The Harbor Montessori School and Child Enrichment Center welcomes Emily Barker as its new director. A certified teacher and an experienced educator, she brings great dedication and strong communication skills to this key leadership role. In addition to many years of public school teaching, she has experience training and evaluating teachers. Emily demonstrates an appreciation for and a commitment to the Montessori Method and looks forward to supporting teachers in implementing the approach in all classrooms and to increasing her own knowledge and skills in this area. Her first official day as our Child Enrichment Director is Tuesday, Sept. 3. Emily and her husband, Soren, live in the Boothbay Harbor area with their son, Luke.

At the Boothbay Region YMCA’s Harbor Montessori School and Child Enrichment Center, we offer a nurturing and inclusive learning environment designed to promote emotional, cognitive, physical, and language development. Our programs are child-led and process-oriented, with the goal that each child will learn new skills at his or her own pace under the guidance and support of his or her caregivers and teachers. We provide an environment designed to facilitate independence, self-esteem, and the development of problem-solving skills.

Our traditional Montessori setting fosters creativity, curiosity, and exploration in a child-led classroom. The prepared environment allows friends to select materials of interest to them. Our curriculum areas focus on practical life, sensorial investigations, language, math, and cultural studies. We also provide modeling of grace and courtesy, and encourage the development of a strong sense of self and social responsibility within the community.

We believe that children learn through play, so our environment is designed to allow friends to explore and create independently. Our facilities include a beautiful natural playground, including raised bed gardens. Our days are comprised of individual and group activities, and free and planned work time. Caregivers and teachers observe and interact with children with the goal of helping them develop in body, mind, and spirit.

If you are interested in learning more about the school, please contact the Y to schedule a tour. We accept new registrations throughout the year as classroom space allows.

We look forward to the official start of the school year on Sept. 3.