Every
weekday during the school year, nearly 70 children come to Grace Montessori
School, a unique award-winning preschool, kindergarten and day care center
that provides scholarship assistance to one-third of its diverse student
body, inner city children whose families would otherwise not be able to
afford a Montessori experience.
Grace Montessori's reputation for educational excellence, moral grounding and diversity brings children also from affluent suburban families to the inner city. The children of Grace Montessori and of many faiths are white, African-American, Latino, Indian, Asian and Arabic. Some come for the whole day; some for a half day.
The stated vision of Grace Montessori School is "to generate a world of creative thinkers, lifetime learners and community builders who are willing to work with each other and are comfortable with diversity."
To accommodate growing enrollment, Grace Montessori opened a second site at 808 Hamilton Mall. The primary site is at Grace Church, Fifth and Linden streets, Allentown.
The children learn by doing, by interacting and by perfecting skills at their own pace. The Montessori approach encourages children to become independent thinkers and builds each child's self esteem through "I can do it myself" experiences. It's an early chance for them to take charge of their lives.
The children also teach each other. That's why part of the mission of the school - enabled by a commitment to making scholarships available to inner city children - is to mix disadvantaged students and those whose families are able to pay full tuition. The Montessori method works best when children learn about different cultures from those who are part of them.
A ministry of Grace Episcopal Church though administered by a separate board composed of parishioners, community representative and parents, the school opened its doors to the children of inner city Allentown and the wider community in September 1992 when parishioner Cathy Constantin turned a vision into a plan to provide early developmental support for children of Food Bank clients. It has gained the reputation of being one of the best preschool programs in the Lehigh Valley.
Though Grace Montessori School is open to children of any faith, we acknowledge our Christian and Episcopal roots by including an optional Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program for children whose parents want them to receive religious formation. "The children amaze us with their spiritual awareness," a teacher said.
The Montessori School at Grace is unique in that it combines a Montessori educational environment with a religious component in an economically disadvantaged area.
Because of high initial set-up costs and salaries for trained Montessori teachers, Montessori programs in the United States have traditionally served more affluent communities. Grace Montessori serves not only those children who could traditionally afford a Montessori program, but includes children who normally cannot take advantage of this exceptional educational experience. The vision is that children from both backgrounds will benefit from this shared learning. The school's scholarship program guarantees the diversity that makes the school unique.
The budget for Grace Montessori School and its related daycare is over $275,000. Most of that, some $220,000, comes from tuition. Tuition for a full-day in Montessori kindergarten is $4,000. Tuition for a half-day, below kindergarten, is $2,800. Some 25 children, however, receive partial or practically full scholarship made available through grants, contributions, fund-raising and a portion of the tuition from those who can afford to pay and the fact that space is provided by the church at a cost significantly lower than comparable space could be leased elsewhere.
Average Montessori tuition in the Lehigh Valley is $6-7,000. The difference at Grace is made up in part by the sweat equity of teachers, other employees and parents, and the hospitality of Grace Church.
Though part of the ministry of Grace Episcopal Church, the school is administered by a separate board composed of parishioners, community representative and parents.
Director: Jaunie Federowicz
Business Administrator and Development: Maureen Joly
Office Manager/Finance; Maryrose Anderson
Teachers: Cathy Constantin, Felicia Johnson, Haiam Attia, Kelly DiGiacinto,
Judy Beller, Rebecca Berkenstock, Catherine Moussa, Hattye Magee
Telephone: 610-435-4060
Email: graceschool@rcn.com
