Mary's School Summer Backyard 2008 (.pdf) - Updated 4-5-08

Download Observation Guidelines (pdf format) - Updated Aug. 25th, 2007

Welcome to the Mary's School website,

I hope you will learn something here about our school culture. Each school has a culture: how the children feel, what we (the teachers and parents) value, what we expect from the children, what we hope from them, what we teach, how we teach. I have strong feelings about what our culture is, and Montessori is a huge part of that. I hope you will be able to learn about Montessori education here, 100 years old in 2007! There are over 5000 Montessori schools worldwide, and it is very good work for children and adults.

If you are considering Mary's School for your child, the first step is to make an observation. Observation guidelines can be downloaded here or by clicking the link above. It is hard to join a community without experiencing, at least a little, who they are.

We have a half-day program for children 2-6 years old. Five day and three day enrollment is available. Currently, tuition is $336 a month for five days, $216 a month for 3 days. The school year is mid-August through May; the hours are 8:30-12:30. Because it is a 3 year program, I expect children to stay until their Kindergarten year, so that the oldest children can fulfill their training and spend their third year as teachers and role models in the classroom.

There is a separate summer program, which starts in June. Children who are happily settled in the summer program are moved up the waiting list for "regular" enrollment.

Mary's School is located at the corner of 105 Bypass and Hwy 421/321, west of Boone, North Carolina. We are on the Vilas end of town, across the street from the old Caldwell Community College campus. For more, or better, directions, please call us (828-297-5045).

Let me know if there are any other questions; you can use the contact tab to email me directly.

Warmly, Mary Willis

www.flickr.com johgoodrich's Old Mary's School photoset