Our Mission
To nurture and inspire the love of learning as each child prepares for life.
Core Values
Create an environment of belonging and contribution
Cultivate socially and environmentally mindful citizens
Encourage confidence, compassion, curiosity, and respect
Provide a personalized education driven by Montessori principles
Our History
Southwest Montessori Academy was founded as a non-profit 501(c)(3) in 2012 by Vyju Kadambi. With Vyju as the Director, the first employee was Karrin Marquell as Lead Primary Teacher, hired before the building renovation on Magnavox Way was even complete. Together, Vyju and Karrin welcomed eight students in the fall of 2013 in the first primary (ages 3-6) classroom. In the third year of operations, a second primary classroom was opened and the school continued to grow. In the fall of 2019, the school reached its maximum capacity of 40 students.
SMA is founded on the principles of mutual respect, with Montessori and Positive Discipline philosophies and practices at its core. Over the years we have built a community of parents and teachers who are excited about working together to serve our students. We have a passion for helping children reach their full potential, foster their love of learning and become contributing members of society. Our Montessori credentialed teachers are trained by accredited Montessori teacher training centers. We provide each student a personalized learning experience in an environment that is beautiful and specially-prepared for each student to become an independent, confident, compassionate and engaged learner.
In 2015, SMA instated a formal Board of Directors comprised of current parents, with many alumni parents also contributing over the years. The board continues to grow and strengthen, and now includes other community members as well.
In January 2020, the SMA Board of Directors announced that Karrin Marquell would become Head of School, carrying on Vyju’s work of leading the school as Vyju moved on to pursue other passions, which include social justice and advocacy work in the field of Montessori education.
Some of our school traditions and practices include offering Parent Education courses such as “Parenting the Positive Discipline Way,” “Montessori At Home,” and other curriculum-specific opportunities for the whole family to build a strong family-school partnership in order to best serve the needs of each student. We bring families together for social events to strengthen our school community, such as an annual Fall Family Gathering, a Thanksgiving feast and family field trips twice a year. We schedule opportunities for parents to observe their child at work in the classroom, and host Parent Nights for children to invite a parent or special adult into the classroom to do work together. We also do an annual school-wide community service project to make a positive impact on our greater community.