Whole Child Montessori Center is dedicated to providing an exceptional Montessori environment encompassing children, parents and teachers alike in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust, with a profound reverence for life, in order to inspire in each child’s innermost core a love of learning, self, others and the world.
Equity and Inclusion
Whole Child Montessori Center is committed to the work of creating and sustaining an inclusive, equitable, anti-bias, and anti-racist school environment supportive of all members of our community and all prospective members of our community. We see this effort as ongoing and evolving and essential to the achievement of our mission. We look to our community to engage with us in this work and to help ensure that the potential every young child holds as “both a hope and a promise for mankind” is fostered within a space and a community that is actively working to counter racism, bias, and inequity.
Whole Child has no religious affiliation and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, or gender identity or expression.
Registration and Affiliation
Whole Child is a recognized Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) school. The school is recorded with the state of Oregon and affiliated with the Oregon Montessori Association (OMA), the North American Montessori Teachers Association (NAMTA) and the Oregon Federation of Independent Schools (OFIS). Learn more about our Montessori program›
Our Staff
The Montessori teacher is the vital link between the child and the environment. Whether she is helping a child to initiate a familiar activity or giving a lesson in how to use a new material, the Montessori teacher always strives to recognize and respect the developmental progression and unique potential in each child. Her training enables her to observe in a careful and unobtrusive way, allowing her to guide each child in the activity best suited to that individual at that moment. In addition to bachelor’s degrees, our Montessori teachers hold diplomas from the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). AMI offers a rigorous graduate course in child development, Montessori philosophy and curriculum and is recognized internationally for maintaining the highest standards, philosophical integrity and professional training. Whole Child has very little teacher attrition and benefits greatly from highly experienced staff.
History
Whole Child began in the home of a Montessori-trained teacher and mother in 1983. Word of this little classroom with happily engaged children spread quickly, and soon the group doubled in size. One year later, the school moved out of the home and into classroom space at a local church. The parents of these children became a close community of friends united in their desire to be active parents wholly involved in their young children’s lives. They also shared a keen interest in learning more about Montessori and how to incorporate this approach at home. Their support and enthusiasm for the program provided the impetus for its growth.
In 1987, a second class was started. The dream for building a space specially designed for young children became a reality in 1989 when the school broke ground at its present location. In 1992, Whole Child took the important step of incorporating as a non-profit, 501(c)3 charitable organization to ensure the school’s perpetuity and hold it in trust for future generations of children. In keeping with its vision for the future, the school undertook re-designing its space in 2004 to add a Community Room, ADA accessibility and other amenities. Since its inception more than thirty years ago as the first Montessori program in inner-southeast Portland, Whole Child has maintained its commitment to strong parent and community involvement while providing a holistic Montessori education to hundreds of children.