Montessori kids move to new digs.
We are very pleased to announce that we have moved into our new school in Lenox Dale! Our new school will serve as a model "green" campus for children 18 months through 8th grade.

Click on the photo below to view the site plan sketch.

Multiple Ecosystems
Much of a landscape's diversity occurs in the transition from one ecotone to another.  Our campus was designed with these natural transitions in mind. 
Natural areas include:

Grassy Field.  The courtyard opens up into a grassy field where children can run and the community can gather.
Open Meadow.  The grassy field transitions into an open meadow.  This meadow will be full of native meadow grasses and flowers which provide butterfly and bird habitat.
Orchards and Gardens.  Beyond the meadow, students will be able to harvest fruits and vegetables from the orchards and gardens.
Rain Garden.  Serving as the centerpiece to the entry circle, the rain garden provides a natural solution to water runoff.  Our rain garden will host indigenous plants providing habitat to many living organisms.
Woodlands.  Woodlands surround the building, field, meadow, and gardens, inviting exploration.

Expansive Playground
The playground will be large enough (approx. 9,000 square feet) to include hardscape surfaces (for activities such as jump rope, basketball, four square, etc.), boulder climbing areas, fields, swings, and slides.  This outdoor area is designed for natural play, taking advantage to the greatest extent possible of the landscape's natural topography.  This will allow for rolling down hills, climbing boulders, balancing on rock, playing in fields, and delighting in the natural world.

Larger Open Classrooms & Family-Friendly Entryway
Large classrooms will allow more freedom of movement for the students. The entryway will lead to a comfortable waiting area for parents and families with a direct view of the educational courtyard.

Natural Floors & Radiant Heat
Because children in a Montessori classroom are allowed to follow their natural instinct to sit or kneel on the floor, each classroom will have natural floors with radiant floor heat.  

Air Quality & Daylighting
All paints and adhesives used in building and finishing the building will have low or no VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds).  For instance, finishes will be a natural beeswax, and the linoleum flooring in the hallways will be made with natural ingredients without any harmful VOC's or other toxic chemicals.  Each room will take advantage of the sun's natural light by use of south facing windows, skylights, and sun tubes.

Programs
This new campus will allow us to expand on the things we already have in place as well as develop new programs in the future.  Some of the expansions and developments include: the integration of a toddler program, the expansion to two Children's House classrooms, the addition of an upper elementary/middle school program, increased summer programming, and the possibility for intersession programs during school vacations.