About Our School

Our school was founded in 1965 by Marietta Rawson, who began her career in education as a public school teacher. After attending a lecture on the Montessori method of individualized education, Marietta was so inspired that she traveled to Italy to take Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) training. Upon her return, Marietta started the first Montessori school in Seattle. Today Northwest Montessori remains one of a select few AMI-recognized schools in the Seattle area.

At its core, the Montessori philosophy respects children as they are and creates carefully prepared classroom environments that foster the fulfillment of each child’s highest potential. Montessori teachers use the dynamic educational approach to carefully observe and best meet the evolving developmental needs of each student. The three-year age span in each classroom also allows children to progress at their own intellectual pace, to learn individually and together, and to grow into social and emotional maturity naturally.

At Northwest Montessori School, our richly diverse student body is filled with excitement and a deep enthusiasm for work, learning and creativity. They also exhibit a sincere desire to help and mentor others. And they excel at academics. We administer The Iowa Test of Basic Skills tests to grades third through sixth. Our annual academic assessments consistently show that our students score above the 80th percentile in the national norms of standardized testing.

Ultimately, Northwest Montessori’s trained teachers and faculty work together with parents to support the growth and formation of a whole child-one who is independent, able to think critically, and approaches problem solving in a unique way.

For more information on Northwest Montessori School, and how you can become involved, please visit our Community page.