Public Announcements

Funding from GiveWell Community Foundation honors the legacy of Mabel Schaefer, a lifelong educator whose dedication continues to impact generations of children. LAKELAND, FL — April 14, 2026 — Mi Escuela Montessori is proud to announce it has been awarded a $75,000.00 capital grant from GiveWell Community Foundation. This project is funded through a grant from GiveWell Community Foundation in honor of Mabel Schaefer's Legacy, a tribute to her lifelong dedication to educatio

This week, we are proud to honor Dr. Daphne Harris for her third year of incredible service to our school community. The role of an Assistant Principal is one of the most challenging in education. It requires a unique balance of discipline, empathy, and academic expertise. From the early morning bells to the final bus departure, Dr. Harris serves as the constant anchor for our campus, ensuring our operations run smoothly and our environment remains secure. A Pillar of Suppor

This year marks our third year sending a student delegation to the Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) Conference in New York City , and we are incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work our students have invested throughout this experience. MMUN brings together Montessori students from around the world to practice diplomacy, collaboration, and global problem-solving while learning about the real work of the United Nations. Throughout the school year, our student del

This year, Mi Escuela Montessori reached a transformative milestone as our inaugural 6th-grade Academic Team represented us in the Polk County Public Schools Academic Competition . For a young charter school team, the true victory wasn't the final standing—it was the boldness to enter the arena . Competing for the first time against long-established district programs, our six students demonstrated the intellectual curiosity and poise that define an authentic Montessori educat

February was a month full of creativity, connection, and meaningful learning experiences across our school community. One of the highlights was a beautiful schoolwide art collaboration led by our wonderful and imaginative art teacher. During several Friday art sessions, students from Kindergarten through 6th grade each contributed their own marks on large sheets of aqua paper, building layers of colorful lines, textures, and patterns. Inspired by pop artist Jim Dine and his h

Our amazing Mi Escuela Montessori Chess Team! We are so proud of these students for their hard work, sportsmanship, and a fantastic season. Congratulations to all our players! This year marked an incredible and successful season for the Mi Escuela Montessori Chess Team . What began just two years ago with a single player has grown into a thriving program of 20 students from PK through 8th grade , all learning, competing, and growing together. Throughout the season, our studen

From the moment you meet her, it becomes clear that she embodies the qualities of an exceptional educator-dedication, compassion, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to her students and school community. She creates a welcoming classroom where students feel supported, valued, and excited to learn, and where families know their children are cared for and encouraged to grow. Beyond the classroom, she is a true team player who supports her colleagues and helps build a st

Mi Escuela Montessori has recently received an additional $900,000 through the Competitive Charter School Program (CSP) Grant, increasing its total funding to $1.5 million over five years. This significant financial boost follows a thorough statewide review and reflects strong confidence in the school’s academic approach and organizational stability. The new funds will support curriculum expansion, professional development, and enhanced student services, helping the school co

Choosing an Education with the Long View in Mind With steady hands and quiet focus, this Kindergartener works with the golden beads, building a math problem piece by piece and transforming abstract ideas into something he can see, touch, and understand. Somewhere between five and six, childhood shifts again. Not abruptly, but subtly. Parents feel it. Teachers see it. A child who once moved comfortably within familiar routines suddenly asks bigger questions. Their emotions fee

With quiet concentration, this kindergartener uses pushpin work to create his own continent map — strengthening fine-motor muscles for future writing while practicing careful, purposeful effort. There is a moment around age three when childhood shifts, quietly, beautifully, and unmistakably. Your child begins to move with intention. Their language blooms. Their curiosity expands. And suddenly, they aren’t just experiencing life. They’re shaping it. This is the stage Montesso

Mi Escuela Montessori has been awarded a $1,000 grant from McDonald’s to support the Bilingual STEAM Buddies Mentorship Program , a hands-on bilingual science and engineering initiative connecting upper-elementary and primary students. The program pairs 4th–6th grade students with 1st–3rd grade “buddies” to explore science through real-world investigations, engineering design challenges, and bilingual communication. Each team will use classroom “shoebox science kits” to cond

Photo by Chris wade NTEZICIMPA : https://www.pexels.com/photo/adorable-baby-walking-in-black-and-white-portrait-34488839/ What if the greatest work of childhood is the one we never see? The earliest years of life might look quiet from the outside — lots of diaper changes, naps, and tiny hands learning to grab and pour. But inside your toddler’s mind, something extraordinary is happening. Dr. Maria Montessori called this the unconscious absorbent mind — a time when children ta

[Lakeland, FL] – [11/03/2025] – Mi Escuela Montessori recently received a $2,500 Impact Polk grant on behalf of the George W. Jenkins Fund within GiveWell Community Foundation (GWCF). This grant will support Mi Escuela Montessori’s Brain-building Beginnings: Birth to Four Scholarship Program. The funding is part of GWCF’s recent Impact Polk 2025 grant cycle, which awarded a total of $665,933.73 to 92 nonprofit organizations. Impact Polk is GWCF’s annual competitive, donor-dir

Lakeland, FL — 11/03/2025 — Mi Escuela Montessori is honored to announce that it has been awarded a $20,000 Youth Opportunity Grant from the United Way of Central Florida (UWCF) and the George Jenkins Foundation in support of its Project CONNECT initiative. This competitive grant program received a substantial number of outstanding applications from across Central Florida, and UWCF was able to fund only about one-third of the proposals submitted. Mi Escuela Montessori is pro

Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/food-and-drinks-inside-the-carton-box-6590920/ As we celebrate World Healthy Eating Day , we’re reminded that not every child has that opportunity. According to recent reports, nearly 15% of Polk County residents — more than 110,000 people — live with food insecurity, including tens of thousands of children ( Polk Vision, 2024 ). At our school, over 30% of students qualify for SNAP benefits , and we know many families m

What if we could see a map of childhood — a guide not just to what children learn, but how they change as they grow? A Revolutionary Framework for Growth Long before neuroscience caught up with her, Dr. Maria Montessori proposed that human development unfolds in four broad stages, or planes of development , each lasting roughly six years: 0–6, 6–12, 12–18, and 18–24. Each plane has its own psychological and physical characteristics, learning drives, and sensitivities. A three

Good afternoon, MEM families, Please, find here the first Boletin for the 2025-2026 school year. There are important descriptions about procedures and information. Please, read carefully. Sincerely, Dr. Raul Muñoz Rodrigo

We'd like to welcome Dr. Raul Munoz Rodrigo, our new Principal! Dr. Munoz Rodrigo, a native of Madrid, Spain, has over thirteen years of...

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We recently received a $10,000 Impact Polk grant on behalf of the George W. Jenkins Fund within GiveWell Community Foundation (GWCF).