We are an Independent Montessori Preschool, Elementary, and Middle School

Our Approach

The Children’s House offers area families the opportunity to choose an extraordinary education for their children. Our students, in active pursuit of information, develop the skills and attitudes necessary to achieve lifelong goals. 

Our Values

  • We are an independent school. We make decisions based on the student, not the state. We encourage independent learning, which results in confident and responsible young thinkers. In fact, we believe the real test is life itself.

  • We believe in the intelligence of every child and that each one has a gift. We believe school should be a place where this intelligence can be cultivated and fully expressed through purposeful, interesting work.

  • School should be a place that taps a child’s natural desire to explore. Our classrooms are designed so the children are intrigued by what happens there. Our goal is for every child who graduates from our school to love learning – for a lifetime.

Why Montessori

Our classrooms bring to life Dr. Montessori’s comprehensive educational model and utilize the developmental learning materials she created to inspire students’ curiosity and to help them find answers. The Montessori approach is designed to help children with their task of inner construction as they grow from childhood to maturity.

Social Emotional Learning

True social and emotional learning happens every day in our classrooms. Our students learn how to be a part of an authentic, working community; resolve conflict peacefully; express and relate to their emotions; discover their strengths; lead and collaborate; advocate for themselves and others; and more.

Curricular Scope

Our Curricular Scope was created by our faculty to help the reader understand our school curriculum. It is designed to demonstrate the continuum of knowledge from one developmental level to the next and to illustrate the depth of each subject area.

Academic Programs

Montessori education at The Children's House guides and celebrates the development of independent and responsible young people. To learn about the curriculum and prepared Montessori environments of our classrooms, please read about our programs for children from infancy through the adolescent years. 

Our Alumni

At The Children’s House and Compass Montessori Junior High, we harness curiosity and discovery to inspire learning. As a result, our graduates are intrinsically motivated learners, critical thinkers, and strive for academic excellence.

Hear from our Alumni how their Children’s House and Compass Montessori Junior High experiences shaped who they are and the way they learn.

Hear from our Alumni

Our People

Being a prepared adult in a Montessori classroom is more than setting up materials and managing schedules. The adults in the classroom understand child development and know how to meet each child where they are. They act as a connection to the environment, observing each child’s interests and progress and fostering curiosity and a joy of learning through purposeful work. 

All of our Nido, Young Children’s Community, Primary, Elementary, and Junior High Guides are specially trained in Montessori education through either the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) or the American Montessori Society (AMS). This training is rigorous, graduate-level work and is typically completed after earning a bachelor’s degree. Each guide holds a Montessori credential specific to the age group they work with, ensuring deep understanding and thoughtful support at every stage of a child’s development. Support Staff are given training on Montessori Pedagogy, in addition to the Health and Safety training required by licensing. Some Support Staff are AMI Assistant trained.

Faculty

  • Jeanette Kania

    NIDO GUIDE

    Jeanette grew up in Traverse City and found Montessori almost ten years ago. She has worked in every 0-3 classroom at the school and loves partnering with families to support children during the first years of their lives.

  • Betsy Bloomquist

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY GUIDE

    Betsy has always loved interactions with toddlers and started babysitting at a young age. Betsy has been a part of The Children's House family for over 20 years, as a consistent and positive role model to our Young Children's Community.

  • Annie Botsford

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY GUIDE

    Annie has worked at The Children's House since the spring of 2018. When she is not at school, Annie enjoys traveling, running, reading, cooking, and spending time with her dog, Willow.

  • Emily Walton

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY GUIDE

    Emily finds joy in movement and exercise, thrifting, baking, and making music any chance she can! She is a lifelong learner who rarely sits idly, unless she's at the beach with snacks and a good book.

  • Megan Fellows

    PRIMARY GUIDE

    Megan moved to Traverse City in 2016 to join The Children's House community. She spent her childhood moving around South America but always returned to Leelanau County for the summer. Now, she feels lucky to call Michigan her permanent home.

  • Kristi Johnson

    PRIMARY GUIDE

    Kristi has been in Montessori for six years, with three years of experience as a Lead Guide. Kristi recently moved to Michigan in the summer of 2023 from Massachusetts.

  • Chelsea Seals

    PRIMARY GUIDE

    Chelsea was born and raised in Traverse City and then moved away to complete her B.A. and Montessori training. After meeting her husband, Mark, and getting married, life took them from coast to coast and back again.

  • Taylor Vancil

    PRIMARY GUIDE

    Taylor graduated from Florida State University in December of 2012 with a degree in Social Sciences. During her time at FSU she played on the Seminoles nationally-ranked soccer team.

  • Jaime Janiszewski

    LOWER ELEMENTARY GUIDE

    Jaime is a member of the TCH community as a parent and teacher. She enjoys spending time with her family and animals by exploring Northern Michigan and its abundant beauty on hikes, at the beach, camping, and riding bikes.

  • Carey Wendell

    LOWER ELEMENTARY GUIDE

    Carey attended Montessori for primary school, where she grew up, in Berkeley, CA. When she is not teaching, Carey enjoys gardening and baking, as well as listening to and performing music.

  • Karin Church

    UPPER ELEMENTARY GUIDE

    Living in the Traverse City area since 2005, Karin has greatly enjoyed spending time with her family at home and on the many stunning beaches and gorgeous trails available.

  • Jamie Schaub

    UPPER ELEMENTARY GUIDE

    Jamie is a lifelong learner choosing to spend her moments working on art projects, reading books, gardening, canoeing and hiking. She lives in a home she built with her partner Brenin in the woods with her dog Rue, and cat Pancho.

  • Tori Craig

    ADOLESCENT GUIDE

    After a decade working with nonprofits and farms for food justice, Tori realized being with young people was the common feature of her favorite jobs and decided to pursue teaching. She is energized by the potential for creativity and change she finds in the classroom.

  • Kristina Weidenfeller

    ADOLESCENT GUIDE

    Kristina has been a parent at TCH since 2006, and an employee since 2009. She has had many roles during her tenure; room parent, summer yoga instructor, coach, Kitchen Classroom, Earth to Table, and Junior High Guide.

  • Isabel Forster

    ADOLESCENT GUIDE

    A native of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Isabel bounced around the East Coast United States, United Kingdom, and Norway for her higher education. She recently pursued a postgraduate at the London School of Economics Department of Geography.

Our Programs

Specialists

  • Andrea Deibler

    KITCHEN DIRECTOR

    Andrea joined the Children’s House community as Kitchen Director in 2021. Previously, she has worked as a chef, restauranteur and whole-animal butcher, focusing on sustainably sourced and local food.

  • Alison Hoffman

    ART SPECIALIST

    Alison has been the art teacher here at TCH for over a decade and feels blessed everyday for being able to teach these students and be a part of this community.  She enjoys ALL things artistic and loves spending time trying out and practicing new techniques and mediums. 

  • Brooke Kartje

    DELLA TERRA SPECIALIST & SUMMER PROGRAM COORDINATOR

    Brooke has experience as an art and technology coordinator at a library, a farmhand on an organic farm, and a Program Coordinator for a non-profit art center. The motivation for her work comes from her belief in food sovereignty and her love of plants.

  • Virginie Kanner

    FRENCH SPECIALIST

    Virginie was born and raised in France. There, she studied English and education and completed her teacher training. After moving to the US in 2005, Virginie first taught French in a middle school in Maryland and then in a French immersion preschool in Virginia. 

  • Angela Lickiss-Aleo

    MUSIC SPECIALIST

    Angela has been a substitute at The Children's House since 2016 in nearly every classroom, including music. She has been teaching music in the Traverse City area since moving here in 2015 and an active music educator since 2006.

  • Steve Maas

    PHYSICAL EDUCATION SPECIALIST

    Steve began his employment at The Children's House in the fall of 1992 in Suttons Bay as an assistant in Nadine's Primary classroom. He worked with three to six year old students for several years until TCH began offering daily physical education in 2003.

  • Vida Ruggero

    SPANISH SPECIALIST

    Vida has been teaching Spanish for over 30 years.  She has taught preschool - AP high school Spanish.  Vida has lived in Michigan her whole life and has traveled to many Spanish speaking places. She loves to use music & movement to teach Spanish.

  • DiAnn Service

    INTERVENTIONIST

    DiAnn has been a part of The Children's House community since 1995 from summer programs and primary assistant, to Della Terra and Elementary Guide. Currently, DiAnn provides academic support for students, faculty, and our school libraries.

  • Jennifer Superson

    MINDUP SPECIALIST

    Jennifer is a licensed clinical social worker with a decade of experience in private practice. Her counseling practice focused on contemplative approaches to health, based in neuroscience and a lived understanding that we all can change our brains with mental awareness and fitness.

Specials

Support Staff

  • Emily Arbut

    FLOATING

  • Rachel Atkins

    UPPER ELEMENTARY

  • Dayna Bigbee

    MAINTENENCE AND CUSTODIAL

  • Grace Bishop-Schaub

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

  • Terra Bogart

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

  • Katie Burley

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

  • Madison Christenson

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

  • Ashleigh Cole

    NIDO

  • Sarah Davis

    KITCHEN

  • Kelton Fekken

    CUSTODIAL

  • Chloe Flynn

    NIDO

  • Anna Foulkrod

    PRIMARY

  • Betsy Funk

    UPPER ELEMENTARY

  • Jana Gray

    LOWER ELEMENTARY

  • Season Hawkins

    PRIMARY

  • Robby Hovie

    FLOATING

  • Jasmyne Kaggwa

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

  • Rachel King

    PRIMARY

  • Penny Krebiehl

    PRIMARY

  • Merissa Lamie

    PRIMARY

  • Kate Maas

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

  • Shelby McCool

    FLOATING

  • Junghwa Mead

    PRIMARY

  • Claire Olio

    KITCHEN

  • Emily Palmer

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

  • Anna Postoian

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

  • Haley Reed

    PRIMARY

  • Malu Schlueter

    PRIMARY

  • Dustin Smith-TerHaar

    PRIMARY

  • Madison Stewart

    NIDO

  • Jodie Tasch

    LOWER ELEMENTARY

  • Brian Thelen

    YOUNG CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

  • Lyndsay Totten

    PRIMARY

Our Community

Featured
Growing Together
Growing Together

When I think about The Children’s House, one simple truth comes to mind: this place is me. I was a Montessori child. Like so many of our students, I had the freedom to move, to ask questions, and to explore things deeply without someone rushing me to the “right” answer.

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Our new labyrinth: A path to peace and discovery
Our new labyrinth: A path to peace and discovery

We are excited about the new addition to our outdoor learning environment, a beautiful, winding labyrinth. This offers our students a designated space for meditation, reflection, and quiet moments in their busy school day and fits well with our new MindUP curriculum. It's a natural extension of our Montessori philosophy, which values a child's need for purposeful work and a connection to the natural world.

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From the Garden to the Kitchen: How growing food helps us reach our full potential
From the Garden to the Kitchen: How growing food helps us reach our full potential

I recently had a parent ask me about our food program; the “why” behind what we do. I found myself desperate to tell her about what we do now, what we want to do in the future, and most of all, the reason we have a food program in the first place. Since I live daily with the thoughts of how to make our food program better, more local, more delicious, and more of an experience that inspires our learners…

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