Our Elementary
Program
Igniting Vision with the Montessori Great Lessons.
At Habitat, Elementary education is centered around individualized instruction, tailored to meet each student’s academic needs while aligning with Indiana State Standards. Divided into Lower and Upper classes, children learn in multi-age environments, foster leadership, peer-teaching, and spontaneous group interaction all while learning to be successful and excel naturally in ways that are individually meaningful. Elementary guides act as both the catalyst and the nurturer, initiating activities and inspiring self-discovery. Work is presented in a motivating atmosphere, through hands-on, engaging materials in environments that foster peace, tolerance for others, and independence. In addition, outdoor classroom instruction specifically develops positive relationships with the environment, others, and ourselves through interaction with the natural world.
Elementary students enjoy part of their day outside in some capacity, including lunch or snack outside as weather permits, and have art, music, Spanish, and chess specials.
TOUR Our Elementary
CLASSROOM VIRTUALLY
A Day In The Life.
It’s a bright, new day, every day in our elementary rooms. Students are greeted as they enter at 8:30 AM. Morning work time includes spelling, daily math, and silent reading. Following, are lessons and then weekly planned work time. Together, these make up the morning work cycle for our elementary teams. Lunch and recess are from 11:45 AM–1:00 PM, offering ample outdoor time and movement opportunity. Children will resume the afternoon work cycle, beginning first with read aloud before moving to specials. A Children’s Habitat offers our elementary students music, Spanish, yoga, library, and chess. Weekly planned work and afternoon lessons close out the work cycle and the day ends with a brief recess before dismissal at 3 PM. At any given time, planned work time or full morning or afternoon work cycles can take place in our outdoor classroom and students should plan accordingly for the weather each day.
Meet the Teachers
Elizabeth “Liz” Williams
DIRECTOR OF ACADEMICS
LOWER ELEMENTARY LEAD
As a 2016 Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship recipient, Liz received her teaching degree from Ball State and taught public school—grades 4 and 6. Following a move to Florida, Liz was hired on staff at a new magnet school using the Montessori method. Elizabeth received her Lower Elementary training in Boston and later returned to Indiana to begin a Montessori elementary program in Westfield. She later launched her own Montessori Elementary School while continuing her training for Upper Elementary from Xavier and, after six years, joined with Habitat in 2013.
Liz is excited to combine her love as a Montessori guide with her years of educational experience in this new leadership role to share energy and inspiration with our incredible and dedicated teaching staff.
Suzette Vetrini
UPPER ELEMENTARY LEAD
Suzette is a first-generation Italian-American, with Greek heritage. She grew up between Houston and Naples, Italy, and has lived and worked all over the world shaping her curiosity and love for learning about other cultures and geographies.
Suzette earned her BA in Political Science with a minor in History and Italian at John Cabot University In Rome, Italy. Later, she pursued a Master’s degree in Marketing with an emphasis in Italian fashion, art, and tourism at the Istituto Europeo di Design. She loved living in the heart of Rome for over 11 years. After getting married she moved back to Houston, Texas where her husband’s career as a Geneticist at Baylor College of Medicine brought their family. She has two children, Antonio and Loulou.
Suzette started her Montessori journey at the Post Oak School in Houston, Texas over 11 years ago. Her love of Montessori motivated her compassion for children’s education. Suzette earned an AMI (Association of Montessori Internationale) Elementary (ages 6-12 years) Montessori Certification in St. Paul, Minnesota and her AMI Adolescent Training (ages 12-18 years) from Montessori Center for Work and Study in Rydet, Sweden. She is an active member in Montessori Model United Nations as both a Teacher Coordinator and Bureau Member. Her hope is to bring this enrichment for all children to experience! Throughout her Montessori studies Suzette has refined her teaching style by observing and practicing internationally, including Hong Kong, Brussels, Belgium, Cascais, Portugal, Bordeaux, France, Austin, Texas, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is fluent in Italian and is conversational in Greek.
In her spare time, Suzette enjoys learning and exploring languages, travel, fashion, cinema, opera, tennis, visiting beautiful places, trying different foods and being with good company, and cultural studies.