While we are all busy working on our first year program we wanted to take a quick breather to outline our future program direction:
Our plan is to expand to offer a full range from Toddler to Middle School programs over the next several years. We will expand our preschool program incrementally to facilities nearby as well as work on the logistics and zoning of operating a school in this "campus" format. Donna Booth will be leading the development of our Elementary Program. Donna's 24 years of Montessori experience ranges from her training at the International Center for Montessori Studies Foundation in Bergamo Italy to teaching and administration at the International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB), as well as teaching and directing elementary programs at the Montessori House of Children in London and the Guelph Montessori School. While we are very excited about our long term plans and will begin laying the ground work this year, our primary activities will be focused on our Toddler and Children's House programs. Our current facility and program is a seed and we expect to nuture it in this our inaugural year. We are looking forward to developing a dynamic creative school environment that is serves the children parents and staff. We invite you to join us on our journey to create a successful educational experience for all. Please stay tuned on this blog to learn of our endeavours for the future.
Beyond our own school growth plans we see an opportunity for our region to be a leader in personalization in education ranging from Montessori Programs to home school groups to Waldorf and faith based schools. If you are involved in education in our region or internationally please get in touch with us at info@echomontessori.com
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Let the race begin!
The offer is now final and accepted for 798 Scottsdale Drive, in Guelph. Echo Montessori's new home. Now the heavy lifting of getting Echo ready for children and their families in time for September begins.
Check it out:
View Larger Map
Check it out:
View Larger Map
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Location, Location, Location
While location quality is always a key factor for a business, a business providing services to parents and children is even more location dependant. For us, the "school location" encompasses both geographical position, nearby attributes, and internal attributes.
Realistically, we have been searching and talking to people for almost two years about an appropriate location and along the way we have come to internalize a set of factors related to what we have been looking for. We are currently on the cusp of finalizing space at the edge of a residential area near parkland at the South end of Guelph so I though I would take this opportunity to share with you what we have been thinking about in looking for a facility:
Professionalism - We need to have space that allows parents to feel comfortable and confident. This relates primarily to the space itself, but, also to the immediate neighbourhood.
South End Location - Our target is to serve the needs of parents at the south end of Guelph, so otherwise appropriate space in other parts of the city or outside the city were not attractive.
Regulation - Aside from the general high standards of the space we were seeking we had to ensure that we understood how much effort was required to meet regulation or licensing requirements ranging from fence heights, floor space, window areas and most difficult zoning. Institutional zoned space appropriate for our long term goals is difficult to find, but, feedback we received suggests there are some planning zones with little flexibility (industrial zoning is an "employment zone") and that boundary properties near institutional zones are better targets for zoning ammendments in the future. By now we probably know our way around the Guelph Zoning bylaws almost as much as local builders!
Size and Growth Strategy Consistency - Our plan calls for beginning with a young age group and expanding the age ranges served by the school. Since avoiding the cost of excess space is a key success factor, we need space that we can grow with. Some space we had identified suited launching all age groups and an intense program to fill that space rather than the incremental launch of our current plan. Ultimately, it is difficult to make the required predictions and corresponding commitments to leases or purchase space.
Logistics - We need our location to be able to handle people and our daily operations ranging from parking to entrance area logistics (imagine lots of children with snowsuits and the importantance of getting that right), indor activity space for cold weather and meal prep or delivery. This area is a bit of a design activity between the capabilities of the space and elements of the program. For example, our current location has relatively few parking areas and we have partially addressed that with an extended drop off and pick up time as well as cooperation with our neighbours (Thanks Wellington Hospice!).
Program Support - The location for the school us support our current and planned program elements. Specifically we are focused on internal space for the prepared
environment of Montessori as well as access to outdoor and naturalized space (creeks, treed areas) to ensure outdoor program opportunities.
We ended up looking space ranging from shared space in in schools, churches or other institutional zoned areas, acquiring instituional space, use of industrial office space near parkland, cpmmercial space, and residential space.
Ultimately with all the factors above we have identified 798 Scottsdale Dr. nestled between an excellent park, near a zoning boundary to instituional space and in the target area in Guelph. If all goes well over the next few weeks we should be able to move forward with this space and can welcome you all to our school come September.
Realistically, we have been searching and talking to people for almost two years about an appropriate location and along the way we have come to internalize a set of factors related to what we have been looking for. We are currently on the cusp of finalizing space at the edge of a residential area near parkland at the South end of Guelph so I though I would take this opportunity to share with you what we have been thinking about in looking for a facility:
Professionalism - We need to have space that allows parents to feel comfortable and confident. This relates primarily to the space itself, but, also to the immediate neighbourhood.
South End Location - Our target is to serve the needs of parents at the south end of Guelph, so otherwise appropriate space in other parts of the city or outside the city were not attractive.
Regulation - Aside from the general high standards of the space we were seeking we had to ensure that we understood how much effort was required to meet regulation or licensing requirements ranging from fence heights, floor space, window areas and most difficult zoning. Institutional zoned space appropriate for our long term goals is difficult to find, but, feedback we received suggests there are some planning zones with little flexibility (industrial zoning is an "employment zone") and that boundary properties near institutional zones are better targets for zoning ammendments in the future. By now we probably know our way around the Guelph Zoning bylaws almost as much as local builders!
Size and Growth Strategy Consistency - Our plan calls for beginning with a young age group and expanding the age ranges served by the school. Since avoiding the cost of excess space is a key success factor, we need space that we can grow with. Some space we had identified suited launching all age groups and an intense program to fill that space rather than the incremental launch of our current plan. Ultimately, it is difficult to make the required predictions and corresponding commitments to leases or purchase space.
Logistics - We need our location to be able to handle people and our daily operations ranging from parking to entrance area logistics (imagine lots of children with snowsuits and the importantance of getting that right), indor activity space for cold weather and meal prep or delivery. This area is a bit of a design activity between the capabilities of the space and elements of the program. For example, our current location has relatively few parking areas and we have partially addressed that with an extended drop off and pick up time as well as cooperation with our neighbours (Thanks Wellington Hospice!).
Program Support - The location for the school us support our current and planned program elements. Specifically we are focused on internal space for the prepared
environment of Montessori as well as access to outdoor and naturalized space (creeks, treed areas) to ensure outdoor program opportunities.
We ended up looking space ranging from shared space in in schools, churches or other institutional zoned areas, acquiring instituional space, use of industrial office space near parkland, cpmmercial space, and residential space.
Ultimately with all the factors above we have identified 798 Scottsdale Dr. nestled between an excellent park, near a zoning boundary to instituional space and in the target area in Guelph. If all goes well over the next few weeks we should be able to move forward with this space and can welcome you all to our school come September.
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