Montessori Preschool Toddler Program in Chevy Chase

EXPLORE YOUR LOCAL
Montessori Preschool
Chevy Chase Bethesda

Our Montessori Little Stars preschool and daycare program provides a warm, welcoming, and inclusive atmosphere for children and families in the Chevy Chase area. 

  • Our youngest students participate in the wider community life of the school in ways that nurture a sense of belonging and are appropriate to age and activity levels.
  • For students in our Primary Program, sensory exploration and gross motor coordination are key to healthy development.
  • Our Preschool-Kindergarten program lays the cognitive and social-emotional foundation for academic learning.

Primary Program Levels

Photo of two young children playing a game

Oneness-Family School offers two primary program levels: Little Stars and the Children’s Peace Garden.

Little Stars (Ages 2-3)

  • Maximum of 16 students
  • Two co-teachers and an assistant teacher

Children’s Peace Garden (Ages 3-6)

  • Maximum of 22-24 students
  • Two co-teachers and an assistant teacher

Did you Know?

Toddlers learn best through play, exploration, and interaction with caregivers. Hands-on activities and language-rich environments support their early development more effectively than formal instruction.

Introducing Our PReschool Program

At Oneness-Family School, our Little Stars program embraces the principles of Montessori education, designed to nurture the natural curiosity, creativity, and independence of children ages two to three. The curriculum is based on a child-centered approach that encourages exploration and self-directed learning, ensuring each child thrives in a supportive, play-based preschool setting. 

Certified Montessori teachers guide students in a flexible, hands-on learning environment that fosters independent learning, while providing individualized attention to meet each child’s needs. Whether in our preschool or Pre-K programs, children are encouraged to take ownership of their learning and develop a deep sense of responsibility, confidence, and self-discipline.

We are deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that all families feel valued and respected. Our school promotes an environment that is not only academically enriching but also emotionally and socially supportive, making us a nurturing and well-rounded option for families seeking the best in early childhood education.

Join us at Oneness-Family School, a community where imagination and learning flourish, and where children develop a lifelong love of learning in a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment.

Little Stars: Full & Half-Day Programs

Oneness-Family School offers both full-day and half-day options for primary program students, providing families with flexible scheduling to meet their individual needs. Additionally, we provide Before Care (8:00-8:30 am) and Aftercare programs (3:30-6:00 pm) for all students at this level, ensuring extended hours of care and support. Whether you need a flexible, part-time schedule or a full-day option, our programs are designed to accommodate the diverse needs of families in the Chevy Chase and Washington DC area.

Little Stars (Ages 2-3)

  • Half-Day: 8:30-11:30 am
  • Full-Day: 8:30 am – 3:15 pm
  • Before Care: 8:00-8:30 am
  • Aftercare: 3:30-6:00 pm

Montessori Learning

Language

Science & Culture

Math

Key Program Components

Guided Learning

From the first day, teachers cultivate strong personal relationships with their students and become familiar with each one’s natural strengths, unique interests, and areas of development. These personal qualities inform how the teacher guides the learning process for each child.

Classroom teachers regularly observe each child’s progress and provide additional lessons or more time to master a skill or concept, matching their personal rate of development. When ready, students demonstrate mastery of a skill or concept by showing the teachers they know how to do it. They then can move on to a new activity but with the option of returning to the familiar ones already mastered for confidence or comfort along the way.

Teachers remain in regular contact with parents throughout the year to support each student’s growth both at home and in the classroom. Three times a year, teachers write in-depth progress reports on each child, which are followed up with parent-teacher conferences.

Community Engagement

Treasured, protected, and included, our youngest students participate in the wider community life of the school in ways that nurture a sense of belonging and are appropriate to age and activity levels. The children can offer creative expression to a receptive and caring audience and witness their place in a continuum of childhood lived out in the school experience.

The 2-3-year-old Little Stars gather with the whole school on important occasions to perform a simple offering of song and then return to the familiarity of their classroom for celebration and rest. Our Little Buddies program brings Upper Elementary students from the fourth and fifth grades to read stories to the youngest students on a weekly basis, cultivating caring and connection across this age spectrum.

The 3-6-year-old students of the Children’s Peace Garden join the weekly school Community Meeting to celebrate birthdays, watch or perform skits or songs, and share school news. These 3- to 6-year-olds participate regularly in other school-wide observances, including United Nations Day and the Festival of Lights, and exhibit their scientific curiosity in simple projects prepared for Science Fair. At the Spring Tea in May, students prepare and host the classroom for their most precious visitors—their parents and siblings. A tone of sweetness hangs in the air while the young ones offer treats around tables they set with flowers and handmade mats.

Social & Emotional Learning

Young children bring imagination, joy, and play to the most basic tasks of caring and responsibility. At Oneness, we support these positive qualities which grow to become long-term character traits of social and emotional intelligence. Caring for their classrooms, putting work away when finished, cleaning up after themselves, and respecting the workspace of others are steadily taught from the first day of school. Students in our preschool and kindergarten programs learn to name their feelings and use words to solve problems. They also learn how to listen to the feelings of others.

During Preschool and Kindergarten, children adapt from the simple and cozy setting of home to the more complex social world of a classroom. The foundations of feeling empathy, speaking one’s truth, and understanding a variety of perspectives are built at these age levels. These are the very skills our students will apply later as they mature and seek creative solutions to the challenges of the wider world.

At Oneness-Family School, our primary program students help keep our playground tidy and care for the school’s garden spaces. They make presentations at our Earth Day celebration and create exhibits for our annual Science Fair, reinforcing their conceptual learning about the web of life.

Self-Discovery

From “silent moment” to community performances, daily classroom activities are designed to foster inner happiness and creative expression. Students in preschool through kindergarten begin each day with a few moments of silent reflection, developing the concentration so important for academic learning. Songs about community and stories of sharing and positive communication inspire each child’s recognition of their own boundaries and those of other beings. All classrooms have a Peace Corner where a child can find quiet and inner peace.

All are encouraged to express their unique personalities through art, music, and movement. Learning about the beauty and magic of the world they live in raises the sense of awe Maria Montessori knew was vital for students to become stewards of the planet.

In preschool through kindergarten, students learn to practice gratitude by expressing thanks for the simple things in their lives and the help of others in the classroom. They perform at the school’s United Nations Day ceremony and the Festival of Lights and host their parents for a very special Spring Tea. Little Stars students perform for their parents at Family Day each spring.

Sensory Exploration

For students in our Primary Program, sensory exploration and gross motor coordination are key to healthy development. Our fitness program for preschool and kindergarten students emphasizes joy in movement through a mix of multi-sensory activities. 

Freestyle and patterned movement with different musical tempos, daily outdoor and indoor play activities, and simple yoga poses of different animals are among the practices that connect health and fun. Our integrated curriculum includes playacting, dance, music, and art-making that contribute to the children’s full enjoyment of the body and what it can do.

Students also grow into practicing the basic care of their own bodies, recognizing and communicating the need for rest or restroom, thirst or hunger, and clean-up time. This dimension supports early mind-body awareness and the foundations of good health.

Cognitive & Social Development

Our Preschool-Kindergarten program lays the cognitive and social-emotional foundation for academic learning. Dr. Montessori recognized that play is the work of the child. In the classroom’s safe, gentle world away from home, our 2-3-year-old toddler students begin building concentration, focus, and basic language and math concepts through imitation, repetition, and purposeful activities. Gaining comfort and confidence from a daily routine, students develop practical life skills, discover the joys of music and movement, and learn how to care for their classmates in circle time and the Peace Corner.

From age 3 through Kindergarten, our Children’s Peace Garden students go through a huge brain leap, building long-lasting mental concepts by working with hands-on activities and tactile Montessori materials. Classrooms are organized according to the purpose of educational materials, including language, math, sensorial, practical life, and cultural areas. Lessons are given based upon the student’s stage of readiness and ability, and students can advance at their own pace and follow their own interests. By the completion of Kindergarten, many students have reached a high level of achievement due to our “follow the child” approach—a cornerstone of Montessori philosophy.

A student is playing with wooden coloured letters on the rug
A young girl is playing with autumn leaves outside.

Did you Know?

Strong relationships are key to toddler education. When children feel safe and connected to caregivers, they’re more open to learning, exploring, and developing social and emotional skills.

Independent Learning

A growing body of research affirms Dr. Montessori’s observation that a student’s ability to focus is the foundation of all other successful learning. Preschool-K students are given the freedom to become absorbed for long periods of time in a single activity and to return to and repeat certain activities of choice until they attain mastery of the skill involved. Classrooms are designed to allow uninterrupted work cycles, so children develop strong attention skills.

Primary program class sizes are intentionally limited in size so that teachers can focus fully on each student and best practice our student-centered learning philosophy.

Photo of a teacher sat with a young student helping with her art project.
Photo of a classroom with different sets of coloured pencils

Assessment

Montessori was founded on the principle of observations and in addition to tracking academic skills, the teachers record social, emotional, and physical abilities to better serve the student’s needs and support their development.

Tracking is done on each individual student’s progress by grade and subject following the school’s annual subject goals and a scope and sequence developed by Dr. Montessori. Tracking is based on conversation, presentation, observation, self-assessments, and student portfolios, and progress is shared in detailed reports.

We believe assessment encompasses the whole child’s development across multiple domains. Teachers observe not only academic skill acquisition, but also observe social interactions, emotional regulation, physical coordination, and the development of independence. This holistic approach recognizes that intellectual development cannot be separated from social, emotional, and physical growth, as children learn through their entire being.

Assessment methods reflect Montessori philosophy’s emphasis on authentic evaluation. Teachers engage in ongoing conversations with students, observe during work periods, facilitate student presentations, and encourage self-assessments. Student portfolios showcase the evolution of each child’s work over time, creating a rich narrative of growth that captures the learning journey itsel

Progress is communicated to families through detailed reports that provide a holistic picture of each child’s development. These reports celebrate individual growth and highlight unique strengths rather than comparing children to arbitrary standards, honoring Dr. Montessori’s vision of education as a collaborative effort between school and family.

Benchmarks

Take The Next Step

If you’re interested in learning more, we can arrange for you to visit the school and take a tour

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Explore The classroom

Illustration of a night sky with a shooting star

Little Stars

The Little Stars classroom is one of two learning spaces where our youngest students reside. A big part of being a toddler involves learning to care for oneself, and the teachers at this level emphasize independence, assisting the toddlers in learning to dress, wash their hands and faces, use the toilet, and keep track of their personal belongings. All of these practical life skills are important components of our Little Stars curriculum.

Learn more

Meet Your Teachers

  • Carina Sonora

    Primary Program Teacher (Ages 3-6), Moon Room

    Email

    carina@onenessfamily.org

    Biography

    As a child from Rio Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina, Carina knew she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and work with children. She began her career at Oneness-Family School in 2002 as a Montessori Assistant & Aftercare Teacher, where she learned the importance of preparing children socially, emotionally, and academically for higher education. Carina earned her MSDE teaching certificate in 2003 and her Early Childhood AMS Montessori certificate in 2011.

    Carina believes parents and teachers should work together as allies to ensure children reach their full potential. She embraces the need to create an environment filled with age-appropriate materials and hands-on activities. She encourages children to explore, build social skills, and develop motor skills through Montessori lessons that are fun and positive.

    Carina loves hiking in the mountains with her husband and their dogs Honey and Bruno in her spare time. Her favorite hobbies are biking and Pilates. Carina has practiced martial arts (Karate-Do) for many years and earned a black belt in 1998. She also devotes time to bringing awareness and funding to animal shelters or worldwide organizations that provide care for animals in need.

    Carina Sonora

  • Clara Mendez

    Primary Program Teacher (Ages 2-3), Wishing Stars

    Email

    clara@onenessfamily.org

    Biography

    Clara joined the Oneness-Family School in 2022 after previously working at a preschool for eight years with students ages two to three. She holds a Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Teacher Credential. She finds working with toddlers inspiring, knowing that she is a part of their first school experience. Clara feels that it is a gift to help the youngest students explore the world around them. It brings her joy to watch the students grow throughout the school year. 

    Clara lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with her husband, Jose, and their fur baby Remi. During her free time, she likes to spend time with her family and enjoys expressing her creativity through photography and crafting. 

    Clara Mendez

  • Jashai Rowe

    Primary Program Teacher (Age 2-3), Wishing Stars

    Email

    jashai@onenessfamily.org

    Biography

    Jashai has been an educator at Oneness for four years and has been involved in the Montessori teaching environment since 2011. She holds an Early Childhood AMS Montessori degree.

    From a young age, she has been passionate about working with children, and finds immense fulfillment in witnessing her students’ progress and development throughout the year. She believes that these formative years are crucial in shaping a child’s future and was drawn to the Montessori philosophy due to Maria Montessori’s belief in the child’s greater capabilities. One of her favorite Montessori quotes is, “Never do for a child what he can do for himself,” which reflects the importance of fostering independence and self-reliance.

    Jashai Rowe resides in Rockville with her husband, Kofi, a correction officer, their 11-year-old daughter, Jade, who recently started 6th grade, and their energetic Cavapoo, Jet. Beyond teaching, she enjoys crafting stories, singing loudly and proudly, preparing tasty meals, engaging in family game nights, and traveling to Ghana to visit relatives.

    Jashai Rowe

  • Kumari Fernando

    Primary Programs Teacher (Age 2-3), Wishing Stars

    Email

    kumari@onenessfamily.org

    Biography

    Originally from Sri Lanka, Kumari is a certified early childhood Montessori teacher with over 15 years of experience in early childhood education and childcare. Becoming a parent opened her eyes to the incredible growth and development that takes place in children between the ages of 2-5, inspiring her to better understand how to nurture their full potential. This curiosity led her to pursue formal training in the Montessori method.

    She was particularly drawn to the Montessori approach, which emphasizes independence, discipline, and respect for the learning environment. Kumari appreciates how Montessori not only nurtures a child’s curiosity but also instills a sense of order and responsibility—finishing a task, putting things back in their place, and preparing the space for a friend. She finds it to be a beautiful way to help children grow into mindful, capable individuals.

    Kumari is grateful to be part of the Oneness-Family School community and is excited to learn, share, and grow alongside the children and educators there.

    Outside of her professional interests, she enjoys swimming and running. Having completed a few half marathons, she now focuses on 5K runs, keeping her passion for the sport alive. 😊

    Kumari Fernando

  • Lisa Pawley

    Primary Program Teacher (Age 3-6), Sun Room

    Email

    lisa@onenessfamily.org

    Biography

    After more than 15 years of teaching and raising children, Lisa uses her sense of humor to explain concepts in a simple way, attuned to the student’s ability level.

    A certified Maryland State Department of Education and Montessori teacher, Lisa has a BA in Performing Arts and a Masters in Dance/Movement Therapy with a minor in Counseling Psychology.She believes it is important for students to develop the ability to confidently think through problems and track their thinking process as they move toward a solution.

    Yet for Lisa, the greatest lesson a teacher can bring to students is to help deepen their ability to love and cherish themselves. A key part at OFS is the emotional literacy program that teaches students to become aware of their feelings and those of their classmates. This then makes it possible to help them navigate through situations of conflict using healthy communication methods—and in turn fosters a lifelong skill set.

    In her spare time, Lisa likes to dance and write poetry.

    Lisa Pawley

  • Matthew Chappell

    Primary Program Teacher (Ages 3-6), Moon Room

    Email

    matthew@onenessfamily.org

    Biography

    Matthew began his career as a Montessori teacher over 25 years ago after taking part-time summer work at a Montessori school operated by family friends. This experience confirmed something that Matthew already knew, which was how much he enjoyed connecting and interacting with children. Wanting to deepen this experience and pursue a meaningful career led him to begin Montessori teacher training that same year.

    The experience of learning while teaching is continually rewarding for Matthew. His love of pursuing and sharing knowledge about many topics carries over to the students, helping them feel proud of what they know while recognizing that adults are still learning, too. He approaches teaching with the hope that he will instill curiosity and confidence to explore in his students so that they will enjoy connecting with their world.

    Matthew’s university studies in French later facilitated picking up Spanish, which he now speaks fluently with his Peruvian wife and her family, along with other friends and neighbors.

    Matthew appreciates what he calls the “team-oriented approach and atmosphere of unity” at Oneness-Family School, working with and supporting colleagues while enjoying the same from them. 

    Fun fact: Years ago, he singlehandedly dug and set up a 750-gallon garden fishpond so his father could relax outdoors, watching beautiful carp splash and swim.

    Matthew Chappell

  • Melissa Maltby

    Primary Program Teacher (Ages 3-6), Sun Room

    Email

    melissa@onenessfamily.org

    Biography

    Melissa came to the teaching field and Oneness-Family School in 2014 after a long career working for the Washington Post. Her areas of expertise and experience encompass special education and recreational coordination, as well as childcare. She holds an MSDE teacher certificate and an Early Childhood AMS Montessori degree.

    Melissa is a lifelong learner and devoted to teaching young children minds. When a child has a question, she takes the time to converse, explore, and experiment with an idea so that they develop an interest in knowledge in the subject. She aims to connect with each child and make them feel seen and heard.

    Melissa enjoys art, playing with her cat Java, and teaching her bird Flare tricks. She loves nature and the feeling of being connected to something greater than herself and traveling to find beauty in the things she hasn’t seen or experienced before. 

    Melissa Maltby

  • Cameron Youngblood

    Primary Programs Assistant Teacher (Age 3-6)

    Email

    cameron@onenessfamily.org

    Biography

    Cameron came to Oneness-Family School after five years at Wellan Montessori School in Massachusetts, where he supported children’s growth and learning in a variety of classroom settings. His work there gave him valuable experience with Montessori education and a deep appreciation for the independence and curiosity children bring to their learning. Cameron graduated from Grinnell College, where he honed his skills in research, writing, and communication, as well as his ability to collaborate and think critically. 

    In the classroom, Cameron brings warmth, attentiveness, and curiosity to his interactions with students. He is committed to creating an environment where children feel comfortable taking risks, asking questions, and exploring their interests. Cameron believes that learning is most powerful when it is connected to a child’s natural sense of wonder, and he strives to nurture that spark by listening carefully and responding thoughtfully. 

    Outside of school, Cameron practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and enjoys running, he is also a lifelong fan of the beach, hiking, baking and is a devoted supporter of Boston sports teams. In addition to these interests, Cameron has a rich background in Buddhist practice, he was previously ordained as a monastic under the Thai Theravāda Buddhist tradition and continues to cultivate his practice at Wat Thai Washington, D.C. This grounding in mindfulness and reflection deeply informs his teaching, helping him to remain present, patient, and engaged with each child.

    Cameron Youngblood

  • Carol May

    Primary Programs Volunteer (Age 2-3)

    Email

    carol@onenessfamily.org

    Carol May

  • Marlyn Arevalo

    Primary Programs Assistant Teacher (Age 2-3)

    Email

    marlyn@onenessfamily.org

    Biography

    A certified Maryland State Department of Education and Montessori Assistant teacher, Marlyn finds it exciting to be part of the beginning of a child’s educational journey. She finds meaning in both teaching and learning from the youngest students at Oneness-Family School.

    Marlyn is currently getting a degree in Early Childhood Education. She lives in Prince George’s County with her parents, siblings, and puppy Rambo. During her free hours Marlyn loves spending time with family and friends, and traveling whenever she can.

    Marlyn Arevalo