Echinacea Montessori is a member of the Wildflower Schools Network
Wildflower is an ecosystem of decentralized Montessori micro-schools that support children, teachers, and parents. Our schools aspire to give all children and families the opportunity to choose high-quality, beautiful learning environments as they follow life’s unfolding journey.
Wildflower Schools
Wildflower is an ecosystem of decentralized Montessori micro-schools that support children, teachers, and parents. Our schools aspire to give all children and families the opportunity to choose high-quality, beautiful learning environments as they follow life’s unfolding journey.
Our aim is to be an experiment in a new learning environment, blurring the boundaries between home and school, between scientists and teachers, between schools and the neighborhoods around them. Our schools are small and teacher-led, with deep parent engagement. At the core of Wildflower are 9 principles that define the approach.
Our network is supported by a foundation that works to build capacity, systems, tools and research to grow and strengthen the network.
Learn more about our story.
Our Principles
Blurring the boundaries between home-schooling and institutional schooling, between scientists and teachers, between schools and the neighborhoods around them. At the core of Wildflower are 9 principles that define the approach.
Our Network
After the first Wildflower school was created in January of 2014, there was intense interest in the school and the approach. This interest led us to open-source the model and help other family groups and teacher-leaders to create new Wildflower schools. Each teacher-leader at each Wildflower school serves on the board of at least one other Wildflower school, creating a community of schools that are linked by both a shared philosophy and a network of shared relationships.
Enroll Now
Take a School Tour
The application process begins with taking a School Tour where you will learn about Echinacea Montessori and the Wildflower Network.
Complete an Application
Please fill out our online application.
Enrollment Cycle
We are currently enrolling for the 2021-2022 school year. LegUp manages our waitlist for future year seats via our online waitlist.
Non-discrimination Policy
Echinacea Montessori School is a nonprofit organization and does not discriminate by race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or status with regard to public assistance. Furthermore, Echinacea Montessori School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
Calendar
We run on a 10-month calendar with summer camp options in June/July.
2021-2022 School Year Information:
First Day of School~ Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Last Day of School~ Friday, June 3, 2022
We follow DPS for holiday breaks such as Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and Spring Break.
Additional holidays observed are Labor Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day.
Teacher Planning Days: January 3, 2022 and April 4, 2022
Our Teacher Leaders
Amanda Clarke
Co-Founder & Teacher Leader
Amanda Clarke has worked as a teacher for twenty years, the majority of which in a public Montessori school. Her teaching coincided with her daughter beginning Montessori primary where they learned about Montessori together. She earned her teaching degree from Lesley University in 1997 and her formal AMI Montessori training in 2015 in Denver. Her goal is to continue to support and guide children in exploring and expanding their environments with confidence, learning about themselves and others. Amanda loves to travel, reading, and being outside.
Ayanna Lewis
Teacher Leader
Ayanna Lewis was born and raised in central Illinois. From the age of 3 until age 11, she attended Montessori Children’s House of Springfield Illinois. It was foundational in her life-long love of learning. Ayanna’s life path led her to obtain a teaching degree at the University of Denver. After realizing the need for more tools in reading instruction and through a series of events, Ayanna embarked on a journey as a school librarian and media specialist in Chicago for 14 years. She was truly blessed to be a book ambassador and a love of reading cheerleader to many students in those years. In 2016, Ayanna chose to take on a life-long learning dream and pursue Montessori training. She completed her AMI diploma at the Maria Montessori Institute in London. Currently, Ayanna lives in the Park Hill neighborhood in Denver. A novice cyclist and tennis player, Ayanna enjoys time outdoors, chatting with family and friends around the globe, and food adventures of any kind.
Sarah Johnson
Co-Founder and Operations Manager
Sarah Johnson is originally from the Midwest where she received her BA in Sociology & Education from DePauw University and her Master’s in Education from Northwestern University. Sarah began her career in Chicago’s inner-city schools with a passion to bring equitable education for all. She was an elementary and middle school math teacher for over a decade before before finding Montessori. As a mother of two young children, Sarah fell in love with Maria Montessori’s focus on fostering independent, confident children. In the past year, Sarah has completed her MACTE Montessori training and Director’s license through the state of Colorado. In her free time she enjoys being outdoors with her family.
Open Positions
Extended Day Teacher Job Description:
The responsibilities of Aftercare teacher include, but are not limited to:
Planning and managing the Extended Day Program, keeping in mind the nature of the child and the time of day
Assisting in the end of school day transition
Sharing informal monthly updates with Heads of School regarding Extended Day program
Managing administrative tasks for the Extended Day Program (attendance records, incident reports, replenishing first aid supplies, etc.)
Observing children and sharing questions and observations with teacher leaders
Initiating growth and change in your own intellectual and professional development; participating in opportunities for professional growth and learning.
Experience
Early Childhood PDIS level II credentials required
Previous experience working with children strongly preferred (in a childcare setting or an in-home/nanny setting)
Previous Montessori experience preferred but not required
Spanish speaking preferred but not required
Mindset
Committed to Equity: You are eager to expand access to quality early education for racially and socioeconomically diverse communities; you are ready to engage in anti-bias, anti-racist self-work and community-work
Generous: You live with kindness, practice gratitude and lead with love. You seek advice openly and are comfortable working in a non-hierarchical organization.
Growth Oriented: You are eager to stretch beyond your current experience, to develop new skills and expertise, and to more fully explore your purpose and potential.
Hours & Benefits
This is a part time position with hours 3:00-6:00 Monday through Friday. Pay is hourly from $15-$17 an hour). Echinacea Montessori offers opportunities for ongoing professional development, and connection to the wider Wildflower community and supports.
Learn More
Send a summary of your experience and description of your interests to Sarah and Amanda at [email protected] Members of the Global Majority and native Spanish speakers are strongly encouraged to inquire.
Echinacea Montessori does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, sex or gender, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, status with regard to public assistance, or in any other way based on personal identity markers that do not relate to the capacity of an individual person to carry out the responsibilities of a role.
Echinacea Montessori School ABAR Statement
Echinacea Montessori School acknowledges that every person at any moment can experience privilege and oppression. As educators, it is our responsibility to tackle these issues through reflections of ourselves and the treatment of children, families, and staff in our environment. We take an informed, dynamic approach to education that works to identify and respond to discriminatory policies and practices in education. Our school community is founded upon Dr. Montessori’s philosophy that education is the catalyst to peace. It is our role as members of this community to mindfully model and guide children to their roles in creating social justice and equity, providing educational experiences in which all students reach their full potential as learners. By providing guidance on equity, we hope to encourage socially aware and responsible beings in their communities: locally, nationally, and globally.
In affecting social change, Echinacea Montessori will work with children in a safe and supportive environment where they can communicate and investigate their individual interests and passions together in their community. Our staff will also engage in investigations of our own identity through anti-bias, anti-racist training each year and continuous reflection. Recognizing that our experiences affect others, we will provide opportunities for children and families to explore and celebrate each other’s differences and similarities, to build honor and respect for Humanity’s differences, recognize bias, and to begin to learn how and why to speak up for what is right. Montessori education, while providing many academic opportunities also specifically teaches how to exist in a rich and varied social group that addresses race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, physical & learning abilities, and economic class; purposefully encouraging and empowering children to take an active, problem-solving approach to explore and create strategies for improving social conditions of their communities. We know that this work is never done and it will continue with each passing school year, but it needs to be done as a community of people lifting one another up in hopes of new intellectual, emotional, and social development. At Echinacea Montessori we are lifelong learners.
Giving
Consider a charitable gift to Echinacea Montessori. We believe educational opportunities should be available to families in our community regardless of financial means. We appreciate any support you might offer our community as we strive for social justice through quality, authentic Montessori education. Echinacea Montessori is a 501(c)3 nonprofit school so all donations are tax-deductible.
News & Events
We invite you to read our past newsletters!
Spring 2021 Newsletter
Summer 2020 Newsletter
Fall 2020 Newsletter
Winter 2020 Newsletter
Location & Hours
Contact Us
Hours
Monday – Friday, 8:00 – 3:00pm
Before & After Care
Monday – Friday, 3:00pm – 5:30pm
Aftercare Rate for 5 days per week: $300 per month
Tuition Rates
We are on a three-tiered tuition system:
- Regular Tuition: $1350 per month
- Scholarship Tuition: $1000 per month
- CCAP Tuition: Participant based
Daily Routine
8:00-8:30 a.m. Staggered drop off due to COVID-19 Regulations
8:30-11:30 Work Period/Morning Snack
11:30-12:30 Outdoor Time and Lunch
12:30-12:45 Settle/Quiet Time
12:45-2:45 Nap/Afternoon Work Period
2:45-3:00 Transition to Home/After Care
3:00 Dismissal
3:00-5:30 After Care Program
Lunch & Snacks
We are excited to provide breakfast, lunch, and a daily snack for a low cost to all families. Our catering program through Little Angel’s Catering will have a monthly menu here.