Our School

Nurturing the spark of curiosity and confidence

Our exceptional teachers and beautiful learning environments bring the best of Montessori to your family. Bozeman Montessori is dedicated to providing children with the early foundation and love of learning they need to follow their hearts, make a difference, and truly thrive. 

Navigating life, uncertainty and a myriad of decisions can feel overwhelming. Our seasoned, Montessori trained teachers provide support as families navigate the complexities of the world in a safe, inspiring environment, intentionally designed for self discovery and learning.

• Our flourishing community is grounded in the belief that everyone has value and a part to play in the world as unique as they are.
• Our science based approach is responsive to the needs of individuals and supports the needs of human beings at every stage of life.
• In partnership, our seasoned method serves as a compass as families navigate their own journey.

Inclusive, engaging environment
+ Caring, professional staff

Bozeman Montessori has two locations, one on the north side of Bozeman near the intersection of Baxter Lane and Ferguson, and another on the south end of town off of Stucky near the Spire Climbing Center. Both locations share many features that are indicative of our love for children! With low sinks, toileting areas/bathrooms inside each classroom, and beautiful outdoor areas, we have honored key aspects that support quality care and education. All classrooms have an abundance of natural light and plants, and they incorporate other natural elements including wood, fiber, metal and a minimum of plastic. All classrooms include aquariums or other pets which our children love to observe and care for. Our top-of-the-line furniture and soft, natural colors create a cozy, home-like feeling that is consistent room to room. In every thoughtful detail, it’s clear that our facilities were purposefully designed to meet the emotional, physical and developmental needs of young children and their families.

North Campus

Our original location has been in operation since 2013. It is located on Equestrian Lane in the Baxter Meadows area of northwest Bozeman. This facility was built to suit and carefully designed by our founder utilizing Montessori principles. With beautiful, large windows and play yards just outside the classroom doors, this location includes a variety of mature trees, gardening boxes and easy access to trails and neighboring pocket parks nearby. It includes one classroom for toddlers and one for children ages three through six (which includes kindergarten).

South Campus

Our south campus near Montana State University borders a six-acre park and holds incredible views in all directions. After an extensive remodeling project on an existing commercial building, we opened our doors here in 2022 thanks to a generous grant which helped us to expand and serve more families in the Gallatin Valley. This location includes one classroom for infants, two for toddlers and two for children ages three through six (which includes kindergarten). 

Classroom sizes are a bit smaller in this location, which helps nurture a cozy feeling that our parents tell us they love. Outdoor spaces blend natural elements into a loose-parts plan that optimizes children’s creativity in outdoor play, along with garden boxes and shade trees. Inside, we have a school library, community room, and a large, sunny kitchen where our homemade meals are prepared on site.

This building is powered in part by large solar panels we added in 2023, and includes a large deck above the primary play yard.

Our High-Fidelity Montessori Program

Bozeman Montessori shares the following traits with other exceptional Montessori programs around the world.

Children are engaged peacefully and purposefully in a wide variety of activities.

Many parents are often surprised to see the calm environment of a Primary classroom; in fact, it is designed to help your child become her best self. We support his natural drive for independence by encouraging him to choose activities of interest, without interruption. The resulting feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction engender respect from the children towards others. Through “grace and courtesy” exercises, we teach children how to problem solve conflicts, how to act politely in various situations and how to be kind and helpful to their friends. The result is a cohesive community of young children.

It's a mixed age class.

Because the learning is individualized, your child can work at her own pace while participating in a mixed age classroom community. Younger children benefit from example, and learn from the activities of the older children, while each older child gains the self-confidence that comes with responsibility and leadership.

The children are very independent.

Often, children who don’t do things for themselves simply don’t know how or haven’t been given the chance. Here, children have both. We carefully teach your child how to care for her own needs and provide opportunities to practice and improve. When she can successfully care for herself and the environment in which she lives, her demeanor becomes one of self-accomplishment and self-confidence.

The learning takes place through the child’s own activity.

A MACTE-certified Montessori teacher is trained to introduce your child to many activities and concepts each day, based upon her unique development. The learning, however, is not so much taking place in the lesson, as it is through independent activity when she comes back to explore it, repeat it and perfect it.

The classroom is child-centered, not teacher-centered.

Unlike traditional classrooms, where your child is expected to pay rapt attention to the teacher, in the Primary classroom the teacher is trained to observe each individual child. You won’t see a Montessori teacher standing in front of the classroom writing on a chalkboard, but rather down at your child’s level, engaged with her or a small group.

The curriculum is highly individualized.

The teacher is trained to recognize and respect the unique potentials operating within your child, and strives to connect him to the activity best suited to him at that moment. The art of being a Montessori teacher is in finding the activity that combines both interest and the right level challenge – not too hard and not too easy. In this classroom, your child will become engaged with an activity, increasing her ability to focus and concentrate.

A wide variety of beautiful, hands-on learning materials help children learn.

The scientifically designed materials help to develop a new skill or reveal a new concept through your child’s use and exploration. Some provide the opportunity to perfect the practical skills of caring for her own needs or for the classroom environment. Some enrich her vocabulary and open the door to writing, reading, and the parts of speech. Others build on your child’s natural interest in counting and introduce an understanding of the decimal system and the processes of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Some encourage artistic self-expression through the introduction of skills and media. Use of the materials builds a foundation of concrete experiences of abstract concepts, such as mathematics, assisting your child to a deeper level of understanding.

While most of the morning and afternoon is spent in self-directed activity, there are also times in the day for group activities and play.

The teacher may gather a group for songs and stories about social, biological, geographical, and historical themes of interest and your child will have a choice to participate or continue on with his activity. Indoor classroom space extends to a safe and contained outdoor environment with gardens and activities, so your child can work outdoors. Our school also incorporates an outdoor play yard for large motor activity and play.

Each classroom is led by a Montessori-credentialed guide, supported by at least two other teachers.

An MACTE-certified Primary teacher has completed a rigorous eighteen-month graduate level course of study in child development and Montessori philosophy according to standards set forth by Dr. Montessori. Each lead guide is trained to guide a classroom of about 28 children. The supporting classroom teachers round out each classroom team.