Buildings and Grounds

Our campus is nestled onto five acres of natural woodlands, wetlands, and forested hillsides. Our beautiful campus in a farm like setting connects our children to their natural world through the exploration of nature, earth science, gardening, and environmental education. There are three buildings on the campus. Five Early Childhood classrooms are housed in Buildings A and B, along with administrative offices, staff kitchen and lounge, and the half-day toddler classroom. Building C, completed in 2013, houses three Elementary classrooms, an Infant classroom, two Toddler classrooms, and additional office space.

Playgrounds

“There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature.” 
- Maria Montessori


The playgrounds at MCH invite students to explore and discover their natural world. There are physical structures that encourage gross motor development like climbing, hanging, balancing, and swinging. There are tactile spaces that allow students the opportunity to explore different tactile medium (dirt, sand, rock, plants, branches). Spaces provide opportunities for creative, imaginative play and exploration and allow students to interact with plants, animals, weather elements, and physical structures.

Nature Trail

"The land is where our roots are. The children must be taught to feel and live in harmony with the Earth.”
- Maria Montessori

The nature trail is a living classroom and is an integral part of the educational experience. It provides both on path and off path opportunities to observe, discuss, and interact with a broad representation of nature. True to Montessori philosophy, it meets the student’s learning styles and sensory needs.

Our Nature Trail is certified as a Natural Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Foundation and as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

Gardens

As part of our life sciences curricula, MCH has an active garden program based on the Montessori model of a child-directed, developmentally appropriate, individualized approach. Each MCH program (Infant/Toddler, Early Childhood, Elementary) provides children with direct access to gardening with the support and guidance of our Gardening Specialist. Several direct goals of gardening with children include nurturing independence, inspiring awe and wonder in the natural environment, and meeting several cognitive objectives such as an enriched vocabulary and taxonomy lending to a sense of where plants fit into the greater world.  Latest additions to our garden spaces include over-flowing, large above ground gardens outside the elementary building, a pollinator garden, green spaces in our Infant/Toddler playground and new, natural wood fences on our main organic garden which doubles as a playground.

Animals

MCH also maintains a small selection of livestock, including goats and egg-laying chickens and rabbits. The livestock pens are incorporated into our grounds with ample opportunities for the children to interact with the animals. Feeding for our animals is supplemented with food waste scraps from our classrooms and kitchen. Newly created free-range bunny runs, a large goat/duck habitat as well as a remodeled chicken coop create hands-on learning opportunities for MCH students of all ages.

Infant and Toddler Classrooms


Our single Infant classroom is a safe space in which to grow and freedom to move within that space. Under the eyes of our committed, nurturing teaching staff, each infant has a safe, gentle, interesting place to explore, rest, and grow.

From low shelving and toddler-sized furniture to materials especially designed to meet each child’s individual developmental needs, the three Toddler classrooms are carefully set up to be warm and inviting to these small explorers. 

Early Childhood Classrooms

Children learn by doing. In our five Early Childhood classrooms,  academic learning as well as the practical life and sensorial exercises are presented as activities that can be felt, handled, and manipulated. These hands-on experiences help a child to build their own understanding through discovery. In each classroom, there is space suited for group activity and spaces for a student to work alone. Students may choose to do work at tables or on the floor where rolled out mats help define a student's workspace.  There are cozy, inviting spaces to curl up with books. Reachable shelves, child-size practical life tools, low sinks, chairs, and tables all work together to invite a student to explore and master the world around them.

Elementary Classrooms

There are two lower Elementary classrooms, housing first through third grade. 

There is one upper Elementary classroom, housing fourth through sixth grade. 

Shared by all, the cafe works as a multipurpose classroom, and the space is used for cooking, science, art projects, and small group lessons. 

Elementary classrooms are arranged and organized much like Early Childhood classrooms. There are spaces suited for group activities as well as spaces suited for individual work. Places to read and reflect are interspersed with shelves topped with plants and family photos. It's an inviting, calm, focused space with a sense of harmony and order. 

Staff and Faculty Spaces
 Our recently remodeled and reappointed staff and
faculty spaces give our team a clean retreat for breaks,
lunch hours and spontaneous meetings. The remodeled staff kitchen, featuring recycled wood and other upcycled materials, is a respected shared space where
occasional potlucks have occurred and baked goods
are left to share. With full sized appliances -- including a stove -- the staff kitchen always feels like home.
The comfortable lounge located outside the Program Manager offices have comfortable reading
chairs that face a warm fireplace. With high speed wi-fi, compost/recycling systems and large windows that
overlook the MCH pollinator garden and protected
wetland, these beautiful common areas are
where our team can socialize, rest and recharge.