Ivy Montessori Children's House

Our Teachers

Dr. Tracy Epps is the Founder and Head of School of Ivy Montessori Children’s House. She was inspired to start her Montessori home school because she saw a need for high-quality Montessori education and care in Pittsburg. She has 13 years of classroom and administrative experience working with young children from birth to age 6.

Tracy Epps began her Montessori journey 20 years ago as a parent with her now adult son, Greylon and continues the journey with her two toddlers, Joaquin & Vioney. She has three diplomas from the Association Montessori International (AMI): Assistants to Infancy (birth to 3), Primary (3-6) and Montessori for Aging & Dementia. She holds a M.Ed. in Montessori Education from Loyola University of Maryland, a master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a masters and doctorate in Psychology from DePaul University.

Dr. Tracy is very passionate about giving children the best start for a healthy life. She has a special interest in promoting healthy relationships between children and their parents, families, and caregivers. Dr. Tracy‘s extensive training and early childhood certifications include:

– Infant-Parent Mental Health, UC Davis – Pikler Advanced Intensives: Engaging in Dialogue w Infants/Toddlers; Respectful Care and Relationship with the Adult; Self-Initiated Motor Development – Resources for Infant Educarers® (RIE): Foundation Course – SonRise® Autism Treatment Center of America – Music Together® – Suzuki® Early Childhood Music Education – Monart® Draw and Learn, and – Zumbini® (fitness, music, and dance for 0-4 year olds).

Previously, Dr. Tracy owned and operated a home-based Montessori school in Chicago and was the Teaching Head of School of a Montessori toddler school in Cambridge, MA. She has also served as faculty in management and psychology at DePaul University, a personal and executive coach, an organizational consultant, and a research psychologist (active duty) and education specialist (reserves) for the U.S. Army.

Dr. Tracy is especially enamored of infants and toddlers, who she sees as fearless explorers filled with wonder. She is excited to bring the first Wonderschool Authentic Montessori program to Pittsburg.

Philosophy

At Ivy Montessori Children’s House, we believe that children grow, learn, and thrive by following their own unique style of discovery. Our goal is to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment that prepares children with the foundation for success in life. Here, children will feel empowered to follow their own interests in a space where they are safe, protected, loved and respected!

Location

Ivy Montessori Children’s House is located in a beautiful, welcoming single family home in the Vista Del Mar neighborhood. We are conveniently located just minutes away from Highway 4 (San Marco/Bay Point or Bailey Road exits) and the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART Station!

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About our program

At Ivy Montessori Children’s House, our prepared environment offers a full complement of Montessori play and learning materials that allow children to explore developmentally-appropriate activities based on their interests. Some of our favorite areas include reading / cozy area (for literacy, relaxation, and respite), music and movement area (for physical activity and cultural learning), and practical life area (to develop coordination, concentration, independence, and a sense of order while working on real world tasks such as squeezing oranges for juice and watering plants). These carefully designed areas provide a smooth transition to the Montessori classroom by linking the activities that the child is familiar with at home to the school environment.

Children will spend about half of their time outdoors in both my custom private natural playscape and local parks and playgrounds. Connecting with nature lets children gain deeper knowledge of themselves and the world.

At Ivy Montessori Children’s House, we follow the child and encourage them to learn and explore at their own pace. We nurture the cognitive, social, and emotional growth of each child placed in our care.

While we are starting with infants and toddlers, our intent is to grow with our students through the kindergarten year, by 2023.

Please note: Our program closes early at 12:30 pm on Fridays.

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Admissions

Join the Ivy Montessori Children’s House community in four easy steps:

1. Explore our website

We’ve provided information about our philosophies and offerings to help you decide if our program may be right for your family.

2. Tour our program

Come see what makes Ivy Montessori Children’s House unique. Please schedule a tour or attend an Open House event.

3. Submit an Enrollment Application

If you would like to enroll, please submit an application at https://www.wonderschool.com/application/4980 – Please note that we require tours for all prospective families. Please do not submit an application if you have not visited the program.

4. Enroll

After reviewing your application, we’ll send an enrollment invitation. Upon accepting your invitation you’ll pay your enrollment fee, fill out enrollment documents and review our Parent Handbook.

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