Student Life

Our kids aren’t just happy learners, they’re bonafide global do-gooders. The Montessori philosophy is all about thinking outside the box. And the neighborhood. And our comfort zones. Our teachers help kids of all ages understand the important role they can play in the world so that they become creative thinkers and leaders for the good of others. We have worked consciously to strengthen our public purpose through our school’s purposeful civic engagement. Civic engagement through service-learning has always been a part of MSD’s traditions and school culture. We recognize the importance of educating our children to be not only competent individuals but also people who are thoughtful, compassionate and civic-minded members of society.  Our mission statement includes the call to “do good in the world” and we select service-learning projects that go beyond collecting spare change to provide opportunities for our students to apply skills learned in the classroom, develop leadership skills, appreciate diversity and learn character and the concept of giving selflessly. Meaningful service-learning is the combination of education and volunteering, we want our students to develop a sense of civic and social responsibility through classroom learning as well as by giving them the opportunity to become active, positive contributors to society. MSD students acquire an ethic of caring because we marry service, education, and reflection. Through our carefully crafted Do Good/service-learning program, our students see firsthand that they can truly make a difference and from that involvement comes a sense of leadership, responsibility, increased self-awareness, confidence and respect for others. They see and experience the powerful bridge between themselves, our school, and the greater community. Some examples of the good we’re doing:

• Socktober – Lower Elementary students collect socks for the less fortunate in our community.
• Reading and Technology Buddies – older students teaching younger students skills.
• South Platte Family Stewardship Day (previously known as “Family RiverSweep”) – We gather to clean and improve several City Parks along The South Platte River.
• Donate produce – our Farm Team regularly donates produce from our Urban and Vertical Farms to various charitable organizations.
• Assisted Living Home Visits – students visit and sing songs, distribute handmade cards, play games, read books, and do crafts with the residents.
• StandUp for Kids – Middle School students organize this project by collecting and handing out tents, sleeping bags, and blankets to Denver’s homeless youth.
• Alex’s Lemonade Stand – Lower Elementary students sell fresh squeezed lemonade to raise funds to benefit cancer research.
• Animal Shelter supplies – Kindergarten students have made and donated homemade dog treats, soft animal blankets, and cat toys to local animal shelters.
• Coats For Colorado – collecting coats for donation at Thanksgiving time.
• The Penny Harvest – collecting pennies and turning those pennies into grants for community organizations.
• Reach Out and Read (ROAR) book collection – donating books to doctor’s offices around the nation to promote literacy and a love of reading.
• Packing Power Sacks – packing over 300 sacks of groceries for all families at a low-income school for weekend meals.
• Global Giving – supporting grassroots projects by donating to globalgiving.com.
• The Heifer Project – providing families the ability to self-sustain through farming.
• The Book Giveaway – collecting books for Family Star Montessori and Operation School Bell.
• Filling Betsy’s Cupboard – collecting supplies for The Gathering Place, a day shelter for Women and Children.
• The Gathering Place – providing bagged lunches for woman, children, and transgender individuals that are experiencing poverty or homelessness.
• Warren Village – selling baked goods to buy books for the Library in the Day Care Center at Warren Village, help with their Holiday Shop, and host “Family Nights” with food and crafts.
• Campus-wide Recycling and Composting – keeping our campus “green.”
• 20/20 Challenge Program Mosquito Net Project – designing a better mosquito net for the protection of children under the age of five in Zambia.