Winston-Salem Montessori School History

The Winston-Salem Montessori School has an interesting and complex history.

The first Montessori school in Winston-Salem was founded in 1968 with 24 students.

A newspaper clipping from September 5, 1963, showing Mrs. Newell and Mrs. Cornacchione with Montessori teaching materials including blocks and shaped objects, to introduce parents to Montessori education.

During the 1970s, two more Montessori schools opened: Forsyth Montessori and Reynolda Montessori (1973).

A newspaper article titled "Businesslike Kindergarten" with a subheading "School Operates on Theory Children Welcome Work." The article features a black and white photograph of a young child polishing a shoe, labeled "John Shields polishes a shoe." There are smaller photographs at the bottom, showing children engaging in activities and preparing a snack. The article was published on November 24, 1974, in the Sunday Morning Sentinel, section C.

Winston-Salem Journal, November 24, 1974

In 1984, these schools merged and relocated to Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church on Bolton Street, with the new name of Montessori Children’s Center, Inc. 

Black and white newspaper article about Montessori Children's Center, featuring a photo of children and a teacher in a classroom. The article discusses the center's history, philosophy, and programs for young children.

Winston-Salem Journal, May 6, 1986

Newspaper article titled 'Montessori School Plans Name Change' discussing the renaming of Southside Montessori School to Winston-Salem Montessori School, with details about the new school year, student and teacher numbers, school schedule, and its affiliation with Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church.

Winston-Salem Journal, August 24, 1969

In 1986, Southside Montessori closed, leaving Montessori Children’s Center the only Montessori school in Winston-Salem. Montessori Children’s Center moved to Old Vineyard Road in 1992, eventually housing two Toddler classrooms, five Children’s House classrooms and a combined Lower/Upper Elementary program. 

By the summer of 2006, the school changed its name to The Montessori School of Winston-Salem and moved to a new building designed by Montessori architect Jim Dyck on Holder Road in Clemmons, North Carolina. 

A black and white newspaper page from the Winston-Salem Journal, dated Monday, January 16, 2006, with a headline about Montessori school expansion. The page includes a photo of a man standing in a room with large windows, captioned as volunteer Jeff Frumkin inside a classroom with low windows.
Black and white newspaper article about the construction of a new Montessori school on Holder Road in Clemmons, with a photo of the building and a headshot of Karen Kuse.

In 2008 WSM engaged in a contract with the Natural Learning Initiative (NC State’s College of Design) to design our outdoor environment master plan for our eight-acre campus. Each year we continue to realize this plan through the investment of school resources and support from parents, faculty and staff, and leadership from our Outdoor Play & Learning Environments (OPLE) Committee.

During 2006-2007, our community engaged in the process of finalizing a core values document called the Blueprint, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in the summer of 2007. This document is an important part of our community and is referred to regularly as the school strives to align itself more closely with these core values.

Cover of Forsyth Family magazine, January 2019, showing children walking outside a modern building with a wooden roof and large windows, with trees in the background.

In the fall of 2019, the Adolescent Program campus opened just one block down from the main campus. Click here to read about it in Forsyth Family Magazine.

Snow-covered house with a sign in front announcing the future home of The Montessori School of Winston-Salem's Montessori adolescent program, beginning August 2018.
A sign for The Montessori School of Winston-Salem's North Campus Groundbreaking Ceremony on December 8, 2017, next to a vase with white hydrangea flowers and green leaves on a dark tiled table.
Group of people, including children and adults, participating in a groundbreaking ceremony in snowy outdoors, with some wearing white hard hats, shovels, and winter clothing.

Stitch Design Shop intentionally designed the North Campus. Here is a quote from Stitch Design Shop, “Positioned on a wooded lot between an existing barn and farmhouse, the Montessori School of Winston-Salem’s Adolescent Program serves as a bridge between built and natural environments. A project that responds to the Montessori Concept of respect - for self, others, and the environment - gives students the freedom to explore and develop to their fullest potential. The layout was driven by several majestic old-growth oak trees that we saved and are now integral to the campus.* Context is celebrated through modern takes on familiar forms and materials, while deep overhangs provide transitional spaces to experience nature.”

*See the Adolescent Page to learn about Alan’s Oak, the AP microeconomy named after one of the oak trees grown by the original inhabitant of the home, Alan)

Rendering of a modern community center with a sloped roof, surrounded by trees and green lawn. People are sitting on the grass, walking, and socializing outside, with a white car parked in the foreground. The scene is bright and inviting.

The school currently houses 10 classrooms: 3 Toddler, 5 Children’s House, 1 Lower Elementary, and 1 Upper Elementary classroom and the Adolescent Program.

The Montessori Children’s Center, Inc. d/b/a The Winston-Salem Montessori School is a non-profit, tax exempt organization. It receives revenues from tuitions, fees, and donations. Fund-raising events provide significant assistance towards financing the School’s programs and growth. We are a full member of the American Montessori Society, meeting or exceeding the membership requirements.

Fun Fact, Preschool Power, a film made in the 1990’s to empower children to embrace their capabilities was inspired and made at Winston-Salem Montessori School!

A black and white newspaper page with a photograph of a young child pouring water into a glass, with a bowl nearby. The headline reads "You CAN DO IT BY Yourself." There are columns of text below the image discussing a child, and smaller advertisements and articles are visible on the page.
A young girl smiling and holding a pencil in front of her face.