Montessori Radmoor School, Our History, Our Legacy

The Montessori Radmoor School, founded in 1968, practices the philosophy of education started by Dr. Maria Montessori.

As the first Montessori school in Mid-Michigan, our school started out with an enrollment of 18 children in an Okemos church.  In 1969 two more preschool classes were organized and the school moved to larger quarters in St. John’s East.  An elementary junior class was added to the program in the fall of 1973.

In July of 1974, after several years of searching, 8.5 acres of land on Mt. Hope road was purchased as the site for a future Montessori School.  A special permit was obtained from the Meridian Township, and the development campaign that had begun earlier in the year was expanded.  The school on Mt. Hope opened it’s doors on January 6th, 1976.

Our school continued its pattern of growth by expanding to an elementary program and opening an addition to the existing building on Sunday, May 3rd, 1981.  Almost ten years later the west wing was added to house the toddler program and a beautiful multi-purpose room.  January of 1990 marked the opening of the toddler program.

In 2003 a second toddler room and new entrance was added to the building.  After many years of planning and fundraising, our school constructed a greenhouse in 2010.  The greenhouse is entitled, “Serra Calda” and is incorporated into the curriculum of all our classrooms.  In 2012, we acquired adjoining property to the southwest corner of our property to further expand our precious green space.

Today, the Montessori Radmoor School enrolls approximately 140 children from ages 18 months to 12 years of age.  The two toddler programs, three preschool programs  and two elementary programs utilize the Montessori philosophy to cultivate and motivate from within the child, his or her own natural desire to learn.

All though Dr. Montessori died in 1952, her work continues.  We are proud to share in the dream of Dr. Montessori along with thee close 5,000 private and approximately 200 public Montessori schools in the United States.  Montessori schools exist around the world in Russia, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mexico, Columbia, India and many other countries.