Who We Are – Oneness-Family School
THE
NEXT GENERATION
Of
YOUNG
LEADERS
Oneness-Family School is a non-profit Montessori school serving students from preschool through high school in Chevy Chase, MD. Our Lower School, age 2—Grade 8, is located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, blocks away from the Bethesda Metro station. Oneness-Family High School is located in Kensington, Maryland on Connecticut Avenue, situated on a wooded campus accessed by several bus lines.
- 37 YearsSince Oneness-Family School was founded in 1988.
- 75 CountriesRepresented by our students, families, faculty, and staff.
- 1 FamilyUnited by a belief in courage, compassion and love of learning.
Vision & Mission
Our Vision
Our vision is a new generation of young leaders equipped, empowered, and energized to reach their full potential and contribute to a better world.
Our Mission
Our mission is to ignite the spark in a new generation of courageous and capable leaders through a student-centered community of diversity, academic excellence, and innovation in the Montessori tradition.
Championing the Whole Child
At Oneness-Family School, we are famous for championing academic, social, and emotional skills to prepare every student for life, not just for school.
Why We Are Called Oneness-Family School
The name “Oneness-Family School” represents the school’s highest aspiration – a world of harmony and unity. Our Vision and Mission reflect this.
Today, we strive for a world where each nation is celebrated for its unique contribution, in which each person is appreciated for who they are. It is a world in which the personal ambitions of each individual intersect synergistically with the common good of all.
It is a world that echoes with the harmony of a symphony, each voice contributing to the majestic whole – oneness.
In the oneness world of the future, people will care for each other like a family. Societies will value all of their children and ensure that they have equal access to security, health, and education.
Their education will be designed in a way to further the evolution of humanity itself, to create new possibilities of world harmony, and to celebrate life.
Oneness-Family School is a microcosm of what the world can look like and what it one day will become. Our Vision and Mission intersect in our name itself. In the world, we are a family of nations. In our school, we are a family of families. We are teaching students how to transcend limiting viewpoints and to see their individuality as part of the larger fabric of humanity – one world family.
Take The Next Step
If you’re interested in learning more, we can arrange for you to visit the school and take a tour
Book a TourOneness-Family School History
1988 – Humble Beginning, Global Citizenship
After teaching at Barrie Montessori School under the mentorship of renowned Montessori leader Tim Seldin, Andrew Kutt founds the Oneness-Family School in a library of a public school with only ten students. Andrew used his background in humanities and interest in world cultures to create a school built upon Maria Montessori’s philosophy that the center of the educational process should be the student.
1988 – The “Wheel”
The original concepts shown in the OFS Curriculum Wheel were born in the spring and summer of 1988. The core curriculum elements of the school are designed to include an “inner,” as well as an “outer” component, Self-Discovery & Academy, as well as a third core curriculum element to convey what happens when students step out and share their gifts with the world, called Manifestation. These three names have endured to this day, even as the curriculum is developed into greater and greater levels of detail.
1988 – United Nations Day
The year 1988 also marks the school’s first United Nations Day observance, an annual event designed to make students aware of the wide world around them. The celebration began with just a handful of guests but has since grown into the largest event of its kind in the Washington, DC, area with more than 120 embassy officials attending every year.
1989 – Study of World Religions
During this period, classes began the OFS tradition of visiting different houses of worship as part of a study of world cultures, something alumni students still talk about to this day.
1996 – Expansion to Middle School
Oneness-Family School expands through Grade 8, adopting the Montessori Middle School curriculum developed by Dr. Elizabeth Coe. This important growth step allows current and future generations of students to derive the fullest benefit from the Oneness-Family School experience: gaining the aptitudes and attitudes the school teaches during the most formative years of their character development.
1998 – International Montessori Council
Andrew Kutt becomes one of the founding board members of the International Montessori Council, dedicated to supporting Montessori schools worldwide.
2003 to 2013 – Community Recognition
Honoring leaders who make the world a better place is an important practice at Oneness-Family School. As a result, notable figures from different walks of life come to the school to show their respect and common cause, including athlete and humanitarian Muhammad Ali in 2003; musician and peace advocate Graham Nash in 2007; Congressman Tim Ryan in 2013; and numerous others, including social scientist Riane Eisler, Raising Happiness author Christine Carter, musician Wyclef Jean, and multiple Guinness World Record holder Ashrita Furman.
2006 – International Montessori Council Peace Academy in Orlando
The Ambassadors Middle School students present at the International Montessori Council’s Peace Academy in Orlando, Florida; with each student giving a speech in a special youth segment.
World Oneness Heart Award
Oneness-Family School students created the World Oneness Heart Award, which they give to each honoree.
2012 – Montessori Model United Nations in New York
The Ambassadors class joins middle school Montessori students from around the world to participate in the Montessori Model United Nations in New York City, engaging in global discussions and diplomacy.
2013 – Celebrating 25 Years
Oneness-Family School celebrates 25 years of child-centered learning with a global perspective during three days of special events. Guests include Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) who received the World Oneness Heart Award from Andrew Kutt for his work to promote mindfulness in schools, healthcare, and the military. Alumni students and parents gather from around the nation and the world during the various festivities.
2013 – First International Trip for Ambassadors Class
The Ambassadors class embarks on its first international trip, spending a week in London as part of their history curriculum.
2016 – OFS Voted “Best Montessori School”
OFS is voted Best Montessori School in the DC region by Family Magazine; and goes on to receive that distinction for the next five years.
2017 – Oneness-Family High School Launched
Oneness-Family School launches its high school in Kensington, Maryland, leasing space from Grace Episcopal Day School, and becoming the first Montessori high school in the Mid-Atlantic region.
2018 – Celebrating 30 Years as a Community
Oneness-Family School celebrates its 30th Anniversary with a gala attended by 300 parents, teachers, alumni, and friends from all around the world.
2019 – Model School for the American Montessori Society
Oneness-Family School acts as a model school for the American Montessori Society’s annual conference in Washington, DC, hosting faculty tours on campus.
2025 – IMPACT Program Launched
Oneness-Family High School launches the IMPACT program, a Montessori-inspired initiative that helps adolescents achieve economic independence, contribute meaningfully to society, gain recognition for their work, and integrate academic learning with real-world experiences.