Friends of Montessori
Stay Current and Stay Connected With Friends of Montessori!
Big Tent is an online social network dedicated to communications about our GOES Montessori program and all FOM partnering schools. Once in the program and on the list, you’ll receive electronic messages about upcoming events, classroom news from teachers, ways you can support the program and info about Montessori resources. Once your child is enrolled, you can go to www.bigtent.com. Search for Friends of Montessori, click on the link and submit your request to join.
Friends of Montessori (FOM) was established in 1994 by a group of parents, teachers, and community members dedicated to creating a unique learning alternative within the Houston public school system. A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, FOM has grown to include four Houston ISD schools serving nearly 800 students annually:
- Garden Oaks Elementary
- Woodrow Wilson Montessori
- Whidby Elementary
- Los Niños Early Childhood Center
Montessori students at all four schools regularly outscore their peers on standardized tests and the program itself has proven to provide enhanced cultural diversity within the classroom, exceptional education for all students, and hours of increased parent volunteer participation.
The goal of Friends of Montessori is to increase the availability of this educational choice to more public school students, and since its inception, FOM has raised more than $400,000 toward that objective. Our public and private sponsors ensure that Friends of Montessori can continue to provide wider access to this proven learning methodology and offer additional opportunities to disadvantaged children as well as families seeking a competitive alternative to private schools.
FOM is organized as an Executive Board and Chapter Boards at each of the four schools. There are no paid board members or staff. Rather, FOM relies on the parents of Montessori students to serve directly or indirectly on committees that support Programs, Fund raising, Communications, and Teacher Representation.
While annual events such as a Gala and a Community- Wide Pancake Breakfast raise funds and awareness for the various Montessori programs, much of the Friends of Montessori's success is attributable to hundreds of parents, teachers, and other volunteers who give graciously and unceremoniously of their time and talents.
We all want students with a strong self-image, good communication skills, creative problem-solving capabilities, and a lifelong enthusiasm for learning. Through awareness, advocacy, funding, and volunteer efforts, Friends of Montessori strives to achieve that goal for our kids children and our community.