Namaste Montessori School is both a traditional Montessori school and NYS licensed daycare center serving children of ages eighteen months through five years.

We at Namaste Montessori know young children possess a passion for learning. They literally absorb life around them. We are honored to have the chance to guide them as they learn. We can never be too kind, too respectful, and too wise to be their role models.

Montessori schools are often called "Children's Houses" and for children these classrooms are as inviting, comfortable, and as enjoyable as their own home. It is not an adult environment adapted for children, it is an environment created just for them.

"When the classroom environment meets all the needs of the children, they become without any manipulation by the adult, physically healthy, mentally fulfilled, extremely well educated, and filled with peace, joy and kindness toward each other." - Maria Montessori

Namaste Montessori School provides this environment in a wonderful country setting, with a diverse curriculum available for the children to explore, and a deep commitment to serving the children and families of our community.

Namaste (pronounced nah-mah-stay) is a Sanskrit word that translates as
"the light in me honors the light in you".
It is often used as a greeting when meeting or parting.

Bridgid Beames, Directress

Teaching in an early childhood Montessori classroom has been Bridgid's life's work for the past fifteen years. She has a Master's Degree from New York University in Montessori and Early Childhood and Elementary Education, a Bachelor's Degree from Cornell University in Education and Biology, and is certified by the American Montessori Society.

She taught at the West Side Montessori School in Manhattan for five years before moving to Ithaca in 1995. In Ithaca, she taught in a Montessori setting for nine years, serving as the Head of School for a large Montessori school three of those years. She also consulted and gave workshops for the NYC Public School System, NYC Head Start, and many schools throughout the state.

In 2002 she left her position as Head of School to care for a critically ill family member. During that time her daughter Abigail was born. Inspired by Abigail, Bridgid and her husband Stan decided to convert the first floor of their home into a Montessori environment for young children. Bridgid made a commitment to create a balanced program that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit of each child preparing for a lifelong love of learning. She made a commitment to create a program accessible to and respectful of the needs of families in the community. Namaste Montessori School is the result of that commitment.

In 2005 Isabel Beames was born. With her arrival and with the enthusiastic encouragement and support of the community Namaste outgrew the Beames first floor and moved to their new location on Trumansburg Road in the summer of 2007. The school now houses both todder and preschool classrooms.

Location

We are conveniently located just South of Trumansburg, two miles north of Cayuga Medical Center on Route 96.