Community Cares Family Resource Fund

Community Cares Family Resource Fund is a grant from The Portland Montessori School that supports families experiencing financial hardship whose children attend the school. The fund ensures no child's education is disrupted by circumstances beyond their family's control, including challenges from federal policy shifts affecting SNAP benefits and family support programs.

TPMS matches every dollar donated up to $10,000, doubling the community's collective impact. Eligible recipients are families of currently enrolled students facing unexpected financial and social hardships. Award amounts vary based on available community donations and matching funds.

Family Resource Fund - The Portland Montessori School The Portland Montessori School believes that a strong community can create meaningful change in countless ways. When we come together, we can uplift and support one another through difficult times. Starting today, TPMS will match every dollar donated up to $10,000 , doubling the impact of your contribution.

Your gift helps ensure that no child’s education is disrupted by circumstances beyond their family’s control and that our community remains strong, compassionate, and connected.

Through our Community Cares Family Resource Fund, we’re stepping up to support families who are facing increasing pressures—such as the imminent loss of SNAP benefits coupled with recent executive orders and federal policy shifts that are tightening eligibility, increasing work-requirements, and shrinking supports for families. These changes are creating unexpected financial and social hardships for children and their households.

At the same time, regular school attendance—and ensuring that a child’s and family’s basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter are met—are essential to every child’s well-being, growth, and educational success. Community Cares – Compassion into Action. The Portland Montessori School is a school with a heart “The Portland Montessori School is a school with a heart.

Each year, parents raise money to sustain scholarships that make the dream of a Montessori education a reality for families who could not otherwise afford it. That shows the true spirit of community at our school. ” Our son sincerely loves his guide “Our son sincerely loves his guide, who shows him authentic kindness, warmth, and non-judgmental acceptance.

Under her guidance, he has become a self-directed, competent, and curious learner who cares about the world and others around him. ” As parents, our ultimate goal is for our child to make independent “As parents, our ultimate goal is for our child to make independent, healthy and confident choices so he can be a happy and productive person wherever he is in life.

We are thankful he is with Miss Jennifer’s elementary class and The Portland Montessori School community, where he is developing those traits. ” When our son started kindergarten at The Portland Montessori School “When our son started kindergarten at The Portland Montessori School, his behavior problems stopped almost immediately. That’s because he had interesting, engaging work to do.

He’s so proud to show us the work he’s done when we pick him up after school. ” What takes me aback every day is the exceptional commitment “What takes me aback every day is the exceptional commitment of every single staff member to the nurturing environment that this school provides. The care, understanding, and compassion that they show is and unwavering and is unique to each and every child.

” We always knew that our daughter’s curiosity and tenacity led her to love exploration “We always knew that our daughter’s curiosity and tenacity led her to love exploration and learning, but since she’s been with The Portland Montessori School we’ve seen her develop personally in ways we hadn’t imagined. She is all the better for the love, respect, friendship and encouragement she receives there.

” Yesterday my second grader added 61 plus 61 in her head “Yesterday my second grader added 61 plus 61 in her head and she’s zipping through the Harry Potter series. So while the school doesn’t measure her progress with test scores, I can see how much she has learned, but more importantly, I can see and feel her excitement about learning.

” At The Portland Montessori School, our kids learn to use buttons “At The Portland Montessori School, our kids learn to use buttons, tie their shoes, juice an orange, crack nuts and cut bananas, clean up after themselves, identify odd and even numbers, sew, set their place at the table, pour their own milk, understand the value of numbers into the thousands, and identify continents and countries on a map—and have fun doing it all!

” Our son’s vocabulary, spelling, reading and social skills “Our son’s vocabulary, spelling, reading and social skills have grown by leaps and bounds under the Montessori method.

” I have taught in public schools for the past ten years “I have taught in public schools for the past ten years, including six years in kindergarten, and I can attest that Montessori is different, special, and provides an optimum setting for children’s growth and development. ” We’ve been a part of this amazing community for seven years “We’ve been a part of this amazing community for seven years.

Not only are our children getting a fabulous education, but they receive personal care and attention every single day. ” I am so happy that my son is spending his kindergarten year in a Montessori environment “I am so happy that my son is spending his kindergarten year in a Montessori environment where his knowledge, self-control, kindness, sense of purpose, and confidence have all grown by leaps and bounds.

” The outdoor play area offered at The Portland Montessori School “The outdoor play area offered at The Portland Montessori School is by far the best we saw in the city, and is a daily source of inspiration for imaginative play for our son. It is a beautiful, secluded-feeling wonderland and the children use it daily, rain or shine!

” If it’s true what Maria Montessori said “If it’s true what Maria Montessori said, that the test of the correctness of an educational approach is the happiness of the child, then this school is succeeding beyond our wildest dreams. Both our boys are so happy to go to school and so proud of their work.

” My second grade daughter, in her fifth year with The Portland Montessori School “My second grade daughter, in her fifth year with The Portland Montessori School, constantly surprises me with the lessons she brings home. Last week, after the whole class spent 3 days in Opal Creek, she showed me the impact of a clearcut on a variety of plant and animal species.

” The Portland Montessori School has given my children such an appreciation for learning “The Portland Montessori School has given my children such an appreciation for learning and an extensive fund of knowledge. It has been a nurturing, appropriately challenging environment for them to reach their potential.

” My wife and I can’t thank the school enough “My wife and I can’t thank the school enough for helping not only our son, but also us as we try to provide a consistent learning environment in our home.

” The school community at The Portland Montessori School creates a truly inspiring environment “The school community at The Portland Montessori School creates a truly inspiring environment that is nurturing and encourages independence and a desire to learn. We see the results of this in our daughter every day.

” I could write an essay on how my daughter joined PMS “I could write an essay on how my daughter joined PMS in the last year and graduated from her primary class reading chapter books and doing long addition and subtraction with multiple numbers. She’s well beyond her kindergarten peers, and my younger son’s pride in his work and love of learning has grown beyond expectation.

” As the mom of identical (yet nothing alike) twins “As the mom of identical (yet nothing alike) twins, we wanted a school community that would nurture their individual curiosities and interests and provide them the same lifelong love of learning that I have experienced as a Montessori student many years ago. We found that in The Portland Montessori School.

” Having entered our third full year at what is now The Portland Montessori School “Having entered our third full year at what is now The Portland Montessori School, we have been moved by not only Mr. Curt, whom Beck looks up to a great deal and thinks is the smartest person in the world, but also by the entire staff’s commitment to each child’s development.

” The Portland Montessori School, formerly Providence Montessori School, was founded in September 1962 under the direction of Sister Francella LaFramboise, who studied extensively at Montessori institutes in both the United States and Europe. In 2012, the school celebrated its 50th birthday, and we have the proud distinction of being the first Montessori school in the Northwest.

On January 1, 2013, Providence Montessori School officially became The Portland Montessori School, an independent, non-profit school. This successful transition resulted from the dedicated efforts of the school community, and the hard work of many parents, teachers and staff. Providence Health Systems, the organization that previously operated the school, also provided significant support throughout the transition.

Now operating independently, the school is guided by a board of directors with active involvement and input from an engaged parent advisory committee (PAC). Our school retains its former character and community, including its rich history of providing a Montessori education to Portland-area children.

AN APPROACH TO EDUCATION DEVELOPED BY DR. MARIA MONTESSORI At The Portland Montessori School, we educate children according to the Montessori method of education developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, and a pioneer in the study of child development.

This method is based on her work with developmentally challenged and underprivileged children in Italy, which she began after graduating from medical school in 1896. The approach quickly earned worldwide acclaim and became a standard approach to educating children. In a Montessori education, children learn concepts while working in a carefully prepared environment designed to stimulate each child’s interest and understanding.

Children work independently and in small groups with mixed-ages ranging approximately three years. Because a Montessori education instills the value of caring for our earth, the classroom often extends to the outdoors. The Montessori approach helps each child develop according to his or her inner clock.

The guide, or teacher, acts as a catalyst in each child’s unique journey of development and aids them in their natural process of growth and learning. The time-tested principles, methods and materials used in a Montessori education are scientifically supported and researched.

After more than a century, this method continues to work because of its foundation in both observable and inherent human developmental principles that Dr. Montessori explored during her many decades of scientific observation and practice.