STEP 1
Submit an Application
Get on the waitlist sooner than later, or check out a virtual tour first.
We are pleased to announce that Fishtown Montessori will open a second location at 1212 Marlborough St., offering even more children the opportunity to thrive in an environment specially designed around how they naturally learn.
Our programs are designed to provide children the most ideal environment in which to grow and thrive while offering parents extended hours that fit their busy schedules.
Submit an Application
Get on the waitlist sooner than later, or check out a virtual tour first.
Attend a Virtual Tour
See for yourself why our students are so successful. You can attend before applying.
Visit in Person
Bring your child in for a private tour, a required part of the admissions process.
Finalize Enrollment
Families are invited to enroll on a rolling basis when space permits. Waitlists are common so act fast.
Fishtown Montessori is locally owned and operated and was founded in 2017 to provide children in the neighborhood with the highest quality early learning environment possible. Our authentic Montessori program follows the guiding principles of the American Montessori Society, which we have been a member of since our inception.
Our Mission is to nurture the curiosity and wonder that inspires learning so that children develop a deep understanding of the foundational skills essential to fulfilling their human potential. We are guided by the following principles: Joy of learning, Respect for and preservation of natural development, cultivating Peace through learning about culture and humanity, and Authenticity in our Montessori programming.
Along with providing an incredibly rich learning environment, Fishtown Montessori is also geared toward providing consistency to working families and is conveniently located in the heart of Fishtown. We run on a typical school year calendar, with dynamic summer programs offered to provide full year care. Our authentic Montessori toddler program serves children 24-35 months old and our two mixed-age primary preschool classrooms are for children ages three through six.
Montessori education is a scientific, research-based approach to teaching and learning developed by the Italian scientist and doctor, Maria Montessori over one hundred years ago. Traditional Montessori Curriculum includes practical life, sensorial, language, math, and culture (history, science, geography, art, and cultural studies). Trained Montessori teachers carefully prepare their classrooms with special materials designed to give children hands-on experiences from which they learn. Children in these multi-age classrooms have long uninterrupted periods of work time where they direct their own learning experiences based on their interests and their internal drive for mastery.
We’ve combined guidance and regulations from the Centers for Disease Control, Pennsylvania’s Department of Health, the Philadelphia Health Department, and Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (among other resources) to create policies and procedures that will optimize health and safety and reduce the possibility of transmission as low as possible. Our comprehensive COVID-19 Plan has been developed under the guidance and consultation of a licensed pediatrician through the Public Health Management Corporation so that we can operate as safely as possible during the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic. You can read our comprehensive COVID-19 plan by clicking the button below.
We love the Montessori approach to learning in early childhood because we believe it is the most supportive of a child’s natural drive to fulfill their curiosity through exploring the environment. Children love to challenge themselves. We invite children to find their next challenge and master it at their own pace, based on their own interests and curiosities. Fishtown Montessori values, trusts and cultivates this intrinsic motivation in hopes that our students will bring it well into their future to enjoy a lifetime of joyful learning.
We’d love to hear from you!
Contact us here with questions about our programs, admissions, inquiries about career opportunities, or for any other reason.
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Lauren has known she would pursue a career in early childhood education for most of her life—she’s been a “kid person” since she was a kid. Her professional journey working with children began when she spent four years teaching English as a Second Language at a preschool in Milan, Italy. Through meaningful, art-intensive interactions with her students, she came to understand the power of progressive, child-guided, and engaging early education. Upon returning to Philadelphia, Lauren earned both her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Temple University and Master’s in Education in Child and Adolescent Development. She has worked with children in a wide range of settings, most recently, she has served as the Director of the after school ASPire Program at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia.
Lauren is a native of South Jersey, and now resides in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia with her husband and her baby boy Sebastian. In her free time, she loves creating, singing, exploring nature, and indulging in gourmet cheese.
Payal is dedicated to bringing out the best in your child, endeavoring to help your child find their passion, enabling them to dream big, and creatively engage them in its pursuit by providing them an environment for their overall holistic development as visioned by Maria Montessori.