Today, Stoneridge Children’s Montessori School is an independent, co-educational school serving children of 20 months in age through Eighth Grade. The School has grown from a parent/teacher co-operative with an enrollment of 41 students and a staff of six to a school governed by Board of Trustees with an enrollment of more than 180 students, a staff of more than 30 dedicated teachers and administrators, and a budget of almost 2 million dollars. It has nine classrooms – one Toddler class (2 – 3 years), four Children’s House classes (3 – 6 years), two Elementary I classes (grades 1 – 3), two Elementary II classes (grades 4 – 6), and one Middle School class (grades 7 and 8). The homeroom class size is 20 students and the average teacher/student ratio is one-to-ten. Over the years, the School has changed dramatically in its size, in its appearance, and yet—like that infant turned child turned adolescent turned adult—in many ways it remains the same.

From the outset, Stoneridge Children’s Montessori School embraced the philosophy established by Dr. Maria Montessori and implemented her methodology in its classrooms. The founders recognized the intrinsic value in the ideas she espoused and used her philosophy and methodology as an organizing principle. The aim of the parents, staff, and trustees was and is to build a school, programs, and community that are internally consistent with the fundamental tenets of Montessori philosophy and methodology.

At Stoneridge Children’s Montessori School education is child-centered with prepared classroom environments in which the children are encouraged to explore, experience, and grow through “hands-on” work. Our teachers are gifted, dedicated Montessorians, skilled observers and well versed in child development. Our administrators understand that leadership is an honor and service a privilege. Together we recognize that the child brings us great hope and new vision. We work to educate children to their fullest potential by instilling independence, teaching interdependence, and promoting social responsibility. We believe that through education, through our work with children, there is much that we can do individually and collectively to bring humanity to a deeper understanding, to a higher well being, to a greater spirituality. We quietly, thoughtfully, and deliberately rededicate the School and ourselves to service of the child, Montessori ideals, and the belief that education is the strongest armament of peace.