Innovative Art Education for Creative Growth
Julie Gochman (Elementary Art Instructor) • May 6, 2025

At TRIS, we believe that art education is more than just creating pretty pictures. It’s a powerful tool for cognitive and emotional development. Students build self-esteem, develop self-control, and strengthen their problem-solving skills through individual art projects. Our lessons also incorporate thoughtfully curated art history, organized by timeline and selected to highlight significant works and movements.

Comprehensive Artistic Exploration

Our art program in 2024-2025 begins with the fundamentals, teaching students how to observe subjects and transform them into personal concepts that express genuine emotions and communicate effectively with others. We start with basic drawing lessons using Monochrome materials, such as pencils, to help students grasp form, tone, and value.


Students explore traditional techniques, focusing on modern and contemporary styles. They work on imaginative subjects like dreams brought to life with realistic visual elements. They are provided with high-quality art supplies and introduced to various professional media, including acrylics, oil pastels, and watercolors on premium paper, enhancing their experience and the value of their artwork.


Throughout the curriculum, students study color theory, composition, and the relationship between 2D and 3D design. Inspired by influential modern artists such as Frank Stella and Bruce Marden, they learn to see the connection between fine art and the world around them. Sculpture lessons guide students through the process, from building plaster structures to painting finished forms. They also explore ceramics.


Students often experiment with various materials, including wood, paper, and mixed media, starting with clay modeling and moving through the firing and glazing process for 3D projects. Group projects, such as miniature interior design models, allow for collaboration, as students build small structures, create furniture, and incorporate plants and thematic details to bring their shared vision to life.


In addition, students are introduced to printmaking techniques, including a two-step gel printing process. This method allows them to layer colors and textures, experiment with positive and negative space, and explore abstract and representational designs. Through gel printing, students gain a deeper understanding of repetition, pattern, and surface design skills that complement and enhance their broader artistic development.


Unique Opportunities for Open Art


Our open art lessons offer exciting, hands-on experiences that encourage deeper exploration. This year, students have the opportunity to focus on special projects like mosaic art, clay making, sumi painting, and crafting beautiful bead and wire trees, each designed to spark imagination and expand artistic expression.


“I am confident that our distinguished art program will continue to flourish and that our students’ creativity will be valued throughout their lives.”

Julie Gochman (Elementary Art Instructor)


Peace and Montessori Education
By Renee Hites March 4, 2026
In a world that often feels rushed and fragmented, Montessori education offers something rare: a place where children are truly seen. It is an approach built not just on academic achievement, but on the belief that education, real education, has the power to change the world. Maria Montessori developed her method in the early twentieth century, but her deepest conviction was not about reading or mathematics. It was about peace. She believed that if we want a more peaceful world, we must begin with the child. " Establishing lasting peace ," she wrote, " is the work of education ." In a Montessori classroom, peace is not simply a topic that is taught. It is something that is lived. Children of different ages work alongside one another, learning to collaborate rather than compete. They develop independence, not because they are left alone, but because they are trusted. They are given real work that matters, real choices that shape their day, and real consequences that teach them to think carefully about their actions. This freedom, however, is always balanced with responsibility. Children learn to care for their environment, to resolve conflicts with words, and to consider the needs of others as naturally as they consider their own. Grace and courtesy are woven into the fabric of every day, not as rules imposed from the outside, but as habits grown from the inside. Montessori also understood something profound about the child's relationship with the world itself. Through Cosmic Education, the sweeping story of the universe, the Earth, life, and human civilization, children come to see themselves not as isolated individuals, but as participants in something vast and interconnected. They learn that every living thing depends on every other, that the air we breathe was shaped by ancient organisms, that the words we speak carry the fingerprints of countless civilizations. This perspective cultivates humility, wonder, and a deep sense of responsibility toward the world and toward one another. What you will see today in our classrooms is a reflection of that vision. The quiet concentration, the purposeful movement, the children helping one another: these are not accidents. They are the fruits of an environment carefully prepared to bring out the best in each child. Montessori education does not promise to solve the world's problems. But it does promise to raise children who are capable of empathy, who know how to listen, who find meaning in contributing to something greater than themselves. And in that promise lies something quietly extraordinary: the possibility that the children in these rooms might one day help build the more peaceful world we are all hoping for.
Afternoon In Elementary
By Wellington Pontes Filho February 12, 2026
An Afternoon in Elementary is a wonderful opportunity for preschool and Kindergarten families to experience the Montessori Elementary environment and learn more about this exciting next step in their child's journey. This event is designed to help parents understand how Montessori Elementary builds naturally upon the foundation established in the primary years. In Elementary, children continue to grow as independent, confident learners while engaging with big ideas in math, language, science, and cultural studies through hands-on materials, collaborative work, and guided exploration. This year, our An afternoon in Elementary event was again a great success, bringing together children and their parents for a variety of engaging activities. These activities were led by Elementary students, with the support and supervision of Elementary staff and parent volunteers. The participants enjoyed the wonderful freshly baked French bread, explored the wonders of magnetism through experiments, and discovered a love of botany at the gardening and pot-decorating stations. There was great excitement during the math relay and while sewing geometric shapes. In Elementary, we also care for the health of both mind and body, which was reflected in the sports relay station. Creativity shone through our arts and crafts and face-painting stations. It was gratifying to see our Elementary students confidently engage with the younger students with empathy and warmth, guiding them through each activity and sharing their enthusiasm throughout the event. Elementary parent ambassadors were essential to the event's success. They warmly welcomed Primary families, shared information about our Elementary Montessori program, answered questions, and guided children between activity stations. Their support of the Elementary teachers helped create a smooth, welcoming, and engaging experience for all. We know that transitioning to Elementary can bring questions about readiness, independence, and academic expectations. An Afternoon in Elementary offers a space to see how children are supported socially, emotionally, and academically, and how the Elementary environment nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and a love of learning. We want to extend a sincere thank you to our community for participating in the Afternoon in Elementary event . Their curiosity, enthusiasm, and joy made the event truly special. Warmly, Wellington Pontes-Filho Elementary Program Director