My Montessori Story

During the month of November, we are running a campaign called “My Montessori Story.”

We would love to hear your amazing story of how a Montessori educationhas impacted and enriched your life! The aim of this campaign is to bring all Montessori communities together- submit your story today!

Please send all stories to kelsey@montessorihuntsville.org.

The Montessori School of Huntsville has been a blessing for our family and has been a place where our son has been nurtured to reach his fullest potential and develop a love of learning.  Prior to moving to Huntsville, we had never heard of the Montessori School; after 15 months with MSH, we can’t imagine any other way to educate our children.

The teachers and staff at Montessori have been nothing short of incredible, truly caring about our child and his development and progression.  The connection is real and love evident.  Our son is excited to go to school each and every day, and he has grown in leaps and bounds within the Montessori curriculum.  We look forward to placing our younger children within the Montessori program and continuing to develop a family of lifelong learners.

By Kelli Bane

Our family’s Montessori story began in 1962. My father was from Italy & had done some reading about Maria Montessori; my mother had also been interested in early childhood development. There were no Montessori schools in Houston in the early 60’s so my parents, along with 6 other families, got together with Ernest & Hilda Wood to found School of the Woods in 1962. I started preschool at age 3 there and remained until I had completed kindergarten. Lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school and a high school were added to the program over the years. I transitioned to public school in 1st grade and was already reading well above grade level. I still remember many lessons from my wonderful teacher, Miss Staub. I always push my chair in after getting up from the table & I can remember the feel of the beads as I organized units & ten-bars.

When my daughter, Olivia, was ready for preschool I already knew she would attend a Montessori school & I knew School of the Woods was still in the same location near my parent’s neighborhood. I had no idea how much the school had grown, however, & was pleasantly surprised to find out that there was even a middle school program there. Olivia attended there from the age of 2 1/2 until she graduated middle school in 1998. I cannot say enough wonderful things about her years there. She transitioned to a large public high school without any difficulties and went on to complete her BS & MS in aerospace engineering.

My grandson, William, has just turned 2 and began his Montessori journey in August at Montessori School of Huntsville; Olivia decided while she was pregnant that her child would be a Montessori child. He has settled into the routine of daily work and enjoys helping out around the house using his new-found life skills like setting the table. Even though our new Montessori home is far away from the familiar grounds at School of the Woods, the atmosphere in our new school reminds me of my own childhood and of my daughter’s childhood. A Montessori classroom is always busy with thoughtful, purposeful work and a Montessori teacher is always nearby guiding children and encouraging learning.

By Anita Pool