August 15, 1978 marked the birth of the Montessori School for Young Children as a non-profit corporation. At that time, 22 students were attending the Montessori classroom mornings at Vine Congregational Church, taught by Lynette Kohles. As the school grew, Kohles was finding it difficult to do everything from teaching to administration. It was the threat of losing the school altogether that caused the parents of those students to incorporate the school as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The newly formed Board of Directors hired a second teacher, Maria Schoch of Columbia, South America. Members of the Board began to assist with the administration of the school. Kohles donated use of her teaching materials and thus the Montessori School for Young Children was born and equipped for a promising future.
In 1979, this list of pressing issues was presented at the annual meeting:
- Find a permanent site
- Obtain additional teaching materials
- Public relations and recruiting
- Fundraising
- Parent involvement
We can look with pride at the significant progress we’ve made in accomplishing these goals from the school’s initial annual meeting. The Montessori School for Young Children has continued growing since 1978. Our current location (at 4727 A Street) was purchased in 1985. In the fall of 1996, a 1,500-square-foot addition to our building made way for expanded enrollment, providing us with two new classrooms. Our Outdoor Classroom (recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat) is continuously expanding with the newest addition being our large cedar stage for our students.
Our staff is comprised of five Directresses and one Spanish Directress, ten assistant teachers, an administrative assistant, and an Executive Director. The Montessori School for Young Children has an enrollment of approximately 95 students in 5 classes. Children between the ages of 18 months and 3 years may enroll in our AM or Full-Day Toddler Programs which feature music therapy twice each week. Children between the ages of 3 and 6 years may enroll in our AM, PM, or Full-Day Preschool Programs. Our Spanish program is offered to our Preschool students daily. To better serve our families, we have added additional services and programs such as the Before Care and After Care Programs for our Toddler and Preschool students, an Alumni Spanish Club for former students, and the UPField Soccer and Kidz Educational Dance Express after-school programs for currently enrolled students.
The Montessori School for Young Children’s staff and Board of Directors strive to honor our mission statement:
To promote and encourage the intellectual, social, and physical development of children through education according to the Montessori method.
