Thursday, July 19, 2007
Urbana mom opens Montessori school
by Katherine Mullen | Staff Writer
Alex Thumma paints a picture during the Urbana Montessori Academy’s summer camp in the Villages of Urbana.
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Five years ago, Sangi Krishnaswamy needed to drive from Urbana to Germantown or Frederick so her two daughters could experience a Montessori education.
The family noticed the lack of Montessori-based education options in Urbana and decided to do something about it.
Last month Krishnaswamy opened the Urbana Montessori Academy for pre-school age children, which she runs from her walkout basement in the Villages of Urbana.
Since the academy began when the regular school year ended, Krishnaswamy has offered summer day camps for children ages 3 to 6. Once school resumes in August, the Urbana Montessori Academy will operate as a pre-school.
Tuition for the 10-month school year ranges from $650 per month for a half-day program to $1,000 per month for full-day primary school with after-care.
Krishnaswamy, a Montessori-trained teacher, and her husband, Deva, said they decided to create the academy because they saw a need.
‘‘Having something here would be so convenient,” Sangi said. ‘‘To provide that is very satisfying for me.”
The Montessori education method is based on the philosophy of Maria Montessori, an Italian-born doctor and educator. Montessori schools and programs emphasize hands-on independent and self-directed learning. Children are schooled in multi-age groups and learn at their own pace in classrooms that rely little on textbooks and worksheets.
Frederick County has several Montessori-based schools, including Monocacy Valley Montessori School in Frederick, a public charter school for pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students. Frederick Country Day near the border of Frederick and Walkersville offers day care programs and kindergarten for children ages 2 through 6.
Krishnaswamy taught at Frederick Country Day before starting the Urbana Montessori Academy. She supervises and teaches eight children who live in the Urbana area during the academy’s summer camps. Each two-week-long summer camp revolves around a theme and correlating activities.
The academy’s classroom is separated into sections where children can learn and practice language skills, math, geography and reading. White shelves hold sets of educational materials, such as blue geometric shapes, wooden alphabets and color wheels that test a child’s motor and memory skills.
Krishnaswamy said it took a year for her to convert her light and airy basement on Kendall Drive into a suitable classroom, complete with a child-friendly bathroom, nap room and small kitchen area.
During that preparation, the Maryland State Department of Education inspected the basement area and licensed Krishnaswamy as a day-care provider.
Krishnaswamy ordered her learning tools from Nienhuis, a California-based company that specializes in manufacturing Montessori-approved educational materials.
Aside from outdoor exercise, circle time and group crafts, Krishnaswamy said she allows her campers to decide what activities they would like to do.
Three-year-old Carter Lenz chose painting last week during the academy’s ‘‘music and culinary” camp and asked Krishnaswamy for more black paint.
‘‘Oh, you like black?” Krishnaswamy softly asked Carter.
The challenge during the academy’s first year is building trust between her and her students’ families, Krishnaswamy said.
Demand and interest in the academy through word-of-mouth has been good, she noted.
‘‘It always begins with a couple of families who trust you,” she said.
For Nicole Koepenick, the Urbana Montessori Academy was an ideal introduction into Montessori education for her 3-year-old son, Tanner. Koepenick, a Villages of Urbana resident, said she wanted Tanner to be familiar with the Montessori style of education before he begins his formal education in a Montessori school. She found the Urbana Montessori Academy online and signed up both of her children for the summer camps.
Koepenick said she likes the Montessori method of independent learning and exploring. Her older son, Cobie, attends a Montessori school in Darnestown, Koepenick said. The fact that she doesn’t have to drive Tanner to Montgomery County pleases her.
‘‘I’m actually so happy,” Koepenick said. ‘‘I just can’t drive back and forth to Germantown. When I heard about this program I was very happy.”
For more information on the Urbana Montessori Academy, go online to http:⁄⁄urbanaschool.googlepages.com or call 301-874-2424.
