Who We Are
Vince
With over twelve years of experience as a public school teacher and several more as a sports coach and father, Vince — our lead teacher — has a passion for helping students grow. Several years into his career, he was inspired by kindergarten students’ natural love of learning, energy, and social drive. He made the move to kindergarten.
After five years of deploying “Science of Reading” strategies, he discovered that today’s traditional model of kindergarten is not appropriate. This led him to start Sterling Ranch Montessori, which doubles as a “learning” school. Here, he hopes to nourish students’ love of learning.
In the evenings, Vince attends doctorate classes at the University of Northern Colorado. There, he is developing a deep knowledge of how young children learn best and studying how to enhance their engagement.
Shelley
Shelley graduated from Hollins University in the early 2000s. Since then, she has worked in several positions in or adjacent to information architecture, including as a librarian and web designer at a Texas school district. She also has experience in elder care.
She enjoys sewing, writing, and crafting — and other creating — in her spare time and is excited to be a helper in our classroom.
Our Mission
In today’s traditional school climate, five- and six-year-olds spend much of their seven-hour school day sitting. They undergo intense instruction. Social learning is minimal. Choice and interest take a back seat to creating a tolerance for lecturing and prolonged paper-and-pencil practice. While most primary teachers joke that kindergarten is the new second grade, there is nothing amusing about the idea that our littles should spend ten months toiling in such a rigid, intense, and inappropriate setting.
At Sterling Ranch Montessori, we strive to keep things engaging through student choice and authentic activities, while providing enough structure to facilitate future traditional school success. We do this by fusing the Montessori model with a single, small, quick hit of high-impact Science of Reading instruction every day. This instruction is carefully tailored to your student’s developmental needs. Our model of learning is engaging, impactful, and balanced.
We cater our program to pre-k and kindergarten students delaying entry into the traditional school system. Our mission is to give four- to six-year-old kids one to two extra years in the most developmentally appropriate setting available while still preparing them for the rigor expected in higher grades.
Students leave our program as curious and excited lifelong learners.
