About Us

Welcome to Cedar River Montessori

Welcome!

In 2024, we entered our 43rd year of educating the next generation of global citizens (the first of whom are now parents themselves!), we find inspiration in our students, our community, and our environment. In many ways, our campus embodies Maria Montessori’s vision of the perfect setting for a Montessori school, presenting opportunities for students and staff to develop meaningful connections with our natural world while working and learning in our forest, in our pollinator and vegetable gardens, and with our pasture animals. Our school is a place where understanding how and why we learn is valued just as much as acquiring knowledge. Where practicing empathy, compassion, and conflict resolution are held in equal regard to lessons, presentations, and student work. At Cedar River Montessori, Dr. Montessori’s “whole child” develops through meaningful, daily interactions with their environment – peers, animals, and trees alike.

We are proud of what our school has accomplished over the past several years. Some recent project highlights include becoming a Washington State Stewardship Forest, being recognized by Trillium as an Inclusive Employer, establishing a Farm Conservation Plan, partnering with EarthCorps for our 12 Acre Trails and Forest Restoration project, and achieving American Montessori Society accreditation. We are excited about the path before us. Guiding the way is our strategic plan, which sets forth three major goals over the next few years:

List of 3 items.

  • Wellbeing

    Our Goal: To prioritize and grow the community’s spirit and physical and mental health.

    Rationale: Cedar River Montessori recognizes the yearning for deep connection through our community. The relationships that are cultivated among all our community members – students, staff, and families – are precious and vital. The value of these relationships was made especially clear through the pandemic. Cedar River will invest in the wellbeing of our community members so that they can continue to grow and thrive, experience joy and delight, and create a sense of belonging that sustains beyond each individual’s tenure. Cedar River Montessori wants to intentionally continue to build a diverse and equitable community, ensuring that each member is valued, respected, and cared for.

  • Equity and Inclusion

    Our Goal: To live our value of being “Intentionally Inclusive, ” we take deliberate actions to consistently celebrate and honor all members of our immediate, local, and global communities. We nurture seeds of belonging, helping each other to be seen, heard, and valued.

    Rationale: Cedar River Montessori is aware that throughout our four decades of school history, there have been moments when not all members of the school community felt accepted and included. We recognize that diverse backgrounds in a school community bring a learning experience beyond conventional academics. While diversity sows the seeds of these learning experiences, inclusion and equity nurture and propagate the student educational journey into adulthood. With intentional reflective practice, we seek to continue our work in inviting differences and honoring and embracing one another’s unique experiences.

  • Resources

    Our Goal: To steward the school’s resources to serve its mission today while also investing in the future.

    Rationale: Cedar River Montessori acknowledges and appreciates that our school is the dynamic product of individual and collective experiences and contributions over time. Having purchased our campus in 2015, we have a strong financial foundation and a commitment to be good stewards of our resources, with the freedom to shape the future of our community. By engaging with our families, students, and staff (past, present, and future), our school can better understand and make the most of our available resources, including financial, knowledge, skills, time, and talents of our school community. These resources are core to our school’s operations and are an essential part of strengthening and advancing our school’s mission well into the future.
Looking toward the future, the image in our school’s logo captures the heart of Maria Montessori’s vision of cosmic education and the journey of the student as they find their place in the greater world. Whether hiking on a switchback trail or traversing a winding river, our students navigate their own distinct path, growing and developing from a small star into a bright and singular being in a big universe. Each student is different; every journey is unique. The possibilities are infinite.

As you are considering a school community for your family, we encourage you to explore our website and visit one of our open houses in November or January. We also recommend that you learn a little more about Maria Montessori and the Montessori philosophy if you are not already familiar. Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages to see what’s currently happening on campus, and let us know what questions you have about how our school can be a part of your child’s educational experience.

We look forward to meeting you!
Erin Karnofski, Head of School