Children’s Harbor Montessori School, a private, non-profit pre-school located on the grounds of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, is the only Montessori school on Staten Island recognized by the American Montessori Society for its ongoing commitment to standards of excellence.

Since 1978, our Montessori philosophy, creative curriculum, and loving staff have developed the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical needs of our students. Each student’s unique personality is encouraged and respected as an important member of the Montessori community. Our students have the opportunity to work at their own pace to indulge in the innate willingness to learn.

The arts are vital to the school’s curriculum and fit perfectly within the Montessori method. Through arts, our children develop autonomy and self-reliance, sensory-motor skills, and the ability to think abstractly. The school arranges frequent visits to the museums and galleries of Snug Harbor. We offer parents several educational options. Our Transitional Toddler Program pro-vides children at 2 years of age their first educational experience under the guidance of a Montessori teacher.

Our Pre-Primary – Kindergarten Programs provides children 3 through 5 years of age a rich curriculum of Practical Life, Sensorial Materials, Mathematics, Language Development, Fine Arts, Crafts, Music Exploration, Horticulture, Body Movement, and Cultural Extensions.

Our Pre-Kindergarten for All Program (PKA) is a half-day morning program 5 days per week, at no cost to parents. To meet the needs of the children and their families, Children’s Harbor Montessori School also offers parents the opportunity to extend to a 5 Full-Day Program.

Our Kindergarten curriculum is offered to children who have completed the PKA program. This is the culmination of the 3-year Pre-Primary program. It is a skills-based curriculum with work books as well as hands-on Montessori materials to reinforce what the child has learned.

While our regular school day runs from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, we offer early drop-off and extended-day for families.

Parents are encouraged to visit and observe our program. Please contact the school to arrange a tour.