Our Story

The creation of this school has truly been a labor of love. The seeds were planted twenty-five years ago when my mother picked up our neighbor's child from preschool. I walked into the prepared environment and announced, "Ooooh, I like this!" I was enrolled the next week at the ripe old age of two years and seven months. Since that time, my love of the teaching method has only grown stronger. After studying mainstream education in college, I was hungry for a return to this amazing philosophy. I received my Montessori certificate from the Montessori Education Center of Arizona under the direction of Mrs. Nimal Vaz. In the Montessori community, Mrs. Vaz is nothing short of a living legend and I was looking forward to a long and fulfilling teaching career at her primary school. However, my plans changed when my first child arrived. I applied the Montessori method to our home life and started dreaming about opening a preschool for my own children.

Our schoolhouse is a lovely 3,400 square foot custom home on nearly two acres of land. It used to be a farmhouse, but it was completely gutted and remodeled. I absolutely fell in love with the place. It was exactly what I had been dreaming of for a school. It is completely surrounded by a six foot high block wall and has thirty-six mature trees on the grand lawn. Although it's off a major road, it is safe, quiet, and private. The natural outdoor play space was extremely important to me after looking at so many strip mall properties with playgrounds surrounded by parking lots! The home itself has an ideal layout for a Montessori school. Our classroom flows throughout the expansive home and outdoors to the large covered patios.

The Palm Valley Montessori School opened it's doors in September of 2008. The curriculum is genuine Montessori. I had a true Montessori experience for my preschool education and that's what I want for my children and my students.

Taking this project from a daydream to a reality has been an exercise in patience, sacrifice, and perseverance. I thought many, many times about throwing up my hands and calling it quits. I just couldn't bear to do it though. My belief in the philosophy is too strong. I have seen the power this method has on the development of young children. I know that the power to change the world lies in our ability to educate the child. I know that Palm Valley Montessori School has the potential to be a positive force in the lives of our children, our families, and our larger community.

I hope you will join us on this journey.

Sincerely,

Eva Foster
Director

Successful Montessori Alumni

Jeff Bezos
Financial Analyst, Founder of Amazon.com

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
Former Editor, Former First Lady

Berry Brazelton
Noted Pediatrician and Author

Sergey Brin & Larry Page
Co-founders of Google.com

Julia Child
Famous Chef

Kami Cotler
Actress

Katharine Graham
Former Owner/Editor of the Washington Post

Prince William and Prince Harry
English Royal Family

Anne Frank
Famous Diarist from World War II

Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Nobel Prize Winner for Literature

Melissa and Sarah Gilbert
Actresses

Friedensreich Hundertwasser
Austrian Painter and Architect

Jimmy Wales
Founder of Wikipedia

Will Wright
Designer of The Sims

Helen Hunt
Academy Award-winning Actress

George Clooney
Academy Award-winning Actor

Joshua Bell
American Violinist, Owner of Stradivarius Violin

Lea Salonga
Singer and Broadway Actress