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OUR MISSION
Founded in 1983, Woodinville Montessori School is a community of lifelong learners dedicated to facilitating the optimal intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual development of children using Montessori and contemporary educational methods.
Our vision is of a community that nurtures creative, conscientious and productive individuals committed to caring for themselves, one another, humanity and the environment in an ever-changing global society.

Description:
SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY AND CURRICULUM
The purpose of our school is to facilitate all aspects of growth: mental, physical, social, emotional and spiritual, by allowing children to exercise their natural curiosity, and to follow their interests within a varied and stimulating environment, in an atmosphere of love and respect, under the guidance of skilled teachers, to inspire a passion for excellence and a lifelong love of learning. At all levels, the development of strong personal values and respect for others are major goals. Children are encouraged to become attuned to their feelings and adept at expressing them. In this type of environment, they are free to become individuals who can live their lives with confidence, respect, responsibility, and in harmony with others.
We operate according to the educational guidelines prescribed by Dr. Maria Montessori. From her physiological studies and observations of children, she provided us with scientifically designed learning materials and a unique method of education which we feel most appropriately fit the varied learning needs of young people. Contemporary research in brain development and learning theory has affirmed that her observations were extraordinarily accurate. In areas where research or cultural mandate have given us compelling reason to expand or update what Maria Montessori left in place, we have done so after careful evaluation and discussion.
The Early Childhood program is designed to utilize the unique learning abilities of the child from three to six. Montessori observed, and research has confirmed, that this is a critical time for learning. She recommended a rich and orderly environment for children of this age to take advantage of their ability to absorb information effortlessly through their senses. The many activities and experiences offered in these classrooms are designed to help young children in their drive to develop independence, lengthen concentration, refine their large and small motor coordination, and organize their sensory impressions. At the same time, the activities are presented in such a way that children develop work habits that allow them to take on ever more complex tasks.
As skills fall into place, children are able to move into more academic pursuits. Pre-arithmetic skills of sorting, sequencing and matching prepare for counting and working with symbols. Rich language experiences prepare the child to learn sounds, assemble them into words, then begin to compose sentences, and finally, to read them to others. Art, music, movement and carefully designed activities in basic science and cultural studies complete this curriculum. As children explore these materials, children are also learning basic social skills and how to function confidently away from family. Please read the “Parent’s Guide to the Montessori Classroom” that you are given at registration and plan to attend curriculum information nights to gain a deeper understanding of the curriculum for this age level.
The Montessori Elementary program provides the six- to twelve-year-old child limitless opportunities to apply his or her great powers of imagination and capacity for hard work toward a growing appreciation for the wonders of the universe and all that has happened before this period of time. The deeper concentration, increased attention span, good organizational skills and self-direction that are often a result of the Montessori Early Childhood classroom allow these children to take on some rather complex projects.
The Elementary child is also ready for the transition from concrete to abstract thinking. Once the basic skills of math and reading are mastered, the advanced Montessori materials introduce the children to new dimensions in grammar, composition, mathematical operations, geometry, algebra, natural science, history, and geography.
The Montessori Elementary classroom is a resource center to be used by the student/scientist to research any and all fields of knowledge. Students continue to benefit from mixed age groupings with children of diverse skills and ages ready to assume the role of teacher or learner, leader or follower, depending on their ability. The Elementary Curriculum guide you receive at your visitation to the school, the curriculum nights held during the year, and the information sent out by teachers are all designed to help you become familiar with this wonderful way of learning.
This 2004-5 school year, Woodinville Montessori offers students, ages 12-15, an opportunity to continue their Montessori education in our Junior High Program, designed to integrate current research in human development, the trends and issues in education, and the Montessori philosophy. The goal is to provide opportunities for these fortunate adolescents to gain self-knowledge and self-confidence, to belong to a community, to be academically challenged and competent in meeting those challenges, to be flexible and adaptable, and to create a vision for their personal future. The program is based on the model developed by Dr. Betsy Coe at School of the Woods in Houston,Texas.
ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Assessment at all levels is accomplished by regular observation of each student’s progress towards competency in all subject areas at all levels.
The Elementary student’s application of skills in daily work and special projects is evaluated by both the student and teacher, and results communicated to parents via conference and narrative reports. Students, parents and teachers will participate in a goal setting conference at the beginning of the year. Students will also participate in the fall parent conferences beginning this year. The written reports sent home in January and June are accompanied by collections of the student’s work. This authentic assessment gives a truer picture of student achievement than grades, which measure performance in limited ways and do not reflect progress made as a result of correcting errors. Mastery learning becomes the goal as the child matures and enters the upper level. Work is repeated in an area until the student shows that the desired objectives have been attained.
From third year Elementary onward, standardized tests are administered to students once per year to help them develop the skills needed for test taking. Students in Upper Elementary (grades 4 – 6) also take tests in other subject areas so that they can become familiar with this mode of assessment that will be so frequently used in their future educational experiences.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SCHOOL
• To provide an environment that is clean, safe and attractive.
• To maintain the standards and licensing required by state, county and city agencies, and the standards set by American Montessori Society.
• To provide a program that is stimulating, developmentally appropriate and the best use of the school’s resources.
• To provide teachers who are exceptional in guiding, observing and caring for children and in the excellence of their professional skills.
• To remain committed to professional growth of our staff, and openness to new ideas and research.
• To provide opportunities for parent-school partnerships and participation in activities of the larger community.
• To communicate regularly with parents so that they are fully informed about all issues affecting them or their child.

History:
Mary Schneider and Sheri Nick founded Woodinville Montessori School in 1983. Their purpose was to educate their own, and other children in an environment where excellence in education was of primary concern. They believed that the Montessori philosophy offered the ideal methodological support for that goal, and Woodinville, with its growing population of young families was a good location in which to build a school.

First Class Launched
The first Early Childhood class had six children at the beginning of the year, and seventeen by June. School was held in a rented house in downtown Woodinville near what is now Wilmont Gateway Park.

A search was begun for a piece of land on which to build a larger facility so that plans could proceed to build an elementary school. It was clearly a necessity for the future security of the school that they become their own landlords.

Present Day Woodinville Campus Developed

In October 1984, the Nicks made a preliminary offer to purchase two and a half acres of the Kaplan property on 140th at NE 166th Street. In September 1986, after the arduous process of securing permits and erecting a building, the school moved into a beautiful new building with two full preprimary classes, and a fledgling, state accredited elementary class of three, first through fourth graders. By September 1987, the size of enrollment in the elementary class allowed plans to proceed for a second building for them.

By October 1988, that building was ready for occupancy. The school leased the two buildings and land from the Nicks from that date until the present.

The 1999-2000 school year was one of reflection and self-evaluation in preparation for the retirement of founder Sheri Nick in June of 2001. Faculty and parents were invited to share their ideas for the future in preparation for the first exercise in strategic planning, to be completed the following year.

New Board of Trustees
The school undertook the rewriting of the school's bylaws in order to move the governing of the school from the sole control of the founders and their spouses to a Board of Trustees. This was an essential step in safeguarding the future of the school. As now, the founders hoped to see the school and its programs last long into the future with continual progress made towards becoming the very best Montessori School possible. In conjunction with the drafting of the bylaws, the founders with the input of faculty, drafted a blueprint of their vision and beliefs to help the Board follow the same decision making process that guided all decisions from the beginning.

The year 2000-2001 saw the creation of a new Board of Trustees, their training and first strategic planning session. In addition to developing working procedures for all aspects of board function and reorganizing the Parent Association, the board began to grapple with the need to find additional space for our elementary program.

Expansion to North Creek

Additional space was leased in the North Creek Corporate Center and the Elementary program was relocated there in the fall of 2002. The former elementary classrooms were transformed into two new preschool classrooms. Two additional preschool classrooms were added at the North Creek Campus.
Junior High Program Launched
Our Junior High program was initiated for the 2003-2004 school year. Staff member Sharon Dunn completed the training for the adolescent program at Houston Montessori Center, and started with a group of ten new seventh- and eighth-graders. Ninth-grade curriculum was added and Alaine Owsley Davis joined the teaching staff in Junior High in 2004-2005. There are currently twenty-five students in the program.

Accreditation by PNAIS and AMS
During 2003-2005, our attention turned to scrutinizing all components of the school, including mission and vision, programs, staff, administration, governance, finances, health and safety, and facilities as part of our self-study for accreditation. We hosted a team of evaluators from the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS) and the American Montessori Society in February, 2005, and after meeting their condition of expanding administrative staff, we were granted joint accreditation in spring of 2006.

Expansion at North Creek
The year 2006 saw the addition of a school library and expansion of the North Creek campus, allowing for an additional Lower El classroom, accommodating growing Upper El and Junior High classrooms, and providing much needed space for administrative staff.

Contact person: Marianne Lambert, Director Of Advancement, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (425) 482-3186

Address:

19102 North Creek Parkway South Suite 100 Bothell, WA 98011 This location is handicap accessible (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.woodinvillemontessori.org

Directions:

North Creek - Bothell Campus 19102 North Creek Parkway Suite 100 Bothell, WA 98011 tel:(425) 482-3184 fax: (425) 482-3186 wmsadmin@woodinvillemontessori.org To North Creek, Bothell Campus from I-405 North or South: Take Beardslee Blvd/195th exit (exit 24) from I-405. From the south turn right or from. . . (more)

Miscellaneous Information

Liability
	Yes
Does your organization welcome court-ordered community service volunteers?
	No
Does your organization have volunteer positions for youth 12-18?
	No