American Montessori Academy
American Montessori Academy, formerly South Loop Montessori School, has announced that it has rebranded to better reflect its growing community of families, educators and students and commitment to the Montessori philosophy, as well as developments within the schools and an additional campus set to open in Chicago’s Uptown-Andersonville neighborhood this fall.
“We are excited to reintroduce families to our schools with an identity that celebrates our Montessori way of life,” said Mahdi Dadrass, Executive Director and Co-Founder of American Montessori Academy. “Our updated brand reflects growth and the strength of our community who not only persevered through pandemic-related challenges, but uncovered innovations in Montessori education and helped bring new concepts to life that cultivate meaningful and rewarding school experiences for children.”
About Our South Loop Montessori School
Our School offers year-round, all-day programs for children 8 weeks to 9 years of age in a stimulating learning facility. We are located in the heart of the South Loop, just steps from Downtown Chicago in a reimagined space at the historic Dearborn Station. New architecture and state-of-the-art classrooms are designed as Dr. Maria Montessori envisioned it herself — as a children’s house or “Casa dei Bambini” — providing an enriching, nurturing and diverse education environment.
The South Loop Montessori School opened in the Winter of 2012 and was expanded in 2016 as part of a ‘campus transformation’ that modernized the entire facility and invites more families to a 21st century learning environment in which their children will grow to their fullest potential.
Take A 3D Virtual Tour
- Campus Highlights
- Enrollment Highlights
- Operational Highlights
- 15,000 Square Foot State-of-the-Art Facility
- 8 Montessori Classrooms
- All Classrooms are Fully Equipped with Child-Sized Features, Counters, ADA-Compliant Bathrooms, Sinks and Fixtures
- Large Indoor Motor Room
- Expansive, Private Natural Playground encouraging Sensory-rich Outdoor Learning and the Important of Instinctive Play in the Natural World
- High Ceilings and Brimming Windows that allow for Natural Light
- Unobstructed South-facing views of Dearborn Park and Tree-Lined West-facing views
- Teacher Resource Rooms and Faculty Lounges
- Advanced Technology, including Leading Security Systems and Protocol to Ensure Safety
- Energy-Efficient Utilities
- Inviting Corridors for Class Observation
- Open Mezzanine where Parents and Faculty can Connect
- 275 Student Enrollment Capacity
- Range of Programs and Schedules (All Day (7:30am—6:30pm), School Day (8am—3:30pm) and Half Day (8am—12:30pm)) to help meet the needs of working parents
- Enriching Education Curriculum and Year-round Montessori Programs offered for All Levels
- Experienced, Certified Montessori Teachers in Every Classroom
- Low Student-to-Teacher Ratio for a Tailored Program
- Self-Correcting Classroom Materials Specialized for Each Level of Development based upon the Montessori Method
- Fresh, Organic Lunch Program, catered locally by Gourmet Gorilla
- Child-Sized Tools — from Furniture to Flatware — encouraging Self-reliance
- Special Emphasis on Global Concepts
- Expansive array of Extracurricular Programming tailored to Student Interest, including Art, Spanish, Music, Cooking, Science and Child Yoga
- Outdoor Activities in Our Large, Private Playground that Reconnect Children to Nature
- Classrooms that Reflect our Diverse, Inclusive Community
- Full Member School of the American Montessori Society (AMS)
- Member of the Association of Illinois Montessori Schools
- Registered with the Illinois State Board of Education
- Licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
- Licensed as an Emergency Child Care Center in accordance with COVID-19 Executive Orders with strict health and safety measures to help control the spread of virus <link to emergency response childcare>
- Leadership Focused on Innovating a Traditional Interpretation of the Classic Montessori Philosophy with Modern Expertise
- Commitment to Transparency, ensuring Families and Staff alike have Direct Lines of Communication with School Leadership
- Collaboration and Partnerships with Local, World-Class Institutions to leverage Resources and Experience
- Constantly Evolving, focused on Continuous Improvement through Observation and Response to our Community’s Needs
Our entire South Loop Montessori school campus embraces the philosophy and Montessori method put forth by Dr. Maria Montessori and we believe with consistent, authentic methodology, we can cultivate a meaningful and rewarding school experience for your child.
The heart of learning at AMA’s South Loop School thrives in orderly and beautiful environments in which our AMS / AMI Montessori Certified educators promote the development of each child’s true potential and ensure success for life-long learning. Each classroom was custom designed, uniquely suited to the needs of its students with defined spaces for each part of the curriculum and fully equipped with learning materials and child-sized features, such as reachable shelves, low sinks, chairs and tables — which are hallmarks of a Montessori classroom.
Outside, our expansive natural playground serves as an extension of the Montessori classroom, promoting safer, collaborative and more natural play and learning opportunities with ecosystem exploration and study.
At AMA South Loop, we enjoy an excellent student to teacher ratio across all programs, in which skills of independence, self-discipline, problem-solving and a secure foundation of early academic knowledge develop spontaneously within our unique learning environments.
We deliver the highest standard of Montessori education in the Chicagoland area through instilling Dr. Montessori’s philosophy into our community.