Founded in 1975, The Proludium Corporation is a nonprofit organization. It founded and operated The Montessori Children's House of Lafayette from 1975 until 1994, and founded The Applegarden Montessori School in 1983. We do not discriminate in our enrollment or in any other practices on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, or national ancestry. We are not affiliated with any religious or political organizations. Our school is affiliated with the American Montessori Society and our classroom directresses hold Montessori credentials. Our school is licensed by the State of California Department of Social Services as Facility #010205969.
The Applegarden Montessori School
"Our aim is...so to touch the child's imagination
as to inspire him to his inmost core."
Maria Montessori
The Philosophy
Our Montessori preschool and childcare programs offer personal, prepared environments for the child. Here freedom of self-expression and exploration lead to learning experiences and develop in harmony with the child's own tendencies toward growth, independence, creativity, self-discipline and social awareness. In our school, children work individually and in groups. Activities are designed to elicit the child's interest and to inspire concentration and delight in learning. We also offer quality full-time childcare along with our Montessori programs. We value working closely with parents to nurture each child's fullest possible development.
The History
The Applegarden Montessori School was founded in 1983 as a Montessori toddler program. In 1985 the program was developed into a preschool to meet the continuing educational needs of many of the children who began here as toddlers. The Applegarden School is an offshoot of our original school, The Montessori Children's House of Lafayette, which began in 1975 in Lafayette in the home of the school's current director, Naome Dragstedt. Until 1994 it expanded to fill three classrooms at the Lafayette United Methodist Church. At that time we decided to close the Lafayette school and concentrate all our energies on further development of The Applegarden School. The Applegarden School reflects the values of our first school in creating a high quality and nurturing educational environment for children in a homelike setting. An adjunct to this school, The Center for Learning and Language Development, formed in 1984, functioned for several years to study the learning and language development of children in general and specifically within the Montessori environment with the purpose of enhancing school programs.
Our Director
Naome Dragstedt, Ph.D., , is the founder and director of the School. She holds a B.A. in English from Mills College, an M.A. in Teaching from Reed College and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the Wright Institute; California Secondary and Early Childhood Teaching Credentials; and an American Montessori Society Certificate. She is a licensed California psychologist (CA PSY 17808) and works in private practice with children, adolescents and adults. She has been academic director and instructor in the Montessori Pre-primary Teacher Training Program at St. Mary's College, where she taught the Montessori language, practical life and philosophy curriculums and founded a Montessori Infant-Toddler Teacher Training Program. She has a particular interest in child language development. In her spare time she plays classical piano.
Our Staff
Amy Earl, Morning Montessori Co Directress, is an American Montessori Society certified directress, holds a B.A. degree in psychology from the University of California. She has taken graduate work in Montessori education, child development and school administration and participates regularly in professional workshops. She directs our summer and school year morning programs as well as the Kindergroup program. The mother of a son who is completing high school, she has taught with our school since 1985.
Dennis Burke came to Applegarden in the fall of 2005 after spending over 20 years as a sales and marketing executive in the software field. He holds an American Montessori Society teaching credential and is our Afternoon Montessori Director, noontime gardening program, and our school Kindergroup cultural subjects program. He grew up in Minneapolis and attended the University of Minnesota. While living in the suburb of Minnetonka, Dennis started a family and was elected to their city council. While attending Contra Costa College, Dennis worked as an English tutor in the West Contra Costa School District and as a reading instructor for Sylvan Learning Systems. Dennis's wife works as a medical translator and his daughter begins her senior year this fall at the University of Arizona.
Morning Teacher Assistant Milvia Ricci was born in Lima, Peru, to a family of Italian immigrants. She attended the Spanish/German bilingual Santa Ursula School and The British Academy, where she obtained a bilingual secretarial degree with honors. At The Pacifico University, she majored in International Trade, Finance and Administration, working thereafter as an Executive Assistant for several multinational companies. After traveling to South America, Europe and Canada, she moved to San Francisco in 2000. Now she resides in the East Bay where she raises her eight- year-old daughter, Michela. During the three years that Michela attended Applegarden Montessori School, Milvia became fascinated by the Montessori method of education. She obtained the American Montessori Society Early Childhood Teacher Certificate from the San Francisco Bay Area Montessori Teacher Education Center in San Leandro. Milvia worked for one year at the Berkeley Montessori School and completed her internship in 2010 at Applegarden Montessori School. Milvia enjoys children and treasures time spent with her family.
An accomplished vocalist with her own performing band, Alexis Fennimore eagerly joined Applegarden as Afternoon Teacher Assistant in the Fall 2009. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, American Montessori Society certification to be a directress, and is currently completing a Master's Degree in Montessori Early Childhood Education at St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA. Alexis was convinced that her calling in life was to work with children after serving as a volunteer tutor at the Richmond Public Library "Literacy for Every Adult" program and conducting private tutoring sessions at her home for a number of years. She aspires to become a conscientious and nurturing directress, and dreams of one day opening her own Montessori child development center for underprivileged children. Alexis is the joyful mother of a 2-year-old daughter. She looks forward to introducing her little one to the wonders of Montessori education.
Alana Chandler graduated from NYU in 2007 with a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance, and a minor in Creative Writing. She also attended the Interlochen Arts Academy in Northern Michigan. She has taught at Applegarden for 3 years while completing Montessori directress certification through Hayward State and the American Montessori Society. Alana also does hand painted finishes for her father’s decorative arts business. She is a poet and plays tenor saxophone, loves the outdoors and gardening, and is learning about beekeeping. She is a member of the San Francisco Beekeepers Association in hopes of having hives. Alana’s interest in children was sparked when she was working as a substitute preschool teacher in Brooklyn, NY. She is excited about the Montessori method and is dedicated to its practice. She currently teaches in our morning and afternoon programs and assists our school administrator.
Barbara Stevens Strauss, the School's Art Directress, joined Applegarden School in September 2008. She is a graduate in medieval history from the University of Chicago. While there, Barbara had introductory studio training with abstract expressionist Vera Klement. While raising a family in Naples, Florida, she was a preschool teacher for over five years and specialized in making art with children. Her family, including a husband and two sons, migrated to the Bay Area in 2003, where she is now undertaking Montessori training. Her current affiliations include memberships with the Association of Clay and Glass Artists and the PacRim Sculptors Group. Recently her work was featured in the SOMA area; it can be viewed at www.straku.com. Barbara has a strong interest in Asian ceramics, Japanese flower arranging (Sogetsu school) and tea ceremony, all of which she studies formally. She hopes to combine her love of teaching and appreciation for the aesthetics of many cultures through the universal and accessible language of art.