Water Lily Montessori
244 10th St E.
Saint Paul MN 55101

info@waterlilymontessori.org

(651) 227-7483

Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 3:30pm

Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 1:00pm (Limited spaces available please enquire)

Monday – Friday, 7:30am – 8:30am
Monday – Friday, 3:30pm – 5:30pm

Due to Covid before and after care is not available at this time. Please enquire if you have specific needs. Thank you.

Please contact us for transportation needs.

Healthy snacks are provided for all children. We can accommodate most dietary needs. Lunch can be purchased or brought from home. Students that qualify for free and reduced lunch have the fee waived.

The goal of the time in the Montessori environment for children ages 3-6 years old is for the children to learn how to adapt to their surroundings as future members and change agents of our society. The entire classroom environment is constructed just for the children’s use and maximizes independence, community, and exploration.

During the day, children at Water Lily Montessori will have uninterrupted work time in the classroom where they are free to choose work they have already had presentations on and repeat that work for as long as they desire during the work period. There are five areas of work in the environment – practical life, sensorial work, language work, math work and cultural. Children will be offered presentations individually or in small groups by the teacher leader. The children prepare their own snacks, garden, eat lunch communally, care for their environment, and explore the outdoors together.

There is nothing more beautiful and hope instilling than seeing children developing the confidence, self-esteem and agency as they engage in the meaningful and self selected work in the Montessori environment.

Angharad Picton
Co-Director / Founding Teacher Leader

Angharad was born and raised in a small seaside town of Saundersfoot, Wales in the United Kingdom. She left her hometown at the age of 18 years old with a long time desire to travel the world to experience different places and cultures. These places included Indonesia, Australia, Egypt, Canada and the United States. Angharad found Montessori whilst living in Egypt in 2001 and later returned the United Kingdom to study Montessori education. In 2006, Angharad received her AMI Primary Montessori certification at the Maria Montessori Institute in London. Angharad has taught in different schools around the world and in different roles within the school environment, for teaching to mentoring teachers, instructional support, consulting to parent outreach and school administration. Angharad settled in Minnesota several years ago having fell in love with Minneapolis and now lives here with her 11 year old daughter Adara who has been in Montessori since she was an infant. In her spare time Angharad is also an Life Embodiment Coach and Qoya Instructor and enjoys leading classes, workshops, retreats and teacher trainings within the USA and abroad. Angharad loves hiking, dancing, playing golf and traveling to sacred sites around the world and learning about ancient cultures and traditions.

Amanda Jakowich
Co-Director / Founding Teacher Leader

Amanda is an educational leader committed to collaborative learning that engages students, staff, families and the community.   Amanda began her journey by receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Music, from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, where she studied vocal-choral music education.  Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, she immediately dove into family life and utilized her experience as she developed a new identity of being a Mom. After many other adventures, Amanda set off down the path of self-exploration which offered grace, refinement, and growth, in the interest of child development; observing the unique gifted qualities each child possesses.  In the spring of 2019, Amanda completed her Montessori Primary Training at the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota.  Thus, earning the highest, internationally recognized Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) credential.  Currently Amanda is pursuing her Master of Arts in Education at Saint Catherine University in Saint Paul, Minnesota.  In her free time Amanda enjoys time with family and friends, baking, yoga, almond flavored lattes, adventures in nature and being at home in Minneapolis.

Richard Escandon
Emerging Teacher Leader

Richard began his career at the University of California Santa Cruz where he received his Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology and Minor in Child Development— there he learned non-bias practices and principles he applies in the classroom to better understand the child. Richard found Montessori in 2013 in Oakland Ca, and has been working in the field of Montessori education ever since. Originally from New Mexico, Richard grew up on a chili farm, at 16 he headed off traveling all around the United States, often touring with musical acts, theater troops, or spending summers working for Organic Certified Farms. Richard enjoys playing the guitar, banjo, reading South American poetry, and creating collaged works of art. Richard is new to Minnesota, having just moved here from New Orleans, La. He hopes to attend Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) credential program in 2021 to continue his journey as a Montessori educator.