The Upper Elementary Program
Learning Through Community
The Upper Elementary program at Bruno Montessori is designed for students 9-12 years old. The Upper Elementary class is a multi-age community that works together collaboratively to achieve both individual and group goals. Community building is a core component of our program and students work together to support each other and bond through experiences that require problem solving, cooperative effort and community service in order to better understand their place in the world both locally and globally. Children learn to share ideas, listen to others and respect different perspectives.
The Montessori curriculum offers each student introductory lessons that are sequenced in each of the content areas. From these initial lessons, students follow their natural curiosity as they acquire the skills necessary to research, inquire and show independence in their own learning. The Montessori philosophy supports an integrated approach where the content areas of math, geometry, language, science, history and geography are interwoven. The Upper Elementary classroom is filled with maps, charts, artifacts, fossils, scientific equipment and beautifully crafted Montessori learning materials.
Meet Our Upper Elementary Teachers!
Zechariah Hook
Zechariah Hook grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and earned his B.A. in theatre. He is currently training for his Montessori Elementary II Certification. As an actor, he enjoyed telling stories that made people think and challenge their ideas. While living in Los Angeles and pursuing a career as an actor, a series of life changing events led him to environmental education. He realized that what he truly wanted to be was a teacher!
Zechariah learned about a special place called Camp McDowell Environmental Center. They saw his potential and hired him as a teacher/naturalist. He knew he had found his calling. Teaching and learning came easily in such a free-form hands-on environment. For three and a half years, Zechariah grew as an educator and a leader, becoming McDowell’s resident storyteller. Zechariah is excited to continue his journey as an educator and lifelong learner while helping our children grow into passionate, motivated, thoughtful students themselves.
Chelsea Hayes
Chelsea Hayes has a B.A. in History and Nineteenth Century Studies from Wofford College. She received a Masters of Arts in Teaching Secondary Social Science from Mercer University.
Through teaching experiences in rural California and in Atlanta, Georgia at Dr. Martin Luther King’s alma mater, Chelsea discovered her passion for working with underserved students. She has worked with the Cousins Family Foundation, a nonprofit focused on community revitalization and education. At the foundation, she helped design a new charter high school, Charles R. Drew Academy. Working with Georgia Tech, she helped shape the high school’s curriculum with a special focus on writing, the STEAM fields and her main interest: project based learning.
To better serve her students, Chelsea has become a Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development certified teacher. She has taught several courses including Advanced Placement United States History. Currently, Chelsea is working toward her Montessori Elementary II certification.
Rachael Jamison
Rachael Jamison grew up in Birmingham Alabama, lived in Michigan and Illinois for 12 years, and moved back to her hometown in 2015. She attended Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. She has been involved in education for most of her life, from leading camps and programs at McWane Science Center to teaching private voice and piano lessons. She is excited to be undertaking the next chapter in her educational career in the Upper Elementary classroom at JBMA, and is currently working toward her Montessori Elementary II certification. She has two daughters who both attend JBMA.
