A school where all people are respected and cherished.
Who We Are
Located on the campus of St. Patrick Church in downtown Memphis, Sr. Thea Bowman Montessori is an intentionally accessible Catholic preschool serving children ages 3 through 6.
Montessori Method
At the turn of the twentieth century, Dr. Maria Montessori began her groundbreaking research in the under-resourced and overcrowded San Lorenzo district of Rome. Through careful scientific observation, she developed a philosophy of education based on human development, needs, and tendencies. She designed specialized materials for development that invite the child to work with and learn from independent activity. From her own education, personal studies, and intense scientific observation of the human being from birth to maturity, she distilled a body of philosophical, psychological, and pedagogical principles. These, together with a vast range of auto-didactic materials, came to be known as the Montessori Method of Education.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) forms the spiritual heart of our school. Developed in Rome by Hebrew scholar Sofia Cavalletti and Montessori educator Gianna Gobbi, CGS emerged from the careful observation of the profound religious intuition naturally present in young children. Grounded in the Montessori Method, CGS applies these pedagogical principles to spiritual formation. In a dedicated space called the atrium, children engage in contemplation, prayer, and hands-on spiritual formation, building a small faith community.