Mississippi Valley Montessori School encourages children to develop a lifelong love of learning by providing an authentic, AMI-accredited Montessori environment.
Our Mission
At MVMS, we believe in the core philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori and her outstanding research on children’s abilities to learn. By creating a classroom atmosphere of inspiration and respect, children are encouraged to pursue their natural curiosities and engage in imaginative play.
We help children form a community, see their role in the world around them, and encourage them to follow a path toward independence.
Our History
Mississippi Valley Montessori School is a licensed non-profit school run by a volunteer board of parents, caregivers, and community members. Founded in 1967, we have a long-standing presence in the West St. Paul community. The school became officially accredited by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) in 2012.
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MVMS is proud of its fifty-plus-year history in offering quality Montessori education. The school began operation in the fall of 1967 under the name of Inver Grove Heights Montessori School at Salem United Methodist Church in Inver Grove Heights. It relocated for two years to Bethesda Lutheran Church in Inver Grove Heights. In the fall of 1970, the school moved to its present location at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, and the name was changed to Mississippi Valley Montessori School.
Our Team
Meet
Unlike a traditional daycare or school setting, our AMI-trained educators act as Guides, showing children how to learn, not what to learn. From our Guides to our staff, we are here to help your child feel safe, accepted, and celebrated for who they are.
Mississippi Valley Montessori School is a nonprofit school run by a volunteer board. We are grateful for the unique contributions of each parent, caregiver, and community member on our Board of Directors.
Our Board of Directors
Meet
A note from
Our Head of School
Welcome to Mississippi Valley Montessori School!
Our school is a loving community, committed to the development of the whole child. Here, each child plays an active role in their own education through opportunities for independence and purposeful activities. This is a school that I attended as a child and a school my children attended during their primary years. MVMS is a place that fills the human spirit with joy and a community that feels like home - a place to develop lifelong friendships and meaningful connections!
Montessori education is a gift that families can give their children that nurtures a reverence for life, all while learning through their senses, and sparking curiosity for the world around them. Mississippi Valley Montessori School allows children to build confidence in their mixed-aged classrooms, while navigating the freedom to make choices that help shape their day. It's a safe place where harmony, compassion, mutual respect and gratitude are valued. Your child will be seen, included, and heard.
Experience the delight of Mississippi Valley Montessori School for yourself. Schedule a tour today. I promise you will find your time with us meaningful and enlightening.
Shalene Jahn
HEAD OF SCHOOL
"The child who concentrates is immensely happy.”
-DR. MARIA MONTESSORI