Sourdough Montessori School
Bozeman, Montana
A little boy and his mother recently arrived for what was to be their first visit to Sourdough. They had been to several other schools doing the practice most parents know all too well – the hunt for the right pre-school, but all it took for little Luca to know he had arrived at his desired destination was to enter our front gate and behold our backyard. “We’re home!” he exclaimed to his somewhat startled mother as each took-in the scene which spread before them as if in a dream, no doubt a magical one for the sight of so many children playing so joyfully and otherwise behaving with such utter abandon – and it was all o.k.
And so it is with me every time I come back to Sourdough, for it does indeed feel like home, and a magical one at that. Perhaps this is because as the child of the founders of our school who attended as a student in our first class of 1997, Sourdough has always felt like something of my own. It's not just that I can still see my six year old handprint burnished in the concrete we laid long ago by the downstairs entrance, but more the way the school has always reflected who I am and what I believe in as both an educator and a person. Even when I was gone from Bozeman, (I taught in Seattle for many years), my connection to the school never wavered. Perhaps this is because I could see how the values and ideals my parents vested in the school from the start not only survived but grew in meaning over time. Perhaps this is because as my own relationship with the extended Sourdough community (former and current parents and kids and staff) has evolved, Sourdough has come to feel like something of a second family.
All of which is a good thing. And not just for me, because to the extent our school does feel like a home-away-from-home for our students, in the way it is a safe and nurturing place, and in the way our children come to develop a level of comfort at Sourdough that enables them to “be themselves” at school - it only enhances the overall learning experience we are trying to create.
So what is it that makes Sourdough so, if you will, homey, and what makes the connection so strong between our school and our students (and their families)? It is a question with many answers. For some it is our overall site. We sit nestled in Sourdough Canyon in a picturesque nook of rolling hills and open space that is nothing short of enchanting. For some, (like Luka no doubt), it is our yard, and all the fun things one can do in it. For others, the wealth of materials both inside and out, and the fascinating lessons and activities we do at school is reason enough to feel a passion for Sourdough. For me, it is our staff, which collectively and consistently possess not just a talent for education, but a genuine care for the welfare of our students and their families that is nothing short of inspiring.
Of course the best way to see what I describe is to pay us a visit. Only then will you and your child be able to experience what Luka felt the first time he came to our school, and what I feel every time I come home to Sourdough.
The key to the Montessori experience is the environment. As Dr. Maria Montessori explained, “the child learns to function independently and direct themselves through their will . . . not because adults teach but because the child creates. Thus, learning is not something acquired by listening to others, but in virtue of experiences in which the child acts on their environment”. It is in the spirit of this belief, (that the quality of the environment is central to the child’s overall learning experience), that it has been our school’s stated mission since 1997 to provide – to the best of our ability - the finest pre-school possible for our students and their families. To us, that means offering a nurturing environment that is as safe and comforting as it is fun and stimulating. A place where each child is free to discover, in their own unique way, the pure joy of learning.
Our environment is as unique as we are. Visit us at our real site and I’m guessing you will immediately see why. In the mean time, and on behalf of our entire staff, welcome to our web site! I hope you find your virtual tour both meaningful and informative, but if you do have questions, please contact us at the school.
Annie Josephs
Director
Sourdough Montessori School
Bozeman, Montana
A little boy and his mother recently arrived for what was to be their first visit to Sourdough. They had been to several other schools doing the practice most parents know all too well – the hunt for the right pre-school, but all it took for little Luca to know he had arrived at his desired destination was to enter our front gate and behold our backyard. “We’re home!” he exclaimed to his somewhat startled mother as each took-in the scene which spread before them as if in a dream, no doubt a magical one for the sight of so many children playing so joyfully and otherwise behaving with such utter abandon – and it was all o.k.
And so it is with me every time I come back to Sourdough, for it does indeed feel like home, and a magical one at that. Perhaps this is because as the child of the founders of our school who attended as a student in our first class of 1997, Sourdough has always felt like something of my own. It's not just that I can still see my six year old handprint burnished in the concrete we laid long ago by the downstairs entrance, but more the way the school has always reflected who I am and what I believe in as both an educator and a person. Even when I was gone from Bozeman, (I taught in Seattle for many years), my connection to the school never wavered. Perhaps this is because I could see how the values and ideals my parents vested in the school from the start not only survived but grew in meaning over time. Perhaps this is because as my own relationship with the extended Sourdough community (former and current parents and kids and staff) has evolved, Sourdough has come to feel like something of a second family.
All of which is a good thing. And not just for me, because to the extent our school does feel like a home-away-from-home for our students, in the way it is a safe and nurturing place, and in the way our children come to develop a level of comfort at Sourdough that enables them to “be themselves” at school - it only enhances the overall learning experience we are trying to create.
So what is it that makes Sourdough so, if you will, homey, and what makes the connection so strong between our school and our students (and their families)? It is a question with many answers. For some it is our overall site. We sit nestled in Sourdough Canyon in a picturesque nook of rolling hills and open space that is nothing short of enchanting. For some, (like Luka no doubt), it is our yard, and all the fun things one can do in it. For others, the wealth of materials both inside and out, and the fascinating lessons and activities we do at school is reason enough to feel a passion for Sourdough. For me, it is our staff, which collectively and consistently possess not just a talent for education, but a genuine care for the welfare of our students and their families that is nothing short of inspiring.
Of course the best way to see what I describe is to pay us a visit. Only then will you and your child be able to experience what Luka felt the first time he came to our school, and what I feel every time I come home to Sourdough.
The key to the Montessori experience is the environment. As Dr. Maria Montessori explained, “the child learns to function independently and direct themselves through their will . . . not because adults teach but because the child creates. Thus, learning is not something acquired by listening to others, but in virtue of experiences in which the child acts on their environment”. It is in the spirit of this belief, (that the quality of the environment is central to the child’s overall learning experience), that it has been our school’s stated mission since 1997 to provide – to the best of our ability - the finest pre-school possible for our students and their families. To us, that means offering a nurturing environment that is as safe and comforting as it is fun and stimulating. A place where each child is free to discover, in their own unique way, the pure joy of learning.
Our environment is as unique as we are. Visit us at our real site and I’m guessing you will immediately see why. In the mean time, and on behalf of our entire staff, welcome to our web site! I hope you find your virtual tour both meaningful and informative, but if you do have questions, please contact us at the school.
Annie Josephs
Director
