Who and Where we are:

We are a private, tuition-funded school located in Saint James, Missouri, neighboring the James Memorial Public Library and St. James Park.

What we do:

At our school, we implement a curriculum that blends the Montessori method with the Forest School tradition. The Forest School model uses the outdoors as the classroom to nurture and inspire young minds. Forest Schools build not only knowledge in students, but respect and responsibility for our environment. The teachings of Maria Montessori lay the foundation of our academic curriculum. She built a child-led educational model that uses a child’s natural instincts to guide them academically in a prepared environment. These two educational models bring together active learning materials and the outdoors, allowing children to enjoy movement and autonomy while following their interests. This combination equips students to grow emotionally, socially, and academically.

What’s in the name:

Saint James is known as the Forest City of the Ozarks, and we love the forest feel of the city. Including this in our name was a natural choice, as it also aligns with our core educational model. We believe the old saying “It takes a village to raise a child,” so we are building a community to uplift parents, who will in turn uplift the entire community. We bring parent- and family-oriented community programs to enrich and strengthen the village the children need.

What we believe:

Our school is deliberately secular and inclusive. We respect others and strive to not merely include, but also to celebrate our differences. We are an LGBTQ+ friendly space. We believe that children should be introduced in a healthy, age-appropriate way to the wide spectrum of views and people in our world. We teach all religions of the world equally and without preference.

How can you help:

We collaborate frequently with area experts and business owners to bring unique programming to our students. Some of these experts have included local bird expert Stan Stoneburner, entomologist Dan Jacobson, and mycologist Mike Snyder. If you have a unique area of knowledge that you would like to share with our school, we would love to speak to you. We accept monetary donations and some physical donations. If you know of a child who you feel could benefit from our program, then please share.