Montessori preschool relocates to Blue Ridge Road

By Sara Wiercinski

On a sunny weekday morning in April, toddlers at Brookside Montessori play outdoors spraying water bottles, mixing mud, weaving ribbons and romping around a green space.

School director Amanda Doering explains her preference for simple, wooden toys–many built by her husband and fellow teacher, Winter, from untreated wood pallets.

“Traditional playground equipment is fine at a park, but at school big structures become another teacher-directed activity,” said Doering. “Kids need autonomy to play on their own, especially at the preschool age.”

Doering started the Montessori school out of her Brookside home in 2020, after a decade of teaching in other schools. Classes filled, the waiting list grew, and Doering decided to expand.

She found an ideal new location at 430 E. Blue Ridge Road, where she opened one classroom last month. The school shares the leased facilities with a Nueva Vision, a Spanish-language church congregation that meets on Sundays.

Renovations to the 3,200 square foot building are underway, including removal of interior walls to create two more classrooms.

When work is finished this summer, students at the home location–including Doering’s son Arthur– will transfer to Blue Ridge. At that point the school will accommodate 48 children, ages 2 to 6 years, in mixed-age classrooms.

Dr. Maria Montessori was a 20th century Italian physician and teacher who developed the educational framework based on care for the whole child and learning through individual exploration. Her teaching methods have spread around the world, with several private and public Montessori themed pre- and elementary schools in Kansas City.

Hallmarks of Montessori are emphasis on practical life skills, such as sweeping, washing hands, and buttering toast – along with developing pro-social behaviors (known as “grace and courtesy”).

“We know Montessori methods work. I want to know, cognitively, why?” said Doering who is also working toward her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.

“I enjoy learning the latest research in the field to back up what we do here.”

Doering is thrilled with the 45-space parking lot and ADA accessibility: “That really means a lot, coming from families navigating my narrow Brookside street”.

During drop-off and pick-ups, families can gather in the Community Resource room – a spot to drink coffee or tea and connect, with a library of children’s books, toys and clothing to swap. The school will have designated spaces for mothers to nurse and pump.

“Out in the world there are lots of barriers for families to exist. We want to set up little ways to make them comfortable,” said Doering.

Doering coordinates the preschool’s menu which she describes as “diverse varieties, simply prepared, to encourage kids to try new foods.” She sources meat from Kansas City-based Good Oak farms.

The building offers additional opportunities beyond the classroom day.

A large open basement room with separate entrance will serve as a co-working space, available for rent for $20-30 per month. One local group wants to host monthly caregiver support events. Doering also dreams of lactation classes and baby wearing groups.

“Offering support on site is important,” said Doering. “Sometimes we just need a space to talk about our challenges and be heard. It’s a perk for our school families and will always be open to the wider community.”

In the coming months, Doering will hire more teachers and a kitchen worker. She is proud the school pays salaried teacher positions, including benefits.

“We are professionals, and deserve to be compensated fairly. You can’t teach well if you’re worried about paying your bills.”

There are currently full- and part-time student openings at the Blue Ridge location.

Interested families are invited to an open-house event on May 16 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm with a speaker at 5 pm. Childcare is available and preregistration is appreciated.

The school will keep its Brookside name for now, even sixty blocks south. “With so many other changes, I’d like to really sit in our new space for a while. For now, we feel a connection to our origins.”

Learn more at brooksidemontessorikc.wordpress.com.

Three Montessori concepts for parents to use at home

1. Make your child’s possessions accessible, and see how much they can do independently. Even young kids can retrieve their shoes from a basket and put them on or wipe up a spill when they have access to cleaning supplies.
2. Bake and garden with your kids. Both activities are messy, but filled with practical life skills (like scooping, measuring, watching a timer, digging).
3. Schedule periods of unstructured play. According to Doering, it takes at least 45 minutes for a child to unwind and focus enough to find a place of intrinsic motivation. Over-involvement in planned activities and over-exposure to technology interfere with this vital form of developmental play.