Near North Montessori School

Specialties

Mission: Near North Montessori educates the human potential through a partnership between home and school that fosters intellectual growth, independence, responsibility, and a sense of self-​worth.

Vision: In keeping with Dr. Montessori’s goal of making the world a better place for all humanity through education, it is incumbent upon us to prepare our students to be tomorrow’s ethical leaders. Graduates of Near North Montessori are skilled communicators, innovative and creative thinkers, collaborative problem solvers and take responsibility for their actions. Our students consider the interests of others when making decisions and consider the impact of their decisions on the larger community. Our community of parents, faculty and staff models ethical stewardship and promotes an empathetic and compassionate outlook. NNM promotes a culture of high academic standards, strong moral and ethical values and a passion for learning and self-​fulfillment.

History

Established in 1963.

Founded in 1963 as an Illinois not-​for-​profit corporation, NNM began with the commitment of three families who wanted their children to receive a useful and comprehensive education. They chose the developmental philosophy originated by Dr. Maria Montessori in Italy at the turn of the 19^th century because it considers the academic, social, physical, and psychological needs of the whole child.

The school launched with one Montessori 3 – 6 program. Five years later, Near North began its first elementary level class. The school continued to grow its population and enhance its programs to serve children through the junior high years. In 1989, after 26 years at 1010 West Chicago Avenue, NNM purchased a building at 1434 West Division Street. More recently, the Jacqueline A. Bergen Building (named after our retired Executive Director) was completed in 2012. The Bergen Building includes a new gymnasium, a rooftop play area, a meeting space and a large outdoor playscape.

Meet the Business Owner

Near North Montessori School _​.

Business Owner

Something extraordinary has been going on at our school. It’s been going on for over 50 years. From the first day we opened our doors, we made a commitment to every student that here they would discover an extraordinary place to learn: learn to be themselves; learn to be the best they can be; learn to fall in love with learning. Here you will not find the traditional lineup of desks in rows, textbooks and mind-​numbing rote memorization. What you will find are dynamic learning laboratories — a school alive with students exploring questions about the world around them. Classrooms are vibrant communities, each organized by age levels, where students spend three years learning and growing together. Little ones watch older students as they master new skills. Older ones take the time to mentor younger students as they work through new challenges.