EXPANSION STORY

​School Expansion and

Building Project Historical Timeline:

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1986: 

• Great Beginnings opens. 

2002:

• Great Beginnings moves from sharing space with Eagle Mount to a 1968 remodeled 3100 square-foot single-family home, on approximately one acre on Springhill Lane. 

2007:

• Creation of an outdoor classroom, with shaded pergolas, garden boxes, a greenhouse, composting, and a natural amphitheater.

2012:

• Building remodel to add administrative offices, create a large “Community Room” with lockers, space for classroom overflow, and aftercare.

 
2013: 

• Creation of a natural playground with natural boulders for climbing, a hill with a built-in slide and tunnel, a cycle path for tricycles, and a labyrinth walk around the Peace Pole area.

• Teachers set a "big, hairy audacious goal" to become the most sought-after school in SW Montana.

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2014:

• Creation of 3-year 2014-2017 Strategic Plan for the Great Beginnings Montessori School Board of Directors.

• Expansion Phase 1: Expanded school programming to add toddlers. Creation of the Rainbow Room. Goal: Add lower ages to support enrollment and keep families longer. 

• Remodel of administrative offices.

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2015: 

• Creation of the "dream classroom" for our kindergartners - a yurt. Goal: To provide an exceptional learning environment that connects children to the outdoors, provides a community-space for parenting workshops and continuing education.

• Parking lot paved to create additional parking. 

• Expanded summer camp to double programming and expand camp offerings.

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2016:

• The MSU School of Architecture and its 50+ second year design studio students created site proposals for our dream campus.

• Fences moved and new play structure created for larger children, expanding the summer programming to include 1st – 3rd graders. 

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2017:

• A generous GBMS family anonymously donated $300,000 to lay the foundation for our expanded school.

• Expansion Phase 2: Expanded school programming to open a third preschool classroom. Creation of the second campus and the Foothills classroom. Goal: Data shows that three preschool classrooms support one lower elementary classroom. 

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2018:

• Implementation of the 3-year 2018-2021 Strategic Plan for the Great Beginnings Montessori School Board of Directors.

• Expanded Summer Camp programming for ages 2 through 13, toddler - 7th grade. 

• Expansion Phase 3: Expanded school programming to open a lower elementary program for grades 1st - 3rd grades for Fall 2018. 

School History:

Great Beginnings Montessori School, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, has a 32-year history of successfully serving children and families within the Gallatin Valley. Founded in 1986 by a group of parents, the school moved to its current location in 2001.

The current enrollment serves 100+ families on two campuses for the 2017/18 academic school year, and served 93 families from age 2 – through 3rd grade with its 2017 Summer Camps.  

You can also request more information with this form:

To request more information:

Contact: Gennifre Hartman,

the Head of School on behalf of the Expansion Committee

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406.587.0132