Montessori School observes 35 years in Wooster

In September 1984 Children’s House Montessori began in Wooster in a two-story Victorian house across the street from Cornerstone Elementary School. The house was leased from the First Presbyterian Church.

Founder Margaret Thomas began the school that year and enrolled 14 children in a morning-only session. Two years later an extended day program was added for 5-year-old children.

The environment was created to be a true children’s house following the vision of Italian educator and medical doctor Maria Montessori, according to Joe Edinger, head of school.

After several moves over the years, the school is now located at 1170 Akron Road across from the former Rubbermaid factory. The small Children’s House has grown into a thriving institution, serving preschool through middle school children from Ashland, Holmes and Wayne counties. This year 180 students attend the school, and 28 teachers and assistants comprise its staff.

Even with that growth, Edinger said, the focus of school remains the same. “Everything at our school is individualized. We still have an educational core like the public schools, but here when the individual is ready to move on, they can at their own pace,” he said.

The Montessori School of Wooster will celebrate 35 years of Montessori education in Wooster at its annual dinner at Wooster High School on March 1.

The dinner will begin at 4:30 p.m. During the meal there will be raffles, a silent auction and entertainment provided by the school’s youngest students.

Following the meal, guests will move into the auditorium to recognize those who have been a part of the school’s past. The announcement of the raffle and auction winners will follow the student concert.

The Montessori method is an approach to education that emphasizes the potential of the “whole child.” The goal is to help each child to become a life-long learner. This is done by building upon his or her interests, nurturing enthusiasm and making activities that fit the individual’s needs.

“The Montessori method cultivates an environment where children build respect both for themselves and for others and their world,” Edinger said.

Montessori materials facilitate the learning of skills and lead to the learning of abstract ideas. The teacher, or “directress/director,” is the designer of the environment, resource person, record keeper and a meticulous observer of each student.

Edinger said Dr. Montessori was one of the first female doctors in Italy, and as such, most of their culture didn’t allow her to practice at that time.

Montessori’s great contribution, however, was in the field of education.

“She recognized that the child goes through different periods of great developmental sensitivity. She structured an environment where children learned through observation and repeated practice with manipulative materials,” Edinger said.

The mission at the Montessori School of Wooster is to provide a hands-on, individualized Montessori program that fosters self-confidence and creative thinking in an environment of peace, respect and compassion.

Edinger said the anniversary event will take a team effort. “We are looking for donated items and services for the auction, need volunteers for the event, and of course participants,” he said.

The schedule of events at the dinner include registration opening and picking up preordered meal tickets at registration tables upon entering at 4 p.m.; the meal from Bombay Sitar or El Tapatio (meals are preordered with limited walk-up meals available), the silent auction, a raffle and reverse raffle ticket sales from 4:30-6 p.m.; Drama Club presenting "Fairy Tale News" in the commons area at 5 p.m.; toddler music entertainment and the reverse raffle at 5:30 p.m.; the auction and raffle ending and students and families moving to the auditorium at 6 p.m.; recognition of alumni and staff (past and present) at 6:15 p.m.; a student performance at 6:30 p.m.; the auction and raffle winners being announced at 7 p.m.; and cashiers opening to accept auction payments from 7:15-7:45 p.m.

Edinger said the school also would like help spreading the word, contacting alumni and hearing more about what Montessori has meant to them.

The school is working to capture its history in a written and video format. Edinger said people can use the links on the school’s website at www.woomontessori.org to share their stories, order meals, become an event sponsor, purchase raffle tickets, volunteer and donate.

The school is looking for corporate and personal sponsors for the event.

“People’s attendance and support will help us to tell this story to future generations,” Edinger said.

Wooster High School is located at 515 Oldman Road in Wooster.