Montessori School Kicks Off Year in New Building

Montessori School of Lemont, seeing a surge of interest in its programs, welcomed students to the first day of school in its new elementary building on Sept. 1.

Though construction was almost complete last spring and the building actually was used for classes at the end of the school year, this is the first fall for students in the new facility.

"I love the new building," said Maria Mancari, whose two daughters attend the school's elementary program. "They did such a beautiful job designing the space."

The new facility houses two classrooms for the lower elementary program, each is a multi-age classroom for children ages 6 to 9. A new multi-purpose space that is used for parent and board meetings, special lessons and reading groups. The original elementary building is now used entirely by the school's upper elementary program (grades 4 through 8). Additional space once used by the younger students has been converted to make room for a new computer lab and music education space.

"It's great to have a nice, new modern building, but what I love is that it's perfectly conducive to the Montessori philosophy," said John Felageller, who teaches in the lower elementary program. "The students can move their bodies, spread out their work and have logical places for our classroom materials."

The school was founded in 1979 and moved to Lemont in 1990. After decades of renting space to house its programs, the school began the development of its current campus in 2000 upon receiving a donation of more than seven acres of land.

Therese Colby, the school's administrator, says the new building was designed with expansion in mind.

"We would like to expand our junior high school program, and we also hope to add a toddler program at some point in the future," she said.

As part of the campus expansion, the school also created an outdoor workspace that is accessible from the back door of each classroom.

"It is wonderful to be able to take kids out in the natural world, which is a core part of our curriculum," Felageller said.

The school's curriculum is based upon the principles developed by Dr. Maria Montessori more than 100 years ago.

"We cover all areas of a traditional curriculum," Felageller explained, "but we are not bound by traditional academic goals."

Lemont Montessori offers a primary program for children ages 3 to 6 in its three primary classrooms. Seventy children are enrolled in the primary program, which includes half-day morning and afternoon classes as well as a full-day program for kindergarteners and some younger students.

"We offer a great balance of freedom and structure," explained Andrea Pintar, who teaches outdoor education to the primary students. "The children are able to choose what they are interested in exploring, with a teacher's guidance."

Colby says many parents have misconceptions about how the program works and about how much structure is provided in the classroom environment, but that's often cleared up once they observe students in action.

"People often misinterpret the Montessori philosophy of 'follow the child,' " she noted. "It doesn't mean follow the child as they swing from the chandeliers. It means follow them in their intellectual and developmental growth."

Mancari, whose husband attended the school as a child, says the flexible learning environment has been a positive experience for her daughters.

"I like that my children have a place that's safe and comfortable, and that they are able to work at their own pace and ability without the pressure behind it," she said.