Heartprints Montessori
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About Our School

Heartprints Montessori is a cozy, Montessori preschool that was founded in 2010. The campus is located at the junction of Broadway Road and College Avenue in Tempe, Arizona. Heartprints has two American Montessori Society certified instructors. All assistant teachers are trained in Montessori methods. A low child-to-teacher ratio allows instructors to focus on the growth and development of each individual student as they progress through a curriculum focused on the following areas:
  • Practical Life
  • Sensorial
  • Language
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Cultural Subjects (including music, art, & geography)​ ​
In addition to the above areas, students take educational field trips and spend time tending to the school gardens in order to learn from the natural world and understand the importance of caring for the environment.
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The Curriculum

Montessori materials are designed to stimulate a child’s interest and are organized into 5 different curriculum areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematical, and Cultural subjects, including science, music and art.

Practical Life
​In practical life children learn everyday tasks.  Children develop coordination through activities such as pouring, scooping, and spooning. They learn to take care of themselves through the activities of buttoning, lacing, zipping, etc., and they learn to take care of the environment through sweeping, table-washing, and  recycling. In practical life we also teach children grace, courtesy and respect for others, which includes learning good manners.

Sensorial
This area is for the development and refinement of the senses.  Different materials cover different areas of the brain and modalities of perception, such as the visual perception of size, color, and shape; the tactile experience of texture and matching temperature; the auditory discrimination of loudness and softness, and so on.

Mathematics
The Montessori approach to mathematics is highly effective and makes learning mathematics very interesting and easy. We provide materials that help children learn concepts such as numeration, place value, the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Children will learn math through concrete actions, thus developing a deep understanding of the abstractions that will follow.

Language
All areas in Montessori are interrelated. What the children learn in other departments will help them learn language. Concrete activities will pave the way for learning to read and write. Children learn with materials that will help them develop reading and writing skills in a pleasurable way. 

Cultural Subjects
Here children learn Geography (map puzzles, globes etc.), science (e.g., biology, plants and animals), and finally music and arts.
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Child Care Software: Brightwheel

At Heartprints, we believe the school and family partnership is essential in providing the best care for children. We use the child care software, Brightwheel, for:
  • Signing in & signing out
  • Recording health checks
  • Parent-teacher messaging
  • Sending pictures & videos
  • Logging diaper changes
  • Incident/accident reports
  • Billing & paying tuition
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What Learning Looks Like for Toddlers

We provide care for toddlers in our Toddler Room (ages 1-2) and Transitional-Toddler Room (age 2). Take a look at what a Montessori toddler classroom is like:

What Learning Looks Like for Primary

Our Primary Room is for children ages 3-5. Even though the video below is labeled "Kindergarten," it traditionally occurs in the same type of classroom. In this video, you can see what the progression, environment, materials in Primary are like:

Lizzie Makalisa-Dennis
Owner/Director/Lead Teacher

Ms. Lizzie was born in Zimbabwe and moved to West Africa after high school. There she obtained a bachelors degree in education from the University of Sierra Leone. She spent the next 30 years teaching high school on the African continent. In 1978, she met and fell in love with her future husband, a visiting linguistics teacher from the United States. Ms. Lizzie emigrated to the U.S. in 2002 and became a citizen in 2009. Her first five years in the U.S. were spent working in a traditional preschool environment until she discovered the Montessori philosophy.

​Realizing the profound effectiveness of nurturing a child's natural desire to learn, she decided to pursue a career in Montessori education. She received her American Montessori Society certification and training from South Mountain Community College. Ms. Lizzie’s life and experiences have taught her that, as Maria Montessori stated, “It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She first must love and understand the universe.  She must prepare herself and truly work at it.”
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Our Mission

Heartprints Montessori is an early childhood education and care program created to provide high quality early childhood education for children and families living in Tempe. Our school is a Montessori oriented school. We wish to educate children based on the teachings and philosophy of Maria Montessori. We provide materials scientifically developed and designed for self-directed learning by Maria Montessori many years ago.
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Ages Served

Heartprints Montessori provides services for children ages 1 to 5 years old. We have three classrooms:
  • Toddler Room: ages 1-2
  • Transitional-Toddler Room: ages 2-3
  • Primary Room: ages 3-5
Placement of a child depends on their age as well as individual needs and abilities. We base placement and transition from class to another on:
  • Age
  • Overall readiness
  • Language development
  • Behavior
  • Toilet training
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Hours of Operation & Daily Schedule

Operating hours are Monday through Friday 6:00am-6:00pm (please see tuition rates for specific schedule options and prices).

We will be closed on various days for holidays and professional development days, which can be found on our calendar under the Family Resources tab.
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If unforeseen circumstances, such as a pandemic like COVID-19, cause our enrollment to decrease and we need to reduce operating hours, parents will be notified immediately.
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Below are general schedules for our classrooms. They may be slightly altered and adapted as seasons and weather change.

Toddler/Transitional-Toddler Daily Schedule
6:00-8:30 Before School Care
8:30-9:00 Arrival: Outside Play Time
​9:00-9:15 Bathroom/Wash Hands
9:15-9:30 Snack
9:30-10:00 Independent Work Time
10:00-10:15 Circle Time
10:15-10:30 Bathroom/Wash Hands
10:30-11:00 Reading Time
11:00-11:30 Outside Play Time
11:30-12:30 Wash Hands/Lunch
12:30-2:30 Nap Time
2:30-3:30 Snack, Independent Work Time
​3:30-6:00 After School Care

Primary Daily Schedule
6:00-8:30 Before School Care
8:30-9:00 Arrival: Outside Play Time
9:00-9:30 Snack Time
9:30-11:00 Independent Work Time
11:00-11:30 Clean Up, Music and Movement
11:30-12:15 Outside Play Time
12:15-12:45 Lunch
12:45-1:00 Bathroom
1:00-2:30 Nap
2:30-2:45 Clean Up
2:45-3:00 Snack
3:00-3:30 Independent Work Time
​3:30-6:00 After School Care
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DHS Licensed

Heartprints Montessori is licensed to operate as a child-care facility by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

DES Licensed & Child Care Assistance

Heartprints Montessori believes a Montessori education should be available to all. We are licensed to serve children who receive child care assistance government subsidy through the Department of Economic Security (DES). If you think you may qualify for childcare assistance, please visit the DES website for more information.
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