For more information about Mountaintop Montessori, visit mountaintopmontessori.org, call 434-979-8886, or email info@mountaintopmontessori.org. Public business address: 440 Pinnacle Place, Charlottesville, VA 22911. Service area: Charlottesville
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At Mountaintop Montessori, the garden is part of the classroom
Eggs from the chicken coop go to the kitchen. Fruits and vegetables grow in the Big Garden. A cedar greenhouse provides space for produce throughout the year, while material from the rabbit hutch helps fertilize the soil.
Eggs from the chicken coop go to the kitchen. Fruits and vegetables grow in the Big Garden. A cedar greenhouse provides space for produce throughout the year, while material from the rabbit hutch helps fertilize the soil.
At Mountaintop Montessori near Charlottesville, those connections are part of the school day. Its nine-acre campus gives students a place to garden, care for animals and help maintain a wildlife habitat, extending their work beyond the classroom walls.
The school serves children from 18 months through age 14. Its programs follow a progression from toddler care to Children's House, elementary and middle school, with mixed-age classrooms organized around stages of development. Within those rooms, certified Montessori teachers guide child-directed work and extended periods of concentration.
The outdoor setting adds another dimension to that approach. Students can take part in tending food, harvesting it and understanding how different parts of the campus support one another. The greenhouse and garden make that work tangible, while animal care introduces regular responsibilities that continue from one day to the next.
There is also room for play. The campus includes natural play areas, a soccer field, basketball court, gym and playgrounds. Together, those spaces offer several ways for children to move and spend time with classmates between activities.
Mountaintop's age range allows families to explore a Montessori path extending through eighth grade. Toddler students begin in the 18-to-36-month program; Children's House serves ages 3 to 6; elementary spans 6 to 12; and middle school serves ages 12 to 14. The shared philosophy develops through different work as children grow.
Families considering the school can begin with a tour of the campus and classrooms. Its admissions sequence then moves through an application, a student visit and enrollment, giving both adults and children an opportunity to get acquainted with the setting.
The garden campus is a useful place to understand what makes Mountaintop distinctive. Learning there includes the work of a classroom and the care of a living place, with students participating in both.
