The Children’s House Montessori School is expanding to Downtown Traverse City. It comes after the Traverse City Commission approved zoning to allow educational space in the C-4 district.
“The highest level of learning is when there is a challenge and a level of interest. So we really know having them be downtown is just going to create this next level of independence these adolescences are ready for,” said Michele Shane, Head of The Children’s House.”
Starting Friday, 101 North Park Street will be the new home for the school’s junior high program. They’re taking over part of the second floor.
“It will be nice because we will have a lot more space there,” Said Lilah Gray, 8th grader at The Children’s House. “This place is a bit crowded now that we have as many students as we do.”
“We will have an opportunity to expand our robotics program, a whole Macintosh computer lab that a donor generously gave, and we will have 3D printers,” said Shane.
Not only does moving 25 junior high students downtown allow more opportunities to learn, but it also helps the community.
“I really encourage business owners to contact us if you have skills and resources you want to share, or if the students can have the opportunity to come and learn the economics and how it is to run a small business or restaurant,” said Shane. “We want these children to be out and about in the community. That’s the whole reason why we are moving to Downtown Traverse City.”
A move that students and staff worked to make happen.
“All the students have been a part of this process all along they’ve, written letters to the commission about why they think it is a good idea for them to be able to move downtown, they’ve been integral on the planning process of laying out the space,” said Shane.
“We get an opinion on everything, and this is how our junior high space will most likely look for as many years as the junior high is in the building,” said Gray. “Being able to have a voice in that, I think, is really cool.”
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