Welcome to The MSC Campus
History * Outdoor Classroom * Student Gardens * Clark's Grove * Environmental Sensitivity * Virtual Tour Coming Soon
The Outdoor Classroom at the Montessori School of Covington has been a joyous experience for students, teachers, parents and the surrounding community of Clark's Grove.
School Landscaping and Student Gardening - As the winter weather warms we begin to observe seasonal changes, students notice birds returning and flowers beginning to bloom. The children begin planting seeds indoors in flats then seedlings are transplanted into small pots. After the students have prepared the garden soil and temperatures permit, the growing plants are finally planted outside. The children are involved in each activity, either individually or in groups.
Once the garden is planted the children's outside activities change to watering, experimenting with sink/float, hammering nails into a stump, sawing, making garden signs, gluing wood, crushing egg shells, and other individual lessons. Group art activities are included in the Outdoor Classroom during the summer program. These lessons continue in the fall with the addition of harvesting and serving vegetables to fellow students.
The Outdoor Classroom provides the children an opportunity to be outside during summer and warm days in spring and fall while learning some basics about food production and cycles of seasons and life. The lessons in the Outdoor Classroom support each child's refinement of movement, sensory development, social skills, and care of the environment. Observing the seeds grow and plants mature is the beginning of science. The lessons learned from their experiences in the Outdoor Classroom can lay the foundations lifetime of love of nature, gardening, art and science.
Outdoor Art Projects - We integrate the Outdoor Classroom curriculum with art projects, such as seed mosaics, making clay nests with eggs, and glazing flower pots. Songs reinforce what plants need to grow, books tell stories about other people’s gardens.
Nature Walks/Walking Field Trips - Children may participate in discovering the local environment surrounding the school, group observation of our landscape and the Turner Lake environment.
Community Beautification - MSC students periodically go off-site to assist in creating gardens for neighborhood schools, children's hospitals and neighborhood organizations.
Environmental Awareness and Sensitivity - Children are made aware of larger environmental concerns and stewardship practices. Our school is fortunate to be equipped with roof-top solar panels that provide energy to our campus. MSC also participates in a FULL student-operated "recylcing" and "reuse" program. MSC utilizes a student-run composting system and provides our gardens with environmentally friendly nutrients. MSC saves thousands of dollars in resources each year by being environmentally friendly.
Outdoor Theater - Children are able to experience the natural outdoor extension of their work for all cultural areas of the classroom by utilizing the outdoor amphitheater.
Montessori School of Covington ......Creating the Cornerstone (Common Philosophy ~ Community ~ History) Emphasis on environment is what initially brought the developer of a model Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) and the Montessori School together. Both parties believe a prepared environment that is inclusive offer freedom yet safety for people of all ages, races and income levels. And if an atmosphere of acceptance, respect and trust is built, creativity, learning and a sense of community will flourish. Traditionally when a town was planned a civic building was the center of the neighborhood from which all activities radiated. Planners for the Clark’s Grove neighborhood envisioned a school for that civic building. After locating Montessori Children’s Cottage, a school with a reputable ten- year performance and similar vision, the dialogue began. Approached at a time when the school was in the process of planning for future expansion and a permanent structure, and realizing the mutual benefits of locating the school in a New Urbanism development, the school agreed to move from Conyers to Covington to establish a permanent home. The School moved to a temporary facility in the summer of 2001, reopening as The Montessori School of Covington, and launched Creating the Cornerstone, a $1 million capital campaign to construct a new home in Clark's Grove in Covington. With your support, we can expand the opportunity for this unique method of education and lifestyle to many more children and families East.