In Upper Elementary, students receive half of their instruction in Spanish and half in English. Each community shares two guides. One guide teaches in Spanish while the other teaches in English.

Upper Elementary students build on the skills and content they mastered in the Lower Elementary curriculum. They internalize the concepts that the Montessori materials represented. With time, they shift to more abstract ideas and tasks and become less dependent on Montessori materials. Students regularly do projects, performances, and research papers. Upper Elementary students also have weekly Art, Social Emotional Learning, Español Lúdico Activo, Library, and Physical Education classes.

One major part of the Upper Elementary program is “going out.” We encourage students and teachers to plan small and large group trips in the Washington, D.C. area. These outings take advantage of the diverse resources in the area and bring classroom learning to life in vivid detail. Older students who plan trips are responsible for doing pre-trip research, planning logistics, and creating a post-trip presentation about what they learned that they share with the community. Upper Elementary communities also do overnight camping and field study experiences twice per year. We see these trips as a way for students to develop independence and leadership skills and bond as a community.