Honors and Awards
The Montessori Schoolhouse has only recently begun to participate in city and statewide contests – the Science and Engineering Fair, the Desert Museum Poetry Contest, and the Tucson Festival of Books Poetry Contest. We have enjoyed remarkable results and are so proud of everyone! See below our fabulous honors and awards.
Science Fair Awards
2021/2022 School Year
Upper Elementary Head Teacher Perla Villa received the Educator Advocate of Science and Engineering Award for her dedication and wisdom in science from SARSEF (Southern Arizona Research, Science, and Engineering Fair).
2018/2019 School Year
Ten students were selected to participate in the Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation (SARSEF) Science Fair during the 2018/2019 School Year, resulting in 2 winners.
SARSEF Grand Award 2nd Place, 3rd grade, in Energy and Environmental Engineering category. Romi’s project “Light and Shadow” was also awarded The Live Theater Workshop Creativity Award.
SARSEF Grand Award 3rd Place, 3rd grade, in Engineering Robotics and Computer Science category. Nicholas’ project was titled “Does A Balloon Powered Car Go Faster and Farther When It Has Different Gasses Like Oxygen, Helium and Air from the Human Body?”
2017/2018 School Year
Five students were selected to participate in the Southern Arizona competition resulting in 2 winners.
SARSEF Grand Award 3rd Place, 4th grade, in Chemical Sciences category. Annalie’s project was titled “Melting Ice.”
Youth in Engineering Sponsorship, in the category of Earth and Environmental Sciences, was awarded to Krysia for her project titled “The Excitement of Evaporation.”
Poetry and Literature Awards
Desert Museum, Earth Day Poetry Contest
Spring 2023 — 6 winners (Lower Elementary Classroom participated)
Grade 1, 2nd Place: Kenzo McCormack, “Living in the Desert”
Grade 1, 3rd Place: Claire Maloney, “Nature's Eye”
Honorable Mention: Eleanora Domin, “The Dragonfly”
Grade 2, 3rd Place (tied): Isabella Campa, “Saguaro”
Honorable Mention: Ariani Williams, “Desert Avenue”
Honorable Mention: Dean Levin, “The Deer”
Spring 2021 — 6 winners (Lower Elementary Classroom participated)
Grade 1, 1st Place (tied): August Smith, “The Desert Wind”
Grade 1, 1st Place (tied): Frances Herrera, “The Desert”
Honorable Mention: Elaina Duarte, “Plants”
Grade 2, 1st Place: Theresa Veloso, “The Gila Monster”
Grade 2, 2nd Place (tied): James Knapp, “The Cactus”
Honorable Mention: Camila Guerra, “The Cottontail”
Spring 2020 — 9 winners
Grade 1, 2nd Place: Willow’s poem “The Woodpecker”
Grade 2, 1st Place (tied Overall Winner for Grades K-3): Charlotte B.’s: “Butterfly”
3rd Place (tied): Margie’s poem, “Mountain”
3rd Place (tied, with herself!): Margie, “Rattlesnake”
Honorable Mention: Margaret’s poem, “The Sunset”
Grade 3, 3rd Place (tied): Naia, “Our Beautiful Desert”
Honorable Mention: Ryer, “Desert Tortoise”
Grade 4, Honorable Mention: Hazel, “The Sonoran Desert”
Grade 5, Honorable Mention: Greta, “Collared Lizards”
Spring 2019 — 5 winners
Grade 2, 1st Place, Minnie’s poem “The Sunset”
Grade 1, 2nd Place, Marjorie’s poem “Grass”
Grade 5, 2nd Place, Lila’s poem “The Desert’s Song”
Grade 3, Honorable Mention, Hannah’s poem “Sunset”
Grade 5, Honorable Mention, Annalie’s poem “Monsoons”
Spring 2018 — 5 winners
Grade 3, Tied for 1st Place, Kyrie’s poem, “A Day in the Desert”
Grade 1, 3rd Place, Jonathan’s poem “Cactus”
Grade 2, Honorable Mention, Wolfie’s poem, “The Desert”
Grade 4, Honorable Mention , Carter’s poem, “Scorpion”
Grade 5, Honorable Mention, Nathalee’s poem, “The Coyote”
Tucson Festival of Books
Spring 2018 — 4 winners
Grade 2, Eleanor’s poem, “The Tortoise”
Grade 2, Daniyal’s poem, “The Moon”
Grade 2, Olivia’s short story “Betsy Kelsey: A Betsy Kelsey Christmas (Based on a true story)”
Grade 5, Mia’s short story, “Traveled Places”