Montessori Elementary at Highland Park will officially open on Thursday as Chattanooga’s first public, charter school dedicated to the Montessori educational program. To spotlight this occasion, MEHP will launch its inaugural year and the 2021-2022 academic calendar with a celebratory welcome during morning arrival between 7:30-8:15 a.m.
MEHP resides in a newly-constructed building located on the site of the former Highland Park Grammar School. Intentionally-designed to accommodate the uniqueness of the Montessori educational system, MEHP will serve boys and girls, ages 3 years to 5th grade, and provide an academic framework that integrates the Montessori model with STEAM experiential learning.
Dr. Elaine Swafford, chief executive officer for CGLA, will expand her leadership role to include oversight of MEHP. “CGLA continues to invest in initiatives that transforms lives and strengthens the community,” said Dr. Swafford. “Establishing an elementary school to prepare students for the rigor of the 6th grade was a critical part of CGLA’s strategic plan, and we are excited about the students MEHP will shape.”
With a 15-year Montessori career that includes both management and classroom experience, Gwen Howard brings knowledge, commitment, and advocacy to her position as director of MEHP. She explains that a foundational principle of the Montessori approach centers on embracing a child’s natural curiosity. “Every child, regardless of his/her background, is eager to explore and discover,” said Ms. Howard. “MEHP will be a place that values children: every child is capable of achievement and every child has unlimited potential. Our job as educators is to create space where children develop into independent, confident, and imaginative students.”
The mission of MEHP is to cultivate ambitious, fearless learners through intellectually stimulating, interactive experiences that awaken curiosity, nurture advanced thinking, and promote independence, said officials.
For more information about Montessori Elementary at Highland Park, contact Ms. Howard, director, at Info@MEHP.org or 602-9473.