Our School

Why MSL?

We have core beliefs as educators which have been established for over a decade and are reviewed annually by the community of stakeholders:

• MSL maintains a commitment to the founding principles and philosophies of Montessori education.
• All children have an innate drive and ability to learn. The educational community should follow the child and meet each child’s needs.
• Each child has a preferred learning style and progresses at an individual rate. The teacher must assess the child in an ongoing way and facilitate growth by challenging the learner.
• The role of the teacher is to facilitate learning in a safe, secure, stimulating environment that promotes freedom of choice, encourages trial of new experiences and promotes learning.
• A successful educational experience requires participation of the child, parents, teachers and community.
• Parental involvement is integral to a child’s academic, social and emotional success.
• Each teacher has a commitment to growth that is exemplified by an ongoing personal development both in education theory and practice.

Our curriculum educates the mind and the heart. Peace education is weaved through the curriculum to promote respect for one’s self, community members, and our planet. We hold to the foundational Montessori belief that when basic human needs are met, the mind is free to learn spontaneously. Each member of our community works with others in a peaceful, caring manner.

Communication, acceptance, and encouragement are modeled by all. Students are encouraged to discover their own true gifts and push pass the obstacles they place in their mind, so everyone, including themselves, is treated with respect.

Our educational model is based on the interdependent relationship between the child, teacher, and parent within a prepared environment. Our teachers understand that each student is unique in their abilities. Learning is guided through hands-on lessons with Montessori materials. Students are allowed to explore and extend their lessons until they feel satisfied. It is through their self-motivation and desire to learn that they have a true mastery of concepts.

The teachers at Montessori School of Louisville are dedicated to providing the students a prepared environment that meets the needs of the students for that particular plane of development. The classrooms are neat, and the materials are ordered appropriately. The classrooms are complete with Montessori materials and child-sized furniture that fosters individual work time. The classrooms designed by the Montessori teachers are open and inviting and are complemented with displayed student art, plants, animals, and Montessori materials.

Our History

Montessori School of Louisville was founded in 2006 by a group of Montessori parents and educators committed to supporting the growth of Montessori education in the Metro Louisville area. MSL opened its doors with just 28 students in August, 2006 with one Early Childhood classroom (ages 3-6), one Lower Elementary classroom (ages 6-9), and one Upper Elementary classroom (ages 9-12). The generous support of Father Bill Martin and members of the Our Mother of Sorrows parish made it possible for the school to grow and build a strong foundation during its first three years. A second Early Childhood classroom was added in the 2007 – 2008 school year, and the year ended with a special celebration in honor of the first MSL Middle School graduate.

MSL relocated to its current Champion Farms Drive location in the summer of 2009. The school’s relocation and build-out of the new facility was the product of several years of strategic planning and volunteer efforts. Foremost as a board strategy, MSL achieved accreditation recognition by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on Accreditation and Continuous Improvement (SACS CASI now Cognia) in June of 2010. This achievement makes MSL the only Cognia (formerly SACS CASI) accredited Montessori school in Louisville, serving children 3 years through Middle School students.

Our school currently includes five early childhood, two lower elementary, one upper elementary, and one middle school classrooms. Each space is uniquely designed to meet the developmental needs of our community. MSL serves over 180 students, their families, and 30 full-time employees, representing a 500% enrollment growth in just nine years.

On March 17, 2016 Montessori School of Louisville became one of three American Montessori Society (AMS) accredited schools in Kentucky. MSL is also the only Montessori school in the state that holds dual accreditation with AMS and SACS now known collectively as COGNIA.