

Why do so many families choose Hollis Montessori?
“We LOVE this school, the amazing staff and the lifelong friendships we’ve made. Sending our children to HMS was one of the best decisions we’ve made. It has forever changed how we view education. It is the way children are meant to learn.”
Our beautiful campus comes alive in this five-minute video. Learn what makes Hollis Montessori School an investment in your child's future.

What is the application process?
Hollis Montessori School is recognized by Association Montessori International. AMI was founded in 1929 by Dr. Maria Montessori to oversee teacher training and to maintain the integrity of her work. We are the only AMI school in New Hampshire.

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The Observer Community Newsletter
Over several Observer issues, we have been featuring stories about our Alumni in our “Where Are They Now” series. In Part Three, we talked to Elena Longan, who is pursuing an AMI 3-6 diploma (Children’s House) in Portugal. Elena feels that her Montessori background has completely influenced her current life in the most positive of ways.
In conjunction with our article about alumna Vanessa Longan training to be an AMI Guide (Association Montessori Internationale), we thought it would be helpful to explain what AMI is, and how our school came to embrace it. Our founders were seeking a method of Montessori education that was truly authentic, and when they came across an AMI affiliated school they realized they had found what they were looking for.
Elementary-aged children need a feeling of responsibility, and the need to be active contributors to their community; whether that community is their family, a group of children they are working with at school, all of the people in their classroom, another group like Scouts or a sports team, or even humanity as a whole. Learning how to care for their environment is one way that Elementary children practice responsibility to themselves and others.
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the Hollis Montessori Adolescent Program (AP)? AP Guide Susan Holmes Glazier describes just how much work, learning, and growth goes into what may seem like simple projects.
Last November,, the Lower Elementary classes had one of our most exciting evenings of the year: Candlelight Cafe! This is an evening that the children really look forward to. It's full of poetry, songs, cookies, cocoa, tea, and community.
"We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for himself; this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit." ~Maria Montessori
One of the things that makes Montessori education unique is the emphasis we place on helping the children to be independent.
If you have been on campus at Hollis Montessori School at the end of the day lately, you may have noticed Adolescent Program (AP) students and guides hiking up from the pond looking wet, tired, and happy. They have been studying Dunklee Pond in the Hollis Town Forest. This fall they are doing a water quality assessment of Dunklee Pond to submit to the NH Department of Environmental Services. The Adolescent Community has taken on a water quality study every few years so they have now begun to accumulate long term data and can begin to look at the trends.
At the beginning of this year, some of the oldest students in Upper Elementary had the idea of reviving a school newspaper that had been written by UE students in the past; they remembered getting the editions of the “HMS Press” when they were in Lower Elementary, and they wanted to start it back up. What a big work they were about to embark upon!
In Montessori education, there are some very special stories, called Great Stories, that we tell at the beginning of each year. The Great Stories are for the whole community, and they introduce each of the areas of study we explore throughout all six Elementary years.
The first of these stories is The Great Story of the Universe...
What an exciting time to learn more about government! It seems to be working its way into all levels here at HMS. Last week, the Lower Elementary community went on a wonderful field trip to the New Hampshire State House in Concord. This is a politically charged time of year, and with the Presidential election coming up this year we really wanted to spend some time learning and thinking about how our government works. We are so fortunate to be close to Concord, and jumped at the chance to see this government building in action.