Welcome to Six Rivers Montessori
Our Vision
Our broadest vision is of a world that lives in peace, and a world community based on interdependence and respect for all life and all people. Our vision for our school is a Montessori school community of supportive parents, dedicated teachers and staff, and joyful learners.
Our Mission
Our mission is to nurture students’ character, compassion, respect and curiosity; to cultivate their means to learn, to invent, and participate fully and joyfully in life independently and collaboratively; to establish and sustain a quality Montessori holistic elementary and middle school program that encourages students to develop a deep sense of interdependence and responsibility as caring, global citizens and stewards of the earth.
Our School
Six Rivers Montessori is a Montessori Elementary School serving children in first through sixth grades. We prepare students broadly for life, balancing academic excellence with the development of personal and practical life skills. Our goal is to inspire a passion for excellence and a lifelong love of learning. We nurture curiosity, creativity, and imagination.
Join Us in Celebration
Dear Families and Friends of Six Rivers Montessori,
Thank you for being a part of SRM’s journey these last 12 years. As many of you have heard, our school is making its final “trip around the sun” as of this June. Our feelings are a mixture of sadness that our work is done, and gratitude to the many who have participated in growing our school and nurturing our students over the years.
It all began as the dream of Bridget McBride and Teresa Walker who started the school, then known as Phoenix Rose Academy (PRA), and operated out of Teresa’s guest house. Two years later the school name became Six Rivers Montessori and moved to our current location in Valley East, Arcata. The twinkle in their eyes became a full Elementary Montessori Program.
This year “the First Five”, as we call the initial five students at PRA, will graduate high school, completing their own cycles. It is both fitting and bittersweet that we say “congratulations” to them and “goodbye” to our school at the same time. My family was one of those first five families that took a leap of faith and entered our children into the then new Montessori Program; I couldn’t be happier with that decision we made all those years ago. Now, I’ve also come full circle, having joined the SRM staff in April 2021 I’m here to help put it to rest as I was there to help birth it.
The contributions and support of our families and community members has been tremendous! We’d like to thank those who worked so hard as Board Members, parent volunteers on numerous committees – from Fundraising, to Community Events, to the Garden Committee – and beyond. We also thank our dedicated staff that has inspired and empowered so many young people. Our school is proof that it really does take a village, it was a collaborative effort all along.
We’d like to honor the village and join together in celebration of Six Rivers Montessori’s 12 years of service. We invite you all to a Closing Gathering and Celebration on Thursday, May 26, 2022 from 4-7pm at Camp Bauer in Korbel. Save the date and spread the word to other SRM families you know.
Please RSVP to Ev at (707) 822-7767 by April 22, 2022. Thank you. We hope to see you and your family there.
Warmly,
Ev Drakoulias
Office Administrator
It's SRM Bird-a-thon Time!
May 6, 2022 is Six Rivers Montessori’s 8th Annual Bird-a-thon! This event engages the students in exploring local habitats and species, and is part of our Outdoor Science and Environmental Education Programs. This special fundraising experience supports our mission as a holistic Montessori program that encourages students to develop a deep sense of interdependence and responsibility as caring, global citizens and stewards of the earth.
Go to 99pledges to donate to the main fundraising page or to an individual student’s fundraising page.
Important Dates
- March 9th-11th: Conferences
- March 10th: Board Meeting, 6:30-8:00 via Zoom
- April 7th: Music Night, 6:00-7:00 pm
- April 11th-15th: Spring Break
- May 6th: Bird-a-thon
- May 27th: Last Day of School
For a full schedule of instructional days and other important dates, please see our School Calendar page.
Nondiscrimination Policy
Six Rivers Montessori does not exclude or otherwise discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin (ancestry), religion (creed), age, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, military status, disability, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities, whether carried out by Six Rivers Montessori directly or through a contractor or any other entity with which Six Rivers Montessori arranges to carry out its programs and activities.
This statement is in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Regulations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued pursuant to these statutes at Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 80, 84, and 91.
Nonprofit Status
Six Rivers Montessori is a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit. Our EIN number is 45-5568818.