Montessori World of Children
1080 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404
Telephone: (423) 622-6366; Fax: (423) 622-6515
History and
Philosophy
The Montessori World of Children was founded in 1981 by Tom and Bobbe
Spink with the help of many dedicated parents. It grew from one preschool
class and one elementary class to include a toddler class and a full elementary
school offering grades 1-6. The staff currently consists of 15 teachers,
specialists and directors. The total enrollment of 125 includes children
from the Hixson, Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Ooltewah, North Georgia,
Dalton and Cleveland areas.
The Montessori World of Children has an open admission policy, serving the needs of all ethnic and religious groups, and most academic student capabilities from mildly disabled to gifted.
Over the years, the school has come to represent the best of educational innovation, with its goals firmly rooted in traditional curriculum and high moral standards, but with visionary branches reaching into our children's 21st century world. A true sense of community - parents, students, and staff as supporting members of the same team - completes the picture, offering a unique learning experience for all involved.
Montessori education takes a different approach to learning, which can
best be appreciated through first-hand experience. Many people, including
professional educators, misunderstand the concepts. Observation of a class
in action explains more than any amount of reading. The Montessori World
of Children welcomes observers.
Who Was Montessori?
At the San Francisco - Panama Exposition of 1915, a glass-walled Montessori
classroom quickly became the most popular exhibit at the fair. As thousands
of visitors stared, two dozen children remained absorbed with what they
were doing, some of them remaining with the task long after the class moved
on to communal projects. The children appeared to be discussing their work
and helping each other like adults, although no child was more than six
years old. The woman responsible for this remarkable classroom was Dr.
Maria Montessori, Italy's first female physician.
Dr. Montessori's background in psychiatry, along with her remarkable,
proven progress with retarded children, led her to develop and apply her
principles to normal children. The results she achieved were so impressive,
Dr. Montessori became known throughout the world. Since 1929, there have
been Montessori schools in all of the inhabited continents. There are well
over 3000 Montessori schools, public as well as private, in the United
States today.
Toddler
Program
We provide a loving, healthy, and safe environment that is enriched
and designed to meet your toddler's growing and changing mental, motor,
social, and emotional needs.
Our program was created to help you provide the best possible environment
for your child while you work or take that necessary break for yourself
Preschool
Program
The Montessori preschool program flourishes under the guidance of a
Montessori directress in a "prepared environment", which nourishes the
"formative periods" of the child's life. During the years between three
and six, children easily learn the skills of writing, reading and arithmetic
which they find fascinating.
Activities in the preschool classroom include "practical life" exercises, early language and number work, introduction to cultures and geography, art and music activities, and the observation and understanding of nature.
The Montessori preschool classroom is a special place where magical
things happen for the child.
This warm and exciting educational environment features a hands-on, experimental approach to learning. This enables the student to move from simple to complex tasks, and from concrete to abstract ideas, whether in math, science, language, or any other area.
The student leaves the Montessori elementary program with the self-image
of a capable learner and contributor, and with an optimistic vision of
his or her own future.
After your tour, you are asked to observe our program. Observation gives
you the best view of how the program works and how our teachers interact
with the children. Afterward, you will meet with one of our directors who
will answer questions and provide more information. Anytime after your
observation, you may turn in your application.
Office:
Business Director: Carol Lumpkin
Office Manager: Elaine MatherlyToddlers
Head Teacher: Kristi Tortora
Assistant: Ruth Turner
Preschool -1
Head Teacher: Carol Lumpkin
Assistant: Susan CaseyPreschool -2
Head Teacher: LeNet Parker
Assistant: Susan RoebuckPreschool -3
Head Teacher: Heather Nix
Assistant: Becky Montgomery
Lower Elementary
Head Teacher: Bobbe Spink
Assistants: Sherry Nance, LeNet ParkerUpper Elementary
Head Teacher: Alisa Watkins
Assistants: Becky WhelchelAfternoon Program
Preschool: Hayley Lumpkin , Amy Stanford and Inez Fleming
Elementary: Heather Nix
Pemanent Sub: Crystal Lautigar