• Ms. Sunita's class had the opportunity to learn about the South American country Ecuador during a presentation from Carol Ramsey, Sophia and Alana's mother. The children loved the photos of the mountains and old-fashioned trains they got to see.
• Kalki and Ashok’s mother, Nishamathi Pradeepkumar, gave a wonderful presentation on India to Ms. Sunita’s class on August 19th. We learned about the colorful culture of India, and the students were even given bindis as a reminder of what they learned!
• On September 21st, Ms. Ali’s class was treated to a presentation on woodworking from Ron Chandler, Riley’s dad. The students were fascinated by all the different types of tools used to construct things out of wood.
• Anna Garcia, Jase’s mother, spoke to Ms. Sunita’s class about Mexico. She brought maracas so we could play some traditional Mexican music, and we were even shown some Mexican games. It was an enjoyable time for all.
• On September 27th, the children of 1903 were excited to hear about being a lawyer from John Scott’s mother, Shelly Gray. We learned about the law and how we can find it in our everyday lives. Everyone learned a lot!
• On Wednesday, September 28th, Anjeanette Watkins, an industrial engineer, taught us about the way mail gets from one place to another. It was an enlightening experience for the whole class.
• Maceo’s mother, Jeanette Cross, told the students of 1905 all about her job as a doctor. The whole class was fascinated by the stethoscopes and other instruments that we use to listen to our bodies.
• Armin Vit, Maya’s father and a graphic designer, gave a very interesting presentation to Ms. Ali’s class on his job. We learned all about where the images we see everyday come from.
• Shanna Barry gave a wonderful presentation on September 28th about her job as a nurse. The class learned lots of different ways to stay healthy all year long.
• Damon and Nanette Flowers, the parents of Summit and Sage, taught us all about communication in their absorbing presentation. The opportunity to chat with children in India by way of Skype was an unforgettable experience for our class.
• On October 3rd, Nathan’s mother Angela Vogeli spoke to the class of 1903 about her job as a lawyer. It was great for the children to think about what great jobs such as this they can look forward to when they grow up.
• Joseph Di Giovanni, Miranda’s father, gave an interesting presentation on his job as an engineer. It really made our class think about how things that we see everyday are built.
Northwest Montessori House of Children 25th Anniversary Celebration May 29, 2009
On May 29, 2009, Northwest Montessori was proud to celebrate its 25th Anniversary serving students and families of Austin, Texas. In honor of the occasion, we all gathered for an evening of song and celebration, and took the opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved over the past twenty-five years. We were joined by our incredible students, past and present, the parents who have become a part of our family, the teachers who make Northwest Montessori the school that it is, and all the friends who have meant so much to us over the year. It was a truly magical night, and we are so proud of all the students who worked so hard to put together a wonderful show. The festivities included presentations from all 115 of our currents students, a dance performance, moments of reflection from former students, and closing remarks from our esteemed Executive Director, Ms. Shireen de Silva.
In 1981, Shireen immigrated to Austin from Sri Lanka with her husband Kenneth and two daughters. Her dream was to make a difference in the lives of others, specifically children. In April 1984, her dream became a reality. With the support of her husband, Shireen established a small Montessori school with a modest twelve-student enrollment and named it Northwest Montessori House of Children. Through the years, more students, parents and teachers have joined this family in making Northwest Montessori a locally respected and state recognized educational establishment.
Since its founding, Northwest Montessori House of Children has been dedicated to the intellectual growth and development of more than one thousand students aged 18 months to 6 years. Northwest Montessori supplies the necessary tools and skills children need to confidently continue their educational careers in order to reach their utmost potential and ability.
Northwest Montessori takes pride in its three adjacent campuses and its commitment to a unique, multi-cultural learning environment. Just as Maria Montessori's teaching methods are found in schools all over the world, so we are privileged to welcome students into our school from every culture and creed. Our current students come from over fifteen different countries as varied as India, Brazil, Russia, Ethiopia, China and Australia. We believe exposing our students to such cultural diversity inspires within them a desire to live compassionately and with an open mind. Ultimately, our love for children and the unwavering support of the Austin community helps Northwest Montessori continue to provide a place where children can dream, hope, and aspire to become intelligent, active members of the global community.
We are so grateful to everyone who has helped make our school a successful, positive environment that nurtures our future teachers, scientists, doctors and artists. Thank you for a wonderful twenty-five years!
25th Anniversary Celebration Pictures
Picture Slideshow
Upcoming Events
• January 13th - Blue Day
• January 16th - MLK Day (School Closed)
• January 20th - Pajama Day
• January 27th - Red Day
Important Alerts
On Monday, January 16th, the school will be closed in remembrance of Martin Luther King Day.
Parents' Reviews
"Dear Staff and Teachers of NWM,
We wanted to say a big "Thank You" to all of you for being Anderson's home-away-from-home for the last year. You may know that Anderson had a rough start to his life, being abandoned as a young boy with unaddressed medical issues, his life could have taken a very sad route. When we got him home, we took a leap of faith and enrolled him in school shortly after. At that point he couldn't speak English, and was still in a cast for his foot problems.
Almost immediately after he started at NWM we noticed how happy is was to go each day and how easily he made friends and we knew we made the right decision. We feel the teachers, staff and other children there have made an enormous impact on his life. He is so confident, lively, curious, optimistic and happy...qualities that will carry on with him in every aspect of his life. He can now count to 100, write his name and more, is fluent in English and is not far from reading. Thank you for helping instill him with these values and challenging him to be a great student and citizen. He's so proud of his Memory Book you sent him home with, and still talks about the "Life-cycle of a Ladybug" from the Science Fair. Take care and thank you again!
Sincerely,
Anna Uliassi & Jason Friday"
"My daughter went to this school when she was 2.5 years till she was 5 yrs. She is now 8 yrs. She used to be a skittish little girl, afraid of doing most things. But now she had blossomed and grown to be a well-rounded girl. She has done really well in elementary school so far because of her Montessori background. It is not just the materials that she got exposed to, but also the great learning habits that the teachers instilled. The best part about this school is that it has the right amount of balance between structure and fun/free activities. This school has worked so well for our daughter that we are now sending our son to go there. And he loves it."
"Having an extensive background in education research, my husband and I had high expectations for any pre-school program we would select for our twin boys. Over two years later, we are still quite happy that we followed the advice of another parent to give the program a try. The teachers are all very experienced, and provide structure and support while still being nurturing. Additionally, they help children value education and become motivated independent learners. My children gained many skills in the program, both academic and social. I feel they will be heading into Kindergarten way ahead of the curve. I highly recommend this program!"
"We are always amazed (but no longer surprised) when Liam beams with pride after he learns how to spell new words we didn't teach him at home. The teachers at NWM are not only talented and dedicated, they truly care about all their students."
"Over the years that my son has been at Northwest Montessori House of Children, we have come to love this school, and would recommend it to all parents. What is best is that the teachers and staff seem to love what they do. Along with being firm with the children, they are friendly and affectionate, providing them with a loving, cheerful and encouraging environment. The science fair in my son's class this year was a truly amazing experience. Each of the 30+ children had their own experiment which they presented and shared with their families and some local experts. My son articulated the complete functioning of a doorbell with authority. We were amazing to see how much the children knew not only about their own experiments, but also those of their classmates. I have found that here at Northwest Montessori, they provide the children with a stimulating environment that truly hones their love for learning."
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