About Us

School History and Staff

Lisa and Bill Vesterman
March 15, 2008

Montessori Country Day School held its first classes in its present location in the fall of 1987. Its co-founders, Mary Kay Gammill and Aurelia Zehentmayr had previously been involved in Montessori education in the Lewisville-Flower Mound area since the early 1980’s. Throughout the history of the school all of the teachers and aides have been trained through the traditional Montessori training program. Teachers and aides are selected not only for their professional training and abilities, but also for their genuine concern for the welfare of the children. Our teachers have an average of over 8 years teaching at our school.

Montessori Country Day School is currently run by Bill Vesterman, a graduate of Harvard University who began working as an educator in 1998. In addition to his previous experience in the field of education as the Principal of a K-12 school, he also has experience in investment banking in the US and abroad and was an Infantry Platoon Commander and Executive Officer during two tours in Iraq with the US Marines. He brings to the school education and preparation of students for success in today’s world.

Assisting Mr. Vesterman is his wife Lisa Vesterman.  Before her time at Montessori Country Day School, Lisa worked for over 20 years as a Commercial Real Estate Property and Asset Manager.  She uses her knowledge of operating and maintaining commercial facilities to help the school run smoothly.  Lisa’s been involved with education most of her life through her mother, who earned her Masters Degree in Special Education and taught for over 20 years.

Click here Star-Telegram.com: Front lines to lunch lines by Chris Vaughn to read more about Bill Vesterman.

School Purpose

The purpose of the Montessori Country Day School is to provide a positive environment for a child’s growth that is based on the Montessori premise that the child will learn through self-motivation. Our main goal is to encourage the development of well-rounded individuals who love to learn.

Key Premises of Montessori Country Day School

1. Our program encourages children to respect others. It also encourages the child to respect all creatures around us, the environment, and all materials used for our betterment and development.
   
   
2. Our lessons incorporate a child’s practical life, as they master skills such as putting on a coat and hat without the help of an adult or carefully pouring liquids from one container to another. These lessons all work toward fostering independence in children - a valuable characteristic.
   
   
3. Cooperation and patience are promoted in each child as they learn to take turns and share materials.
   
   
4. We consider the building of self-esteem in each of our students to be of primary consideration in our efforts to build the whole child. The teaching methods we use and the atmosphere here at our school help to ensure that this important and necessary characteristic is developed in your child.

A parent should look at our school program as a unique cycle of learning. This cycle ideally begins at about age three, when most children begin attending the Montessori Country Day School. At the end of this cycle, the child should be self-motivated, responsible, creative, resourceful, aware of his or her capabilities, and love learning for its own sake. Your child will have the social skills to help him or her be a valuable and contributing member to the social community, and have the necessary academic skills to succeed in our Upper School or in any classroom setting.

The Montessori Method

Preschool

The Montessori Method is an educational system designed to help children use their innate abilities to gain knowledge through self-motivation. With the gentle guidance of the instructor, the children are provided with the necessary materials and lessons to help them learn at their own pace. The Montessori Method, with its unique classrooms and instruction, teaches each child how to learn rather than simply what to learn.  

This fascinating approach to learning uses special teaching materials to take advantage of a child’s sensitive years during which the young mind is most absorbent.  Research has shown that the most important years of growth are the first six years of life. By age 4, the individual develops 50% of his mature intelligence and from 4 to 8, an additional 30%; that means that 80% of the child’s mental development occurs by the age of 8 (see discussion by Dr. Benjamin S. Bloom of the University of Chicago in his book Stability and Change in Human Characteristics). 

Kindergarten and Elementary

All teaching at the Preschool level is geared toward having each child learn the necessary concepts that will be needed to succeed as he or she progresses to Kindergarten and Elementary classrooms. In these classrooms, students begin a full curriculum that includes classroom instruction in Reading, Reading Comprehension, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Using a Montessori approach, our program tracks traditional educational programs and incorporates standard materials, thereby preparing the child for standardized testing.  In 20 years of experience, our students are known to move easily into any future educational setting.