New Horizon Montessori School has been in operation since 1978. The maximum student to teacher ratio in the early childhood class (3-6 years) is 9 to 1. In the Elementary the average is 12 to 1. The school is open from early August through May.

The school is conveniently located between Knoxville and Maryville, Tennessee, not far from the Knoxville airport.

New Horizon Montessori School is also a Teacher Training Center for Montessori Educators International, Inc.

If you have any questions, please call. We will be glad to help you in any way possible. The information on this page will give you a brief description of what we offer, but there is no substitute for observing a school, and we encourage you to visit us.

Classroom observation times are by appointment weekdays from 8:30 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. Classroom observation is for adults only, but children are welcome to accompany parents on school tours which can be arranged during the school year any time after 3:30 P.M., or on weekends and any time during the summer. Feel free to call the school at (865) 970-4322 (7:30 to 5:30), or Carl or Aleta Ledendecker at (865) 982-8687 (evenings and weekends)

Children and adults are expected to treat one another with kindness and respect.

A developmentally appropriate level of responsibility is emphasized. Care and appropriate use of lessons and materials is expected for children of all ages. As Maria Montessori said, “as soon as independence is reached the adult who keeps on helping is an obstacle.” Determining what levels of responsibility are developmentally appropriate is not something that we as adults are typically taught. New Horizon attempts to help parents discover the often unrealized capabilities of children, first through the Montessori method itself and secondly through parent meetings, newsletter, recommended reading material, and conferences. The role of parents and schools should be to help children develop into responsible and compassionate adults.

Motivation and concentration are two critical elements for success. The Montessori environment encourages and is dependent on both. The home environment should encourage and support these school goals for children to develop fully.

Parents are expected to attend parent meetings, conferences and provide a home environment that reinforces and is compatible with the school’s goals for academic and social success. Children cannot be expected to succeed without consistency between the school and home environments. It is truly essential that parents embrace the Montessori philosophy in order to avoid any emotional conflict for the children.

Parental attitudes and goals are critically important to a child’s success. Parents should also encourage active learning over passive learning. Such things as television and video games should be very limited, and perhaps even eliminated for children before the age of six. Exposure to activities or games that involve aggression and violence should be completely eliminated, no matter what age (children and adults). On the other hand, activities that foster cooperation and friendly collaboration should be encouraged.

Since learning should be a lifelong process and involve educating the whole person, the curriculum covers more than academic competence. It includes education in responsibility, tolerance, compassion, patience, organization and motivation. This type of education is a long-term process and involves many developmental stages. While a child may benefit from a one-year enrollment, the program is most productive with a long-term commitment combined with involvement and responsibility of both parent and child.

New Horizon Montessori School does not engage in religious instruction and provides a religiously neutral setting for children. In the elementary classes religion is studied as part of the general study of human culture.

Students are presented with a broad spectrum of science based on established scientific models of the natural world including evolution.