Keene Montessori School

Keene Montessori School is a preschool in Keene, New Hampshire. It provides Montessori-inspired education for children from 6 weeks to 6 years old through its Infant, Toddler, and Preschool programs. The school is licensed by the State of New Hampshire as a child care provider and is open from 7:45 to 5:15 each day, with a variety of schedule options available. It was founded in 1978. The school's approach follows the principles of Dr. Maria Montessori, with classrooms that mix ages and genders so children help and learn from one another. It uses developmentally appropriate materials that let children learn at their own pace, aiming to give them skills that serve them educationally and socially rather than simply preparing them for elementary school. Keene Montessori School promotes peaceful living through good manners and respect for others, conflict resolution and turn-taking, positive communication skills, curiosity and respect for diversity and other cultures, self-discipline and self-control through positive reinforcement, self-confidence and independence, and family involvement. Its mission is to support the natural development of each child in a respectful, well-prepared environment. The school also runs a summer camp with different themes throughout the program. The school sits on Railroad Street, about 0.1 miles from Beaver Brook and 0.2 miles from Patricia T. Russell Park. Staff members have been with the school for an average of 10 years, and all are certified in First Aid and CPR. Liz Giza, the Executive Director, is a graduate of Keene State College and a Certified Early Childhood Educator with more than 10 years of teaching experience, including work at Head Start programs in Keene and Claremont. Lori Morrison, the Financial Coordinator, joined the staff in 2005 and has over 20 years of accounting experience. Catie Steiner joined in August 2016 as the Toddler Room Assistant Teacher after graduating from Keene State College in 2014 with a Bachelor in Psychology.