
Kate Birtwell
Founding Director

Kate Birtwell dreamed of starting her own Montessori school since the moment she first held her baby girl in her arms. Having spent the prior 7 years polishing her teaching skills and assembling and creating a comprehensive body of Montessori lessons around early literacy, writing, mathematics, literature, geography, science, and biography as well as assembling a team of impressive subject specialists in the areas of science, music, art and language, she was excited to find an equally comprehensive Montessori school for her daughter.
Finding none that could compare, she decided to start her own. Transforming her family room into a Montessori classroom, she started in September of 1983 with 4 little girls. Fast forward 40+ years later, and the school, now situated in a beautiful residential neighborhood in Marblehead, serves 30 children and owns its own lovely mid-century modern building and grounds.
Kate received her BA in English Lit from Anna Maria College, M.Ed in Psychology from Boston College and her Association Montessori Internationale Certification from the Montessori Institute of Atlanta.
Though semi retired, she loves her role as the visiting “fairy godmother” and is constantly amazed by the level of happy and focused work of the children. The classrooms fairly hum with the busy activities of children, each one following their own particular area of interest, their extraordinary teachers in their midst.
These days Kate spends her time following an even earlier path. With one novel completed and the second almost halfway done, her childhood dream of writing has become her passion. Love of traveling holds a close second in her heart.
And what about that baby girl? The one she started the school for? She is now the director.