, listening, speaking and interpersonal communication. Middle School graduates are able to enter the most rigorous high school Spanish II or honors classes as freshmen.

After graduating from HMS, many alumni participate in international travel abroad, study abroad and humanitarian efforts in Spain and Latin America, ranging from weeks-long to semester-long opportunities.