BILLINGS — Navigating your child's education can be difficult for any parent.
"First of all, you're doing a good job. You know your child best, so choose the opportunity that you think would fit your family, and your student," says Calli Nicholson, director of Indigenous Education with Billings Public Schools.
For almost 300 sets of parents, that choice this year is Montessori programs Sunrise Montessori School and Grace Montessori Academy.
"So what I'm grateful for about Montessori, and the Helping Hands Program, is it is a way to kind of un-stick, where some of our kids that attend here, where their brain is stuck," says Eli Johnson.
Johnson elected to enroll all four of his children in Grace Montessori School this year. Although it was mostly for his Christian values (Grace, being a Christian Academy), he says one of his daughters has dyslexia and can get special treatment with their new Helping Hands Program.
"One in five children have dyslexia, so we strongly believe in investing, and we have made that effort," said Regina Griemsman, the Head of School for Grace Montessori Academy.
Montessori model schools focus on following the individual child, and letting them navigate their own education.
For example, at Grace Montessori Academy, students are learning how to raise chickens and koi fish, and at Sunrise Montessori School, young students are learning how to fold laundry and clean.
"I found Montessori, and the more I researched it the more I realized (the model) was just really developmentally appropriate and wonderful way of learning for children. (It) just really reaches them, and follows their natural curiosity," says Cailin Beeler, the Head of School for Sunrise Montessori School.
Incorporating hands-on learning is something BPS is curious about this year. Educators are adapting Montessori methods after the pandemic to keep children engaged in their learning. Nicholson told MTN about some examples of this.
"We have quite a few hands-on (activities). Our cultural presentations, right now, students are out building teepees, taking a chance to build nine-foot teepees in the elementary schools," she said.
"At first, maybe people thought, 'Oh you know, this online learning is great,' right up until you realize it's hard to stay motivated that way. So teachers have realized that through hands-on learning and connecting with students on a variety of levels, (it's beneficial)... Not only are the opportunities there for them, but the teachers themselves are top-notch and are absolutely getting a strong, robust, well-rounded education," said Amy Schendel, the Fine Arts Coordinator for BPS.
Overall, hands-on methods, and one-on-one student-teacher relationships are available at School District 2. For instance, this year was first of their new "KinderREADy" program, all of which is free to the public. However, Montessori schools come with a cost. Tuition ranges from $550 to $700 a month at Grace and Sunrise. Both schools offer scholarships/grants/ financial aid opportunities.
"We really work to make our tuition reasonable. We want it to be attainable for anybody that wants a Montessori education," Beeler says.
Sunrise has certainly seen an increase in students the past few years, enough to warrant moving into a bigger building. Beeler believes that the cost of Montessori education tuition is worth the price tag.
"We're creating this lifelong love of learning, versus just memorizing and learning for a test," says Beeler.
And that lack of testing and love of learning may be what some parents are looking for this school year.
