Our History
Founded in 1963 by a group of parents who wanted a Montessori education for their children, Christopher Academy is proud to be the oldest Montessori preschool in the state of New Jersey.
Our Westfield school began with eight children in two sessions. As the demand for high-quality early childhood experiences grew, the building and program expanded, currently enrolling 90 children between our three pre-primary classes and combined kindergarten/first grade class in all-day, morning and afternoon sessions.
Our well-educated and dedicated faculty members are certified Montessori teachers; all are university educated, and they are constantly re-educating themselves through workshops and in-house professional development programs. Most have a long tenure with the school, and many of our younger staff members are in the process of interning for their Montessori certification.
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As the original Montessori school in New Jersey, our reputation is nationwide. This allows our graduates to be accepted enthusiastically into both private and public schools. Many of our present students are legacies, and the school always enrolls many siblings.
In 2020 our campuses merged into one campus located at 510 Hillcrest Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey.
Our past teacher education program has educated Montessori teachers from around the world. Many of these teachers are running fine programs in New Jersey and other parts of the world.
Christopher Academy was instrumental in the formation of the New Jersey Montessori Administrators Council and the Montessori Accreditation Council of Teacher Education. Our staff and administrators are presently very active members of the American Montessori Society, New Jersey Montessori Association Corporation, and were active in the former National Center for Montessori Education and St. Nicholas College, London.