Welcome to North Park Montessori (PK-8)
Welcome to North Park Montessori! Thank you for visiting our website and showing interest in our program. North Park Montessori is a learning community deeply committed to growth, curiosity, joy, and community engagement. We are one of three public Montessori schools within the Grand Rapids Public Schools, located in the northeast corner of the city. We are 450 scholars strong across two buildings, and we care about meeting children where they are developmentally. Our goal is to help scholars grow into content, hard working, persistent community members.
If you are a prospective family interested in learning more, please call our Main Office or email us using the contact information on this page, and we will setup a tour of either our Cheney Campus (1st-8th grade) or our Wellerwood Campus (Pk3, Pk4, and Kindergarten).
Principal
Daniel Morse
North Park Montessori
School Hours
Grades 1-8
Breakfast 8:50 a.m.
Start Time 9:10 a.m.
Dismissal 4:08 p.m.
Half Day Dismissal 12:20 p.m.
Grades PK-K
AM Session 9:10 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
PM Session 1:05 p.m. - 4:08 p.m.
School Transparency
Four Programs. Two Buildings. One School.
North Park Montessori Academy is a Pre-K to 8th grade program serving hundreds of scholars in the city's Northeast quadrant. We are one school, two buildings, and four programs. Our Tier I instructional model is based on the three main tenets of a high-fidelity Montessori program: care of the whole child, an uninterrupted three-hour work cycle, and multi-age classrooms spanning three grades. We have four Primary/Children's House learning environments (pre-K-kinder), six Lower Elementary learning environments (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades), and six Upper Elementary learning environments (4th, 5th, and 6th grades). We also have three middle school learning environments (7th and 8th grades) which prepare our scholars for high school.
North Park follows the Montessori Cosmic Education curriculum, which aligns with state and federal curriculum standards but teaches children using stories that include the Birth of the Sun, the Timeline of Life on Earth, the Timeline of Human Life, the History of Language, and the History of Math. These stories spark curiosity and engage scholars in important reading, writing, biology, chemistry, physics, and history work each day. Our highly competent and well-trained Montessori-certified staff also encourage the use of hands-on materials to explore these topics and promote scholar-centered learning.
We also have a dynamic, culturally diverse, and engaged parent community eager to support learning in our building and promote the growth of public Montessori programming across Western Michigan.
North Park Montessori Program Highlights:
- A 12-acre forest used to teach plant and animal identification, remove invasive species, and make room for endangered species (Wellerwood Campus); each classroom makes monthly visits to the forest--"silent journeys"--to be with nature
- Three acres of play space used for recess each day: three playgrounds; tennis courts; basketball courts; football, baseball, and soccer fields; and a snow hill
- Scholar-led and managed gardening program
- Middle school Theatre, Community Service Learning, and Self Expressions programs
- A strong Music program kinder to 8th grade (attending state competitions)
The Montessori classroom uses hands-on lessons and experiences to help scholars learn by doing. Scholars learn in cohorts of three age levels. Typically, scholars will have the same teacher for multiple years. The multi-age classroom allows the scholars to become part of a learning community that fosters respect, understanding, and tolerance where your child will:
- receive lessons as he/she/they are ready for them
- learn how to focus and concentrate
- become a self-directed learner
- achieve independence
- learn order
- be treated with respect and dignity
Children’s House @ Wellerwood (Preschool, Kindergarten)
Located at 800 Wellerwood St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Our Children’s House is a multi-age classroom that aims to help children gain independence, confidence, curiosity, and problem solving abilities. The Montessori lessons and hands-on materials provide children with activities that help them grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally.
Elementary 1 (Grades 1, 2, 3)
Elementary 1 scholars engage in a wide range of tasks, including learning to read, studying spelling patterns and word derivations, exploring advanced math concepts, and discerning number and spatial relationships with hands-on materials. They also learn to use a daily/weekly work plan, which outlines assignments, academic goals, and work choices. Elementary 1 scholars are inspired by their older classmates’ more challenging work.
Elementary 2 (Grades 4, 5, 6)
Elementary 2 is a safe place where scholars find their voice and become more independent in asking questions and meeting their needs. They continue to learn to use a daily/weekly work plan, and they participate in rigorous lessons and activities that develop their literacy and mathematical skills.
The scope of the project includes upgrading the old HVAC units from heating-only to heating, cooling and ventilation units. This work also includes new electrical and controls infrastructure to the new units.
Publish Date: November 17, 2023
The project is substantially complete.
Publish Date: November 3, 2023
The project is substantially complete; the heating and cooling systems are functional and under the one-year guarantee period.
Publish Date: October 13, 2023
The construction project is substantially complete with final punch list items and a couple of warranty items expected to be completed by the end of October.
Publish Date: September 29, 2023
The construction project is substantially complete with final punch list items anticipated to be completed by mid-October. The project included installing new electric service, replacing the existing heating system, and providing a new cooling system.
North Park Montessori Photo Tour
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5 Nov
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No School; No LOOP Programming | Election DayDate: Nov 5Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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27 Novthru Nov 29
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No School; No LOOP Programming | Thanksgiving BreakDate: Nov 27 - Nov 29Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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18 Decthru Dec 20
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Half Day for Scholars | Exams (am); No School (pm)Date: Dec 18 - Dec 20Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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20 Dec
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End of 2nd Marking PeriodDate: Dec 20Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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23 Decthru Jan 3
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No School | No LOOP Programming | Winter BreakDate: Dec 23 - Jan 3Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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6 Jan
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School Resumes | Start of Second SemesterDate: Jan 6Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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20 Jan
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No School | No LOOP Programming | Martin Luther King Jr. DayDate: Jan 20Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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29 Jan
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GRPS School Choice Expo 4:30 PM to 6:30 PMGRPS School Choice ExpoDate: Jan 29Time: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PMLocation: GRPS University, 1400 Fuller Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505, USACalendar: GRPS District Calendar
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6 Febthru Feb 7
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No School for Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) Scholars Only | Parent-Teacher ConferencesDate: Feb 6 - Feb 7Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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12 Feb
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Winter Count DayDate: Feb 12Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
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At Ottawa Hills High School, Pearl Robinson plays a vital role in supporting both staff and scholars.
In this latest ‘Reimagine’ Vlog, Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby provides an update on efforts to Reimagine GRPS.
GRPS partners with Experience Grand Rapids and Grand Valley State University to provide real world learning opportunities for scholars interested in a future in hospitality and tourism.