Private Montessori School in St. Paul, MN

Sunny Hollow Montessori:
Located in Saint Paul in Ramsey County in the Twin Cities / Minneapolis-Saint Paul area, Sunny Hollow is an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) accredited Montessori school providing preschool and elementary programs to children aged three through to twelve years. The school achieved AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) accreditation in 2005. Sunny Hollow Montessori was founded in 1981 by Mary Sue Dobbin. The school is established as a non-profit organization and is directed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Sunny Hollow Montessori cultivates each child's intellectual and creative potential, appreciation of relationships in nature and society, and sense of individual responsibility. We follow the educational philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori as set forth by the Association Montessori Internationale.

Montessori Programs:

Hours:
* Half Day Montessori Morning Class:  8:30 am - 12:00 pm
* All Day Montessori:  8:30 am - 3:30 pm
* Elementary School Day:  8:30 am - 3:30 pm
* Before School Care:  7:30 am - 8:30 am
* After School Care:  3:30 pm - 4:30 pm or 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

- Preschool Programs (For ages 3-6 years): 
The Montessori Primary environment / “Children’s House” is designed to call to the child’s specific & heightened sensitivities that characterize this stage of development. Each Children’s House is prepared with a full complement of Montessori materials that provide a unique educational experience in the areas of Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, and Mathematics.

In working with these materials, the child develops essential skills for life through building their own self-confidence, independence, and concentration. Each Children’s House is multi-aged, with a grouping of approximately 20 children ages 3-6 years. Within a mixed age community, the oldest children become the models and the inspiration for the youngest, while consolidating their own knowledge, concepts, self-confidence, and sense of responsibility. 

- Elementary School Programs: 
This is the time to use one’s mind to explore all the areas of knowledge, to learn how to carry out research, and to develop creative ways of processing, exploring and expressing this knowledge. A Montessori elementary teacher gives lessons in all academic areas and guides the children in direction and methods of their own research.

The Montessori curriculum is built around five great lessons given at the beginning of each year for the new students: the creation of earth, the coming of plants and animals, the arrival of humans, and inventions of their minds – language and math.

- Foreign Language Programs:

Children’s House:  In partnership with Language Sprout Learning Center, Sunny Hollow offers an extracurricular French program for primary-aged children. French education begins at 3:30 pm, after the regular Montessori school day is complete. Students are charged separately for language instruction and advanced registration is required.

* Level 1:  3:30 - 4:00 pm on Tuesday and Thursday
* Level 2:  3:30 – 4:00 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Elementary School:  Sunny Hollow’s Elementary program offers foreign language instruction in Mandarin Chinese.  In the classroom, the children focus on basic spoken language and introductory character formation.  There is great independent and collaborative work researching and exploring Chinese language, culture, history, poetry and art.  There are no formal times set aside for language instruction.  Chinese lessons are conducted and scheduled throughout the day like all other lessons of Cosmic Education.

In partnership with Language Sprout Learning Center, Sunny Hollow offers afterschool extracurricular Mandarin Chinese and Spanish language lessons for elementary-aged children.  Students are charged separately for language instruction and advanced registration is required.

* Mandarin Chinese:  3:30 – 5:30 on Monday
* Spanish:  3:30 – 5:30 on Wednesday

- Before & After-School Programs:
We provide before and after school care options. The before school option includes breakfast. Before and after school care is charged separately and requires advanced registration.

- Summer Program:
The Summer program operates during the summer for currently enrolled students. Summer program activities change each year and may include field trips, swimming lessons, organized play, art and creative movement.