Print this pageElementary Program
Program Information
Pebblecreek Elementary was established in January 2002 and moved to its own location in August 2003 on Coit Road, near the primary building on Pebblecreek Court. With Pebblecreek's move to the Allen campus in June 2008, the elementary program will temporarily be housed with the Lower School programs while awaiting construction of its own new building.
Approximately 50 students (1st through 6th grades) are enrolled in Pebblecreek's elementary program. The program offers students and their families a nurturing environment combined with a strong academic program that meets the needs of the individual child. Students develop a sense of order and self-discipline, imagination, freedom, and cooperative living. 
All Pebblecreek Elementary lead guides (teachers) are certified by the American Montessori Society (AMS), and our program follows AMS curriculum standards. Additionally, all Elementary lead guides have Master's level university degrees. Pebblecreek offers academic language therapy for learning differences with a full-time staff member who is a certified language therapist. The school also boasts an innovative Spanish program and an enriching music and fine arts program.
Students are taught in multi-age classes with the older students modeling appropriate behavior, providing leadership and nurturing. Younger students are encouaraged to ask older children for guidance. Students remain in the same class for the three-year cycle, moving from youngest to oldest; from observer to leader. This leads to a close-knit community which emphasizes kindness and personal responsibility.
Photos of Pebblecreek students at work in their classrooms are posted in the Gallery.
The article "Joyful Scholars: Montessori for the Elementary Years" by Mr. Tim Seldin of the Montessori Foundation/IMC describes the advantages a Montessori education offers students ages 6-12 years old.
Academics
The school offers individualized work plans for each student in math, language and geometry based on a curriculum that meets and, in most cases, exceeds Texas standards. Each child works on his / her plan throughout the morning. Incorporated are spelling and reading programs based on a student’s individual ability and not his or her age.
A characteristic of the daily schedule is uninterrupted periods of independent work time, ranging up to two hours in length.
Cultural Subjects
The Montessori approach to the cultural subjects is based the interrelationships of the earth, animals and plants, and the people who inhabit the earth. Therefore the subjects of history, geography and science are not taught as individual subjects but as connected parts of a whole. Cultural curriculum includes experiments, maps, timelines, models and other learning materials. The goal is for the child to begin to answer what Dr. Montessori deemed the important questions: Who am I? Where do I come from? Why am I here? Another way in which the child comes to understand the interdependence of all living things ("Cosmic Education") is through what Montessorians call "The Great Lessons." The 5 Great Lessons are: The Story of the Universe, Life Comes to Earth, Human Beings Come to Earth, The Story of Language, and The Story of Numbers.
Fine Arts
Pebblecreek offers an exceptional program based on the teachings of Carl Orff, Zoltan Kodaly, and the philosophy of Maria Montessori. is the Coordinator of Music and Fine Arts. Children are exposed to music from around the world. They sing, move, and play musical instruments. Elementary students begin to learn musical notation, to read music, write poetry and create their own music. The children learn about music history and create a time line of composers. The music program's goal is to awaken musical creativity and guide well-balanced children toward artistic development.
Pebblecreek's art program teaches both practical and historical art. Students learn the skills to perceive and create original art, acquire knowledge of art history, and evaluate the quality of art. Students explore how artists and their work contributes to a multi-cultural society. Mrs. Tamra Alami is the art teacher.
Physical Education
Students are taught the importance of physical fitness and encouraged to achieve their individual potential. Team games are introduced with the focus on teamwork and the development of healthy attitudes to both winning and losing.
Foreign Language
Students learn Spanish using the Touch Spanish program created by Pebblecreek co-founder and primary guide Mrs. Gabriela Wilcox. Touch Spanish engages children in conversationally-based language instruction. After oral skills are mastered, students progress to reading skills. Upon completing the Touch Spanish program, students will have attained the equivalent of an eighth-grade level Spanish language ability. Elementary students attend weekly Spanish classes.
More information about Pebblecreek's Spanish language programs.
Practical Life in the Elementary Classroom
On a daily or weekly basis, students are responsible for: flower arranging, plant care, class snack preparation, demonstrating proper meal etiquette, and personal care.
Library
Students visit the school library once a week.
Homework in the Montessori Environment
Elementary students will be assigned homework that is designed to enhance the Montessori curriculum. Homework will reach far beyond memorization of facts. Homework will foster creative and productive thinking using research skills, reading and analysis, and presentations and projects. Homework includes periodically-due Book Reports; Projects (e.g., building a model, preparing a demonstration, forming a collection, or performing an experiment); and Memory Work. In addition, the elementary staff encourages parent and child to experience together "real life" homework, such as planning a menu, special celebration, family trip, or savings plan; writing a poem, story, book or movie review; creating a painting, new board game, or photo album; and volunteering for service in the community.
For more information, see: "You Can't Hurry Love - Homework The Montessori Way," by Mr. Tim Seldin of the Montessori Foundation/IMC.
Montessori Model United Nations
Selected upper elementary students prepare extensively for the Montessori Model UN in New York. More information about Pebblecreek's delegation to this annual event.
Field Trips
Elementary students leave campus for several chaperoned field trips throughout the year. Past field trips have included: Young Chefs Academy cooking school, Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas Zoo, Dallas Museum of Art and the Dallas Children's Theatre.
Outdoor School
In the spring, the Upper Elementary students from Pebblecreek Montessori take part in a three-day, residential Outdoor School Program. This opportunity provides an unforgettable learning experience for the students. They enjoy staying in the cabins with their friends and teachers. The outdoors is the classroom, and the forest, pond and meadows are their biological laboratory as they learn about basic subjects like language arts, ecology, math, geology and history. Nature becomes their inspiration for writing essays and poems, offers a hands-on classroom to introduce and apply concepts from the classroom and awakens a curiosity and appreciation for the inter-relationships of the inhabitants and their habitats. Students get an opportunity to work on team building, problem solving, creative thinking, cooperation, conflict resolution and learning about themselves and their team-mates.
Academic Language Therapy
Pebblecreek offers academic language therapy with full-time staff member Mrs. Tara Chapman, a certified Academic Language Therapist. This multi-sensory approach to acquiring language skills can benefit children and adults who have been diagnosed with dyslexia or related learning differences. Children who have difficulty acquiring basic literacy skills may also benefit.
Extracurricular Activities
A complete list of on-campus extracurricular activities.
Photos
Please visit the Gallery for more photos from Pebblecreek Montessori, including students at work in the classroom, special events, and extracurricular activities.