Welcome to Mad River Montessori! Our school is a nonprofit corporation providing an early childhood education program for children between two years and nine months and six years of age. We are guided by the philosophy of Maria Montessori, and our goal is to educate the Whole Child: physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. Mad River Montessori offers a variety of activities within the Montessori framework. Within the prepared environment a professionally trained staff works to create a nurturing atmosphere that encourages each child’s growth toward independence, inner discipline, a natural love of learning and an appreciation of life. Activities include experiences in the areas of Practical Life activities, Sensorial exploration, Language development, Mathematics, Art, Music, Physical and Biological Science, and Geography.

—Dr. Maria Montessori

"The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." 

 Mad River Montessori offers a Half Day Session for children two, three, and four years old. These children attend school Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The school also offers an Extended Day Session for all children. Children in the Extended Day Session attend school Monday thru Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00-3:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

The Montessori program is sequential and the early experiences of the youngest children in the Practical Life and Sensorial areas become the foundation for the more advanced work offered to the older children in the areas of math, science and language. Our observations of children have shown us that children receive the most benefit from our program when they begin between two and a half and three and a half years of age and continue for the full three or four year cycle (through the kindergarten year) until they are five or six years old. We seldom accept children who are four years old or older unless they have had prior Montessori experience. The Extended Day is an important part of our educational program and parents must agree to make the necessary financial and scheduling arrangements for their child to attend the Extended Day Session when the Educational Director/Teacher decides the child is developmentally ready for the longer day.

Mad River Montessori School DSS-CCL License Number 123007301 admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded to or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and/or athletic or other school-administered programs.”