Members of the community recently gathered, on August 16, 2018, to celebrate the newly finished addition at the Maria Montessori Charter School. Past, present and future students, parents and faculty were eager to be part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour the new space.
Special guests in attendance were: Director Rene Baker, along with Assistant Director Lana Pas and several Maria Montessori board members. Also, Representative Allen Christensen and North Ogden Council Members: Cheryl Stoker, Phil Swanson, Blake Cevering and Ryan Barker.
Nicoletta Householder, Instructional Coach for Maria Montessori, said, “It brings chills to me to be standing up here in this space. This Montessori School is very special to many of us.”
Householder goes on to say, “In 2008 we started the discussion of a charter Montessori school. It has been beautiful to watch and develop over the years. It brings tears to my eyes to be part of it. And to now know that this building we are standing in is the addition to what our original dream of this Montessori School was.”
In 2007-2008 the discussion began for what would eventually be the Maria Montessori Charter School. In 2010, when the Charter School opened, they began with an elementary program and then included the early childhood program. During these first years many parents were eager to have a junior high program.
With those discussions involving parents, the junior high journey began. The back of the building is where the first junior high students began who are now freshmen in college. At the time, there were no other Montessori middle school options north of Provo.
Unlike middle schools and high schools, MMA Junior High teaches practical life skills as well as grace and courtesy as they are incorporated and modeled throughout the learning process.
Director Rene Baker says, “We want students to understand their place in the world and the important role they play in it; therefore, we place much emphasis on field experiences.”
Additionally, Baker says, “The Montessori method encourages students to dive deeper into subjects in which they find interesting—one way that the learning experience is individualized. We do not teach students what to think but how to think.”
The Maria Montessori addition adds 11 classrooms and 69,000 square feet--almost doubling the original building. This new addition will house a proper music room with stage access and space to store instruments. A new art room has been added to allow for 1st-9th graders to engage in creativity.
The spacious hallways will allow student art to be displayed. The new kitchen will allow the addition of a USDA lunch program in the future. The science classroom has a lab space for safely conducting hands-on experiments.
Baker says, “Students in junior high cannot get lost or ‘fall through the cracks.’ Our program focuses on the whole child and incorporates practices that allow children to build lasting, meaningful relationships with a consistent adult that cares about them.”
Newest board member, Neil Gardener said, “We must express deep appreciation and sincere gratitude to our partners who helped with this project: “Silverpeak Engineering, One West Construction, City of North Ogden, Project Superintendent Mark Butler and several contractors, especially Skinner Excavation.
Art teacher Adria Yost, who has been in the portables for the last 4 years, is extremely grateful to have her own classroom.
“You have no idea. Tables that we don’t have to wipe down for reading to come in. We were just on top of each other for so long. This is just going to be a studio all day long.”
Loads of light spills through the windows and large block tables will allow the students to stretch out and do their artwork. Yost will teach all ages in her classroom, even down to early childhood.
Teacher Amy Otto, who has been with Maria Montessori Charter since it opened, says, “I love it here.”
Otto teaches the younger elementary children and one of her favorite things is the gratitude feast they have each year. The kiva (common space) closest to Miss Amy’s classroom is where they host all the parents and share what they’re grateful for.”
Baker concludes by saying, “One of the driving forces behind having this public charter school is the opportunity to bring a Montessori education to all people, as opposed to Montessori only available at great cost through private institutions.”
