D.L. the Administrator

I could write an essay on how my daughter joined PMS

"I could write an essay on how my daughter joined PMS in the last year and graduated from her primary class reading chapter books and doing long addition and subtraction with multiple numbers. She’s well beyond her kindergarten peers, and my younger son's pride in his...

At The Portland Montessori School, our kids learn to use buttons

"At The Portland Montessori School, our kids learn to use buttons, tie their shoes, juice an orange, crack nuts and cut bananas, clean up after themselves, identify odd and even numbers, sew, set their place at the table, pour their own milk, understand the value of...

Our son sincerely loves his guide

"Our son sincerely loves his guide, who shows him authentic kindness, warmth, and non-judgmental acceptance. Under her guidance, he has become a self-directed, competent, and curious learner who cares about the world and others around him."

The outdoor play area offered at The Portland Montessori School

"The outdoor play area offered at The Portland Montessori School is by far the best we saw in the city, and is a daily source of inspiration for imaginative play for our son. It is a beautiful, secluded-feeling wonderland and the children use it daily, rain or shine!"

The Portland Montessori School is a school with a heart

"The Portland Montessori School is a school with a heart. Each year, parents raise money to sustain scholarships that make the dream of a Montessori education a reality for families who could not otherwise afford it. That shows the true spirit of community at our...

If it’s true what Maria Montessori said

"If it's true what Maria Montessori said, that the test of the correctness of an educational approach is the happiness of the child, then this school is succeeding beyond our wildest dreams. Both our boys are so happy to go to school and so proud of their work."

I have taught in public schools for the past ten years

"I have taught in public schools for the past ten years, including six years in kindergarten, and I can attest that Montessori is different, special, and provides an optimum setting for children's growth and development."

What takes me aback every day is the exceptional commitment

"What takes me aback every day is the exceptional commitment of every single staff member to the nurturing environment that this school provides. The care, understanding, and compassion that they show is and unwavering and is unique to each and every child."

As parents, our ultimate goal is for our child to make independent

"As parents, our ultimate goal is for our child to make independent, healthy and confident choices so he can be a happy and productive person wherever he is in life. We are thankful he is with Miss Jennifer's elementary class and The Portland Montessori School...

Yesterday my second grader added 61 plus 61 in her head

"Yesterday my second grader added 61 plus 61 in her head and she's zipping through the Harry Potter series. So while the school doesn’t measure her progress with test scores, I can see how much she has learned, but more importantly, I can see and feel her excitement...

As the mom of identical (yet nothing alike) twins

"As the mom of identical (yet nothing alike) twins, we wanted a school community that would nurture their individual curiosities and interests and provide them the same lifelong love of learning that I have experienced as a Montessori student many years ago. We found...

Bringing the Prepared Environment Home

By Braden Pemberton Director of Admissions & Special Projects The basic tenants of a Montessori classroom posit that a space should be beautiful, accessible, organized, and limited. These framing ideas remove barriers to children while they pursue activities that...

Independence in the Primary Child: Let’s Let Them Walk

By Amy Williams, MA, DTR, RMT For many of our younger students, walking independently is a new skill.  It is necessary to practice as much as possible in order to refine balance and grace. Children are developing muscles, building self-confidence, developing...

The Kindergarten Year – Parent Panel

Editor's note - We held a parent education night, and invited current parents across our Primary and Elementary program to sit for a panel. Each panelist shared their thoughts and processes as they considered the decision to keep their children in the Primary program...

Diversity & Inclusion at TPMS

By Hanan Al-Zubaidy Member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee at TPMS Hello reader! I am writing this blog post as an on-call staff member at the Portland Montessori School. Recently at the school, a few staff members have formed a Diversity and Inclusion...

Saying No and Being Heard

By Dr. Becky Bailey In its simplest terms, saying “no” and being heard is called “assertiveness.” It is a key skill that both adults and children must cultivate in order to develop healthy relationships. Assertive commands focus on what you want to have happen, give...

How to Know When Development Is Going Awry

Written by Maren Schmidt on March 25th, 2017 “Is my child going through a stage, or is something wrong?” is a question that runs through our minds, usually in the wee hours of the morning. We worry because the question addresses the art of being a parent, that is,...

A Parent’s Perspective

To my fellow TPMS parents— As a new parent to TPMS, while my son is thriving in his classroom, I’m still trying to figure out my role as a parent at the school. Volunteer hours are required as part of our enrollment to keep us connected as a community and to help keep...

Grace and Courtesy

By Ana VanderPol, Primary Guide at The Portland Montessori School Being in a mini-community brings a lot of opportunities to practice using our words, and helping others learn whatever that may be. Sometimes we are part of another person’s learning. In our classroom,...