All-Day Montessori Daycare.  Preparing your child for Kindergarten, and for life.

We currently have two entry level spaces for children born in 2023 or early 2024 (must be 30 mos), for the 2026-2027 school year.

Families move, needs change, and spaces open.  Please fill in your information on the CONTACT US page and specify how many days of enrolment you are seeking.  We offer 2 day (Tue & Thu), 3 day (Mon, Wed & Fri), and 5 day (Mon to Fri).  For any information not listed on our pages, or to set up a family visit, please call 604.569.2169.

Why Strathcona Montessori?

For more than two decades, Strathcona Montessori staff have been a trusted part of the Vancouver community, providing an authentic, child-centred Montessori education that nurtures curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning.  Our dedicated team brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and talent to the classroom.  Every Montessori guide holds a full ECE teaching certification, along with Montessori training and many years of practical experience working with young children.  In addition to their Montessori expertise, our educators bring specialized skills that enrich our program and create meaningful learning opportunities every day.

Strathcona Montessori is a daycare that includes a full foundational education program.  Ours program is unique program with the addition of cultural studies and food preparation for each continent of study, fine arts, and craft making that promote interest and motor skills.  Our school week includes all of the regular curriculum as well as sewing, beading, art, and with daily outdoor aerobic play activities, and weekly dance parties.  We place a strong emphasis and focus on natural materials that are reusable, recyclable, and compostable.

Our enrichment activities include:

• Health & Nutrition. Baking, snack prep and food serving, nutrition, food preparation for every continent being studied, and active movement to encouraging healthy habits and teamwork.
• Arts, Body & Mind. Creative art, fine motor development, mindfulness, and yoga to inspire self-expression, focus, and physical well-being.

We maintain a small class size of just sixteen children, supported by three teachers and additional support staff.  This exceptional teacher-to-child ratio allows us to provide individualized guidance, foster strong relationships, and create a nurturing environment where each child is supported and encouraged to reach their individual potential.  At Strathcona Montessori, children receive the needed encouragement during these important early years, to build self-confidence, social skills, and independence.

We believe every child deserves the time, space, and guidance to discover their own unique potential.  At Strathcona Montessori, learning is not just about preparing for school, it’s about preparing for life.

What is Montessori?

Montessori for children aged 3 to 5 is a gentle and supportive way of learning that helps children become independent, self-confident, and curious.  Children learn by doing things for themselves through hands-on activities, rather than simply being told what to do, or have it done for them.  They can choose activities that interest them and learn at their own pace, while teachers guide and encourage them along the way.

Montessori also teaches important everyday skills, such as dressing, cleaning up, preparing simple food, and caring for their environment.  These small tasks help children develop concentration, coordination, responsibility, and build the confidence to try more challenging tasks.  Most importantly, Montessori gives children the freedom to explore, make choices, and learn from their experiences in a calm and respectful environment.  This helps build a strong foundation for learning and for life.

Some believe that Montessori programs are structured environments.  They are not.  Quite the opposite.  Montessori methodology is child-directed with the teacher as a guide, rather than many other early childhood programs which are adult directed.  The Montessori approach which fosters independence, promotes self-confidence.  A confident child is more resilient and learns to problem solve independently.  Self-motivated learning is the core of the Montessori program and philosophy.  Students in our classroom move about freely, with our belief that children need to roam, touch and experience in order to learn.  This is referred to as freedom within boundaries.  Socialization is also a major focus, guiding children on appropriate ways to make and keep friendships. 

Alongside the cornerstone of core studies, we focus on understanding, and learning how to learn.  Socialization and skill development are part of everyday life in a Montessori classroom.  

In today’s world, it is important that Dr. Montessori’s vision of tolerance, acceptance, love, kindness, respect, appreciation of beauty, and desire for peace is stronger than ever.  Our goal is to support children develop creatively, intellectually, emotionally and socially, in order to prepare them for kindergarten and life.  Our two-year program introduces all children to a strong foundation of personal and social skills.  We welcome young minds and families to the joys of a Montessori education.

Tuition and BC Child Care Benefits

Strathcona Montessori is registered with the BC Government for the Fee reduction program reducing the Montessori program cost by $27.25 per day.  Fee Reduction has a provincial maximum monthly allowable for days registered: 2 days a week (less $218 per month), three days a week (less $327 per month),  and five days a week (less $545 per month).  Families may also apply for the BC Affordable Child Care Benefit, which is income based on a sliding scale with a maximum of $550 per month.  Forms are available through our centre at any time after registration. 

Tuition rates can be found in the drop down menu on the ABOUT page.  We do not receive funding, grants or burseries from the government.  Government funds are directed to fees and family costs.

You will never know how wonderful a Montessori classroom can be, until your child has had this very joyful and amazing experience.

View our projects on Instagram @strathconamontessori or Strathcona All-Day Montessori on Facebook

A little bit more about us

Strathcona Montessori is nestled within the gated community of the Mau Dan Co-op Gardens in the historic Vancouver Strathcona neighbourhood.  We are located at 377 Keefer Street, just a few blocks from the new St. Paul’s Hospital.  We are centrally located with easy access from the East Village at Nanaimo and Hastings, Chinatown, Yaletown, Gastown, and Vancouver City Centre.

School is open daily from the first Tuesday after Labour Day in September, through to the last day in July.  We break every year during the Christmas-New Year’s week and for the month of August.  We do not take Pro-D Days throughout the year.  Strathcona Montessori is a small school with 16 children per class.  Half day classes are not offered.

One-third of our spaces are part-time enrolment.  Two-day (Tue & Thu) and three-day (Mon, Wed & Fri) classes are initially offered to three-year-old first-year students.  Once enrolment is calculated, we can offer the extra time to families who are enrolled and interested in more days.  Five-day enrolment (Mon to Fri) is offered to all four-year-old students attending their second-year, who require more time to prepare for Kindergarten.  

We are licensed for 3 to 5 years, which allows two children under three years old (if space is available).  Returning students and siblings have first priority for all space selections.

Registration for September opens every January for returning children and siblings.  Registration for remaining spaces occurs after returning family registration is complete.  Only families being offered spaces will be contacted.  We do not host Open Houses.  30 minute family visits are offered on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 11:30am or 3:30pm, when time permits.

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