Every child. Every family. Every day.

In 1966, one entrepreneurial parent with a passion for Montessori education tacked a poster onto a lamp post on the Upper West Side, soliciting other parents to help create a small, familial Montessori preschool. Soon, a dozen families had joined her, and Morningside Montessori School was born.

Today, over 50 years later, our school continues to embrace the values that gave it life: compassion, commitment, and the desire to foster a lifelong love of learning. Morningside Montessori balances a high-quality, carefully designed curriculum with down-to-earth school culture to support children, parents, teachers, and administrative members in becoming the best versions of themselves.

We are located on the top floor of Ansche Chesed synagogue on West 100th Street and West End Ave.  Our four beautiful sunny classrooms are the ideal environment for young children as a bridge from home to school. Loved by all is our unique terrace playground. It includes over 3,000 square feet of playscape, running space, and a gazebo with wooden building blocks. Our Upper West Side location also affords us access to Riverside Park for nature walks, play, and guided learning experiences. 

We know families have many high-quality options when searching for preschools on the Upper West Side. We encourage you to ask us “why Morningside?” during your admissions process to learn about the many features that make this such a a unique and special community.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Warmly,

Alex Valentin, Head of School

“We didn't want to miss the opportunity to share with you how thankful we are for all of the hard work that you have been doing to help care for and educate our kids while the world is staying at home. Every single one of you has been so lovely with the children and are a delight to work with. Your class plans are well thought through; the communication is clear and the ideas set forth are fun, creative, and exciting for the kids.  We especially appreciate the individual time you spend with each child weekly -- they really enjoy it and appear to be learning quite a bit from you.We know this isn't exactly what you signed up for, but you have all risen to the occasion and are going above and beyond.  We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and didn't want you to think that this has gone unnoticed by our family.”

- Cara Gorman & Ben Moreno - Parents

“Morningside is a place where children are nurtured, families are supported, and teachers and staff are respected.  It is place where children can enter and know that they will be taken care of; a safe and secure place where children will be encouraged to do their best.  It is place where parents know that their child’s needs will be tended to and their families welcomed wholeheartedly. It is place where teachers are allowed to create the prepared environment that was so important to Maria Montessori.  

- Mary Jane Berkeley - Teacher

“MMS is a warm, welcoming place, filled with children’s laughter and bright smiles.   The children work with a purpose while enjoying each day, making meaningful connections between things they’ve learned, making friendships with classmates and teachers. They feel comfortable exploring and expressing themselves. Most importantly, even after children leave Morningside, many maintain the friendships that began here for years to come!  I have been at Morningside for 30 years and it truly feels like my second home!”

- Delia Rivera - Teacher