
EXPANSION STORY
School Expansion and
Building Project Historical Timeline:
1986:
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Great Beginnings opens.
2002:
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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:
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Creation of an outdoor classroom, with shaded pergolas, garden boxes, a greenhouse, composting, and a natural amphitheater.
2012:
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Building remodel to add administrative offices, create a large “Community Room” with lockers, space for classroom overflow, and aftercare.
2013:
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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.
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Teachers set a "big, hairy audacious goal" to become the most sought-after school in SW Montana.
2014:
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Creation of 3-year 2014-2017 Strategic Plan for the Great Beginnings Montessori School Board of Directors.
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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.
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Remodel of administrative offices.
2015:
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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.
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Parking lot paved to create additional parking.
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Expanded summer camp to double programming and expand camp offerings.
2016:
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The MSU School of Architecture and its 50+ second year design studio students created site proposals for our dream campus.
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Fences moved and new play structure created for larger children, expanding the summer programming to include 1st – 3rd graders.
2017:
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A generous GBMS family anonymously donated $300,000 to lay the foundation for our expanded school.
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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.
2018:
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Implementation of the 3-year 2018-2021 Strategic Plan for the Great Beginnings Montessori School Board of Directors.
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Expanded Summer Camp programming for ages 2 through 13, toddler - 7th grade.
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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
406.587.0132