South Walton Montessori Academy was established in 2004 to provide a comprehensive Montessori program for the children and families of Walton County and surrounding areas. Our Montessori-based curriculum embraces the full development of the child, addressing all aspects (physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual) of the whole child. SWMA faculty, staff and parents are committed to the academic and personal growth of our children.

• Our mission. To awaken and nurture an endless passion for knowledge within our children.
• Our vision for the child. To see each child grow to become global citizens who are wise, respectful, confident, compassionate, self-motivated, self-disciplined, independent thinkers, life-long learners, nurturing, tolerant, peaceful and skilled problem solvers. 
• Our vision for the world. Through the education of our children, SWMA aspires to help create an outstanding world community that is peaceful, compassionate, environmentally conscious, educated, spiritual, boundless, joyful, empathetic, balanced, and charitable.

   At SWMA we strive to create a warm and supportive community of students, teachers, and parents. Classes bring children together in multiage groups spanning three age levels. This allows teachers to develop close and long-term relationships with their students over a three-year period. Over time, "communities of learners" are formed, in which older students mentor younger students and a caring dynamic is formed.  Our Montessori teachers create a beautiful and inspiring child-oriented environment, including child-size furniture, soothing lighting, art and décor, and meticulously organized manipulative learning materials throughout the room. Children are deeply respected as unique individuals and are given freedom to explore, learn and move ahead as quickly as they are ready. The curriculum is carefully structured and subject areas are joined together for integrative learning. Students become actively engaged in their studies as they develop self-discipline and an internal sense of purpose and motivation. The classroom extends out of doors where children learn about the natural environment (explore nature, tend gardens and bird feeders, measure rainfall, etc.), play freely with friends, and participate in community events.

SWMA is guided by the standards set forth by the American Montessori Society (www.amshq.org), and licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).

SWMA Families

Families are the foundation for South Walton Montessori Academy. Parents help govern the school, set policy, and oversee financial resources by serving on the Board of Trustees. Parents also support the school by their commitment to the SWMA Parent Organization and its various committees. Fundraising activities, which are vital to the capital campaign, are coordinated and conducted by many dedicated parents. A number of parents contribute volunteer work in the classrooms as needed, or serve as room parents to assist teachers in field trip coordination, constructing classroom materials, and helping with special class projects. Our families contribute a tremendous amount of time, talents and resources throughout the year to make our school an overwhelming success! 

The Montessori Way

Montessori is an educational method created in the early 1900’s by Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, psychologist and educator. Dr. Montessori observed that children teach themselves. This simple truth inspired Montessori's lifelong pursuit of educational reform, methodology, psychology, teaching, and teacher training--all based on her dedication to furthering the self-creating process of the child. Dr. Montessori’s pioneering work created a blueprint for nurturing all children - learning disabled to gifted - to become self-motivated, independent and lifelong learners. Dr. Montessori has become widely recognized as being ahead of her time. Remarkably, her visionary ideas continue to profoundly influence the entire educational landscape.
Dr. Montessori teaches us that each child must be free to pursue what interests him most at his own pace but in a specially prepared environment. Children are introduced to the joy of learning at an early age providing a framework upon which academic and social growth may progress hand in hand. The Montessori child is truly free to learn because he has acquired the 'inner discipline' necessary for lifelong learning. The Montessori environment teaches the child respect; respect for oneself, others, and the planet. It is a positive, stimulating, and enriching atmosphere for children of all ages, all backgrounds, and all capabilities and/or gifts. Montessori children tend to become self-confident, independent thinkers who learn because they are interested in the world and enthusiastic about life.

“To consider the school as a place where instruction is given is one point of view. But to consider the school as a preparation for life is another. In the latter case the school must satisfy all the needs of life.”
Maria Montessori

More about Maria Montessori and Montessori Education

American Montessori Society

The Montessori Foundation Publications Center

Michael Olaf  Montessori Materials (The Joyful Child, Child of the World) - http://www.michaelolaf.com

101 Things That Parents Can Do To Help.

Click here for a 21-page pdf file entitled “Montessori 101 - Some basic information that every Montessori parent ought to know”.

Click here for a 4-page article about Madame Montessori from Smithsonian Magazine.

“ Acquiring the love for learning will make children achieve their full potential as human beings and understand their world, and their place in it”
Maria Montessori

Faculty and Staff

Catherine Beall, Head of School, Lower Elementary Lead Teacher
Tricia Moseley, Director of Education, Primary Lead Teacher
Jessica Russ, Toddler Lead Teacher
David Hopkins, Upper Elementary Lead Teacher
Debbie Ward - Toddler Teacher Assistant
Colette Johnson, Primary Teacher Assistant
Laura Lemoine, Classroom Assistant
Sarah Ludwig, Primary Class Intern

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees, made up primarily of parents, helps to shape the vision of South Walton Montessori Academy.

Miriam Dillon - Chairman
Rhonda Joodi - Secretary
Jon LaPlante - Building
Julie Selleck - Treasurer
Catherine Beall - Director of Operations
Steve Bradley
Kristin Picklesimer