LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — When Bay Montessori School celebrated its first eighth-grade graduation this spring, it wasn’t just another commencement ceremony. For Head of School Tammy Willen, it marked a milestone more than three decades in the making.
“We added seventh and eighth,” Willen told The BayNet. “Our first group of eighth graders graduated this year.”
Even more meaningful, three of those graduates had been part of the Bay Montessori family for more than 10 years.
“We had three of those kids that were with us for 10-plus years,” Willen said.
For a school that began in 1994 inside San Souci Plaza before moving to its current campus on Willows Road, watching students grow from infancy through middle school represents how far Bay Montessori has come.
“We’re about to start our 33rd year this school year,” Willen said. “Jim and Vickie Pool, who are actually my parents, started it.”
Over the years, the school expanded its campus as enrollment grew and transitioned from a for-profit institution to a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2020. Today, Bay Montessori serves children from infancy through eighth grade, offering Southern Maryland families a nonreligious educational option focused on independence, curiosity and hands-on learning.
Learning By Doing
While many families recognize the Montessori name, Willen says the educational philosophy is often misunderstood.
“One of the biggest myths people think about Montessori is that it’s unstructured and kids get to choose whatever they want,” she said.
Instead, Bay Montessori classrooms are carefully designed to give students freedom within clear expectations.
“Montessori is about a prepared environment that allows freedom of movement and choice within limits,” Willen said.
Developed more than a century ago by Italian physician Maria Montessori, the philosophy encourages children to learn through hands-on experiences while progressing at their own pace.
“Her philosophy really provides for the child to work at their own individual pace,” Willen said. “She felt that children learn best by doing.”
Rather than expecting every child to master the same lesson at the same time, teachers guide students based on individual readiness. Younger children may prepare snacks, care for classroom plants or organize learning materials, while older students conduct research, collaborate on projects and build leadership skills.
The school’s 13-acre campus also extends learning beyond the classroom. Students participate in outdoor exploration, environmental activities and nature-based learning throughout the year, while summer programs include outdoor adventures and survival experiences.
“If a child isn’t ready to read, that’s okay. The materials are available, lessons are presented, and when the child is developmentally ready, reading will come naturally,” Willen said.
For Willen, the goal extends beyond academics.
“Montessori really teaches a child how to think for oneself, not what to think,” she said. “We as teachers and adults need to help them do it alone.”
A Community That Welcomes Families
Located near Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Bay Montessori has become home to many military families relocating from across the country and around the world.
Many first hear about the school through other parents.
“People who have been here before say, ‘You should check out Bay Montessori,'” Willen said.
In recent years, families from Israel attending programs at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School have enrolled their children, with some students arriving speaking little or no English.
“It is really neat to see those families come into our classrooms speaking, some of them zero English,” Willen said.
She says the experience benefits everyone involved.
“Our students have really taken them under their wing,” she said. “They’ve learned the language, the culture and, more importantly, they’ve learned from one another.”
Parents also become part of the learning experience by visiting classrooms, preparing foods from their cultures and sharing traditions with students.
“We’ve been able, as a community, to really help those families transition into the States and specifically into Maryland,” Willen said.
Growing Into Middle School
For years, parents asked Bay Montessori to continue serving students beyond elementary school.
“We really needed the right teachers,” Willen said. “And then we had parents who were really pushing for it.”
The addition of seventh and eighth grades answered that demand while providing families with another educational option in Southern Maryland.
“We are the first secular program,” Willen said. “There aren’t any other middle schools in the area that are not religious outside of the public schools.”
The adolescent program emphasizes leadership, responsibility and independence. One example is the school’s student-led conferences, where students present their accomplishments, challenges and goals directly to their parents.
“The students prepare a presentation for their parents, sharing what they’ve accomplished, where they can improve and what their goals are for the next year,” Willen said.
For the school’s first eighth-grade graduating class, many of those lessons in independence began years earlier in Bay Montessori’s early childhood classrooms.
Looking Toward The Future
As enrollment continues to grow, Bay Montessori is already planning its next chapter.
“We are growing by leaps and bounds,” Willen said.
The school hopes to construct a new building over the next few years to accommodate additional students and support the expanding middle school program.
“We’re hoping to have a new building in the next couple years,” she said.
For Willen, however, growth isn’t simply about adding classrooms.
“We want to continue to offer an alternative approach to education in a setting that nurtures the whole child,” she said.
As Bay Montessori prepares to begin its 33rd school year, the school continues to build on a mission that started with one family and has now impacted generations of students.
“It’s about offering choices so students feel empowered,” Willen said.
About Bay Montessori School
Bay Montessori School is a nonprofit, nonreligious Montessori school serving children from infancy through eighth grade. Programs include infant and toddler care, preschool, elementary school, middle school, enrichment programs, extended care and summer camps.
Address:
20525 Willows Road
Lexington Park, MD 20653
Website:
https://www.baymontessori.com/
Phone:
(301) 737-2421
Hours:
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bay Montessori offers open enrollment throughout the year based on availability, with priority given to currently enrolled students and siblings. Prospective families are encouraged to schedule a tour and apply early.
The school also offers 10 weeks of summer camps featuring outdoor activities, nature exploration, hands-on projects, swimming, drama and Montessori-based instruction. Camps are open to both Bay Montessori students and the community as space permits.
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