Leesburg Pike campus, Magnolia Classroom

Elementary

Grade 1-6

Around the age of 6 or 7, a new physical and psychological phase begins and lasts through the age of 12.

Fiore’s Elementary Program is designed to span this age range through a carefully designed curriculum that is backed by Modern Science.

The curriculum offers concrete material that creates a pathway to abstraction to meet the imagination and curiosity of the Elementary child.
Lessons are given in small groups and children work together to investigate new ideas and concepts.
Instead of rigid tests and compulsory homework, the environment encourages ongoing assessments and self evaluations to pique a child’s natural ambition and competitive spirit.
Mixed age groups classrooms enable children to learn from each other naturally while progressing at the right pace.
Lessons are planned for each child on a weekly basis to individualize learning.
Children thrive in this setting and cannot wait to come to school each day.
Foundational learning in math and language creates huge benefits in long term critical thinking and self expression.

Student Outcomes

Strong Mathematical Understanding in arithmetic, geometry and algebra
Self Expression in written and spoken language is mastered
Critical thinking & problem solving skills honed
Integrated curriculum leads to foundational skills in Science, History, Geography, Art & Music
Self awareness and collaborative skills as a team
Strongly nurtured ambition & competitive spirit

Schedule

School Day Schedule: 8:00 am - 3:20 pm
After School Program : 3:20 am - 5:30pm
Summer programs are available for 4 weeks each summer.

Research Foundations

The elementary child develops a reasoning mind and is seeking intellectual independence by exploring the ideas and information they are exposed to. They explore the power of their imagination as a tool for learning and exploration.

Children are no longer solitary beings. They now tend to gravitate towards others in their environment. They start to choose to work with others on projects of mutual interest.

The Great Lessons

Most areas of study in the Montessori Elementary classroom are introduced through what Maria Montessori called, "The Five Great Lessons".

To understand how the Great Lessons build the curriculum, let's take a look at the first Great Lesson. The first Great Lesson is about the beginning of the universe. From this Great Lesson, children have the opportunity to learn about the life of a star, the periodic table of elements, the parts of the atom, and the planets. Children then begin studying the beginning of Earth and the eras of Earth’s history. From there, children learn about the history of early humans and the different early hominid species leading up to our own homo sapiens. Children are encouraged to delve deeper into any of these areas of study through their own research and projects.

Spiral Curriculum

Learning is interdisciplinary and interconnected. Although there are specific subject areas of math, language, science, and social studies, lessons are taught congruently. Children learn the "big picture" and continue with increasing depth and higher level of challenge each year.

Going Outs

At Fiore, field trips (called 'Going Outs') are planned by the children based on interest. A trip is thought of, researched, and planned out by a small group of children in the class. Often, Going Outs are designed around a child's current interest or to further research for a project. Going outs are varied and can range from taking the metro to the Smithsonian museums, going to the grocery store to purchase items for a bake sale or an interview with a newspaper.

Math Foundations

Students engage in a "great conversation" or seminar where they are exploring significant themes and texts and examining the ideas of influential writers and historical figures. The seminar aims to deepen understanding of the work being studied and to enhance skills in discussion and disciplined inquiry. Students learn to read texts closely, provide interpretations supported by textual evidence, think

critically, listen attentively, build on others' insights, disagree respectfully, and contribute questions and summaries to guide the discussion. Literature is the most common subject of seminar, but essentially anything can be the focus of a seminar discussion, including scientific studies, historical documents, math problems, current events, philosophy, or visual art.

Student Life

Community Living
Students take on real-world responsibilities—managing their environment, cooking meals, planning trips, handling finances, and leading their peers—gaining essential life skills in teamwork, leadership, and compromise.

Athletics
[Insert details about sports programs and activities.]

Access to Outdoors
Located on 4.5 acres in Vienna, VA, Fiore’s Adolescent Community (“Hawthorn”) offers an outdoor pool, basketball court, open fields, and wooded space. Students work, garden, eat, play, and relax in nature.

Gardening & Farming
With 1,300 sq. ft. of farmland at Potomac Vegetable Farm and a hydroponics program, students gain hands-on agricultural experience.

Field Trips
Students plan and embark on adventures to places like Great Falls, the Billy Goat Trail, and the Potomac River, including the tradition of an overnight “Odyssey” trip featuring hiking, climbing, and rafting.

Model UN
A year-long immersive program culminating in a multi-day NYC conference, where students tackle global issues, develop research and debate skills, and engage in leadership and negotiation.

Theatre & Arts
Students collaborate with professional actors from 1st Stage Theatre, participating in a multi-month production cycle that concludes with a theatrical performance.

Going Outs
Students explore the rich cultural and educational resources of the DC Metro Area, including Wolf Trap and beyond.

After-School Clubs & Activities
Opportunities extend beyond the classroom, including chess, logic and reasoning, woodshop, debate, and investing.

Elementary Curriculum
& Experience

In all areas of our academic work, students are first given an orientation to the subject matter including key concepts, vocabulary, history, etc., and then encouraged to go deep into an area of particular personal interest.

Math Lessons

Arithmetics, Geometry, Prealgebra, Statistics and Advanced math - Algebra Hierarchy of the decimal system, all mathematical operations and computation, compound multiplication, short & long division, fractions & mixed numerals with operations, multiples & factors, divisibility rules, squaring/cubing, square root/cube root, time, money, measurement, word problems, complex operations with fractions, decimal categories, decimal, operations with fractions, fraction to decimal & decimal to fraction conversions, ratio & proportion, percents, variables & algebraic equations

Geometry Lessons

Equivalence, similarity & congruence, exploration of plane figures, geometric design & construction, classified nomenclature of plane & solid figures and their parts, exploration of lines/angles/polygons/circles, concepts & exploration of area & volume with discovery of formulas.

History Lessons

Study of the beginning of the universe, development of earth, beginning of life on earth, development of human beings and their fundamental needs, development of oral and written communication, study of time including clock, calendars, BC & AD, development & migration of cultures, composition & study of the earth, air and water, studies of early civilizations including Middle Ages/Renaissance/Industrial Revolution/Modern Era/American History, biographies and contributions of individuals of history.

Geography Lessons

Formation of the solar system and the earth’s crust, rotation of the earth, physical geography (land & water forms of the world), political geography (countries, capital cities), experiments and impressionistic charts, latitude/longitude, atlas time zones, research, economic geography, temperate maps, interdependence of human beings.

Science Lessons

Classification, nomenclature and functions of Kingdom Animalia/Plantae, formation of planets/stars, rocks & minerals identification/type/hardness, states of matter, heating/cooling, composition of the earth, mixtures & compounds, attraction/gravity/weight/friction, experiments and documentation, interdependence & ecology, cell structure, human anatomy, chemistry (atoms, molecules, compounds), periodic table, properties of elements, physics (matter & energy)

Language Lessons

Cursive handwriting, spelling rules & practice, reading fluency work, word study (prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, compound words), etymology of words, Latin & Greek root words, function of words in sentences, classification of parts of speech, punctuation and mechanics of writing, analysis of simple sentences, dictionary & encyclopedia exploration, oral presentations, conjugation of verbs, complex sentence analysis (diagramming), paragraph writing & composition (note-taking, outlines, formatting reports, descriptive paragraphs), structure of essays/monologues/expository writing/plays/poems), similes/metaphors/alliteration, exposure to classic literature/mythology/analysis of style, Great Books discussion (from Aesop to Shakespeare with defense of opinions), analysis of plot, characterization, motivation, calligraphy (italic, copperplate, shaded writing).

Core Subjects Covered

Math

Geometry

Language

Science

History

Geography

Earth Science

Practical Life Skills

Research Writing & Presentation

Planning & Organization

Executive Functioning Skills

Art and Music

Spanish Lessons

Spanish immersion, conversation language, vocabulary development, cultural studies and songs.

Music Lessons

Pitch, percussion, movement, listening, notation on the staff, music terms, music theory including key signature, accidentals, circle of 5ths, major scales, melodic minor, harmonic minor and natural minor scales, transposition from and to any key, reading and playing music for enjoyment as well as composition and exploration (with tone bars are the main musical instrument used with some introduction of other instruments), history of music timeline, studies of great composers, periods of music and styles.

Drama Lessons

Interpretive reading and poetry, theater production (auditions, playwriting, script-reading, rehearsals, set design, costuming).

Art Lessons

Geometric design work, studies of paintings and portraits of various periods, great artists and styles, sketching, painting, sculptures, shape, color, design, illustrations of writings and reports, experimentation with various media, calligraphy, research and exploration

Physical Education Lessons

Fitness, skill development, team games, movement exercises, wilderness exploration, hiking, camping

Community Care & Life Skills

Health and nutrition, cooking and food preparation, pet care, care of one’s own belongings, teaching and helping other students, accountability for work and assignments, initiating projects and working within a group, planning trips and itineraries, planning and tracking classroom fundraising activities, planning special functions