Our History

Organization Philosophy

Organization Structure

Guadalupe Montessori School (GMS) was founded in 1979 to provide the best in Montessori education for children ages 18 months to 12 years in Grant County. After several decades, GMS still serves the children and families of Grant County, maintaining a strong commitment to educational excellence, cultural and economic diversity, and affordable tuition.

We strive to support our students in becoming citizens who care about themselves and their community, and can make meaningful contributions to society. Internally, the school employs a highly talented and dedicated staff. Locally, GMS contributes to many community efforts and provides young community leaders. Nationally, GMS is viewed as a model school for Montessori-based education.

We value the development of the whole person, academic excellence, positive social skills and problem-solving abilities. We see children who early in life are motivated to learn, explore, question, and work cooperatively make the most successful choices later on, avoid problems common to their peers, become leaders socially and academically in their high school and community.

Organization Structure

Organization Philosophy

Organization Structure

GMS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The Board of GMS holds the fiduciary responsibility of the school and governs policy and procedures. The School Director administrates the school's policies, manages the staff and defines the school's programs. The faculty and staff implement the school's programs directly with students and parents. The parent body is an integral part of the school community, taking an active role in the education of their child. Parents are responsible for maintaining close communication with school faculty and staff, as well as for supporting the operations of the school through volunteer hours.

Organizational Endorsement

It is the stated policy of GMS to: maintain recognition from AMI/USA, a widely respected international Montessori organization, and uphold AMI Montessori principles; maintain a safe, stimulating and pleasing environment for all associated with the GMS community; provide for ongoing staff development; educate the community about the school and Montessori education; and to promote interaction with the community through service and educational events. We also maintain licensing with New Mexico Early Childhood and Care Department.

Organization Philosophy

The Guadalupe Montessori School is dedicated to delivering an accessible, authentic, high-quality Montessori education in a peaceful, supporting learning environment. We provide an accessible, high-quality choice that meets the needs of families and children in Grant County. AMI trained guides deliver our curriculum, supported by a skilled staff. Our board, faculty, and staff reflect the diversity of our community. We adhere to evidence-based pedagogy and strive to foster a life-long love of learning in all children. We provide the guidance and freedom for students to develop their current interests and discover new ideas. Our curriculum is built upon the core values of academic excellence, diversity, and social responsibility. We recognize that a highly trained, skillful staff is essential to our program, and we are committed to deep and integrated professional development that empowers our staff to grow personally and professionally.

In adopting evidence-based Montessori teaching methods, GMS has adopted a framework that supports academic excellence, social and emotional development, safety, and quality. Our program is flexible enough to address each child's developmental stage and learning style, while ensuring academic breadth and depth. We promote independence and self-confidence and recognize that every child has diverse strengths rooted in their unique family, culture, heritage, language, beliefs and circumstances. We also honor each child’s entelechy, a vital agent or life force that emerges only through individual exploration, expression, and purposeful effort. When the entelechy is honored, potential becomes realized and the individual becomes self-actualized.

Building Community

The Guadalupe Montessori School has been serving children and families in Grant County, NM for over 40 years. Since March of 2020, we have had to pivot dramatically in response to the global health crisis, and have worked tirelessly to find ways to continue to serve our community. From emergency food and essential child care in the early days of the pandemic, to the offering of a modified summer program, we have continually developed and practiced new ways to safely meet the needs of children and families. Most recently, we have turned our efforts toward the development of outdoor classrooms, so that we could continue to offer an in-person academic year program and provide free school lunches for GMS and the Aldo Leopold Charter School.

We are so grateful to continue to be of service. Although, as enrollment has significantly decreased, we have experienced what is becoming common among early childhood providers- a reduction in income combined with the increased operational costs of modifying our programs, practices, and environments. This means that we are in need of community support more than ever before.

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Support

Giving to Guadalupe Montessori School

It takes generosity to discover the whole through others. If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert. — Jacques Yves Cousteau

Recognizing that children are the future,

. . . and that Montessori education provides a strong educational foundation for life, Kathy Dahl-Bredine dreamed of providing such an education for children who might not otherwise have the chance. It is the generosity of families, community members, and other supportive individuals and organizations that have helped realize this dream of a quality Montessori education for every child of every Silver City family who has desired it, every year since 1979.

Tuition alone cannot provide the many resources...

... necessary for a quality education - an education for life. We are committed to keeping our school affordable and our tuition fees are 50% less than that of comparable independent Montessori schools. As a result, our tuition only covers around 70% of the total cost of a child's education. It is your giving that covers the rest. Your gifts help maintain buildings and grounds in order to provide beautiful surroundings for the children; your gifts provide updated classroom materials that provide the best opportunities for exploration and learning; your gifts help attract and retain talented, dedicated, and trained teachers; your gifts provide tuition assistance for those who would not otherwise have a chance at a Montessori education; your gifts allow GMS to continue to thrive.

There are many meaningful ways to apply your generosity...

toward supporting the standard of excellence at GMS - volunteering time and talent, helping with fundraisers, and making valued contributions.

Fundraising

Throughout the year, the Board of Directors and our Resource and Development Committee organize fundraising events to help support ongoing needs at the school like playground improvements, the scholarship fund, and so on. Past events have included holiday events, raffles, enchilada dinners, selling hot chocolate at the Parade of Lights, Festival of Trees, Give Grandly NM and more. Interested in helping with one or more of these events, or need more information? Please contact the school- director@guadalupemontessori.org