Quarterly expressions units aim to offer students new, authentic avenues of interest that they can explore and that provide the foundational skills and resources that can support lifelong engagement.

Expressions units are planned in response to student interests. Since we dedicate a full afternoon per week to both creative and physical expressions, students frequently have the opportunity to work with local experts and take advantage of resources and organizations within the greater St. Louis community.

Physical Expressions examples: Fishing, Rock Climbing, Team Sports, Yoga, Hiking, Weight Lifting, Aerial Silks.

Creative Expressions examples: Rock Band, Chess, Ceramics, Baking, Creative Writing, D&D, Sewing, Videography.

MAP Student Projects are interest-based initiatives featuring clear timelines and targeted objectives. Most students work on their projects during Self-Directed Work Time and complete one project per school year quarter.

These projects are a vital component of the student experience because students must break down lofty, broad project objectives into smaller, sequential goals in order to successfully complete a project. When students pursue projects of their own choosing, they are innately invested and motivated because they are engaging in work that is meaningful to themselves, their school community, or the broader world. 

Therefore, MAP Student Projects are aligned to the Montessori concept of the “valorization of the adolescent personality,” which is the intentional transformation of the young person into a strong and worthy person.

MAP St. Louis is the only independent school in the STL area to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. CAS, which stands for Creativity, Activity, and Service, is one of the Core Curriculum pieces of IBDP. CAS embodies many of the beliefs regarding the vital importance of experiential learning that are already ingrained in our program.  

CAS includes two elements: Projects and Experiences. CAS Projects are similar to MAP projects but often much more complex and rigorous. They should represent a capstone product of skills and knowledge acquired throughout a student’s experience within the program. CAS Experiences are singular learning events that are often already part of MAP’s daily activities, such as Expressions or Trips.

For more information, families are encouraged to read the MAP St. Louis CAS Handbook.

Multi-day, overnight trips are a cherished and prioritized component of our program. Our community takes three to four overnight trips each year, typically one each season. Trips are the catalyst for the close, near familial friendships formed at MAP—building self-confidence, independence, and deep collaboration and cooperation.

In addition, trip planning and preparation lead to the development of critical and applicable life skills. Prior to each trip, students organize into leadership teams to plan all meals, transportation, activities, and lodging while working within a designated budget. The research, phone calls, budgeting, shopping, packing, organizing, scheduling, coordinating, and endless problem-solving lead to capable, purpose-filled, and joyful adolescents that have the ability to engage in the world around them with confidence and grace beyond that of many adults.

Our overnight trips have included:

• A three-day, two-night river trip on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers—camping and cooking on islands, carrying all supplies with us, planning for and enduring whatever Mother Nature might bring, and swimming in the Big Muddy.

• Biking 65 miles on the Katy Trail with all of our necessities, experiencing hospitality in Marthasville and Augusta, MO, and exploring scenic Klondike Park.

• Traveling by train to Chicago, staying in a posh hostel, visiting museums, and partaking in the Chicago food scene.

• Staying on a beautiful farm with animals, rock climbing at Garden of the Gods, and exploring nearby small towns and candy shops.

• Kayaking local Missouri rivers, camping, and completing Wilderness First Aid training.

• Adventuring through the various biomes of Shaw Nature reserve and staying at the Dana Brown Overnight Center, a group favorite.

Community Jobs and Work are part of the Montessori approach. Students and staff care for our campus together, which fosters deep ownership of the school environment and develops important practical life skills.

Jobs: At the end of each day, students complete their assigned jobs. These jobs rotate weekly and are facilitated by a student manager. Our end-of-day flurry of activity involves sweeping surfaces, spraying surfaces, vacuuming rugs, cleaning dishes, and other tasks required to care for and maintain the physical environment on a daily basis. .

Community Work: Once per week, we engage in additional tasks that might require more time than a “job” and perhaps are only needed on rare occasions. Examples include cleaning out the community garden, winterizing our spaces in the fall, organizing storage spaces, taking part in Restorative Justice-aligned discussion, and engaging in service in our community, including next door at Montessori Lab School.