Franciscan Montessori Earth School & Saint Francis Academy
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| Franciscan Montessori Earth School & Saint Francis Academy | |
| School type | Private School |
|---|---|
| Established | 1977 |
| Affiliation | Catholic, Montessori |
| Grades | pre K - 8 |
| Head of School | Mother Francine Cardew |
| Staff | 60 |
| Students | 350 |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, USA |
| Website | www.fmes.org |
The Franciscan Montessori Earth School & Saint Francis Academy (FMES/SFA) is located in Portland, Oregon, United States. FMES/SFA is the only accredited pre-K through grade 8 Catholic Montessori school in the United States. It is operated by the Sisters of the Eucharist from Bridal Veil, Oregon.
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[edit] History
Established in 1977, the school is in its 30th year. When the school started out, there were only seventeen students in one 1st grade classroom. As the school got bigger, it then added on with a Kindergarten and then a "Lower Elementary", 1st through 3rd grade. Then there was Upper Elementary, 4th through 6th grade and the St. Francis Academy, 7th through 12th. After awhile, the High School was closed because of the heavy financial challenge it presented. Now the Children's House, Lower and Upper Elementary have their own halls in the main building. SFA resides in Clare Hall in a separate building.
[edit] Exchange Program
FMES/SFA students who choose to take German as their foreign language have the option of going on a German exchange to Potsdam, Germany. The exchange with their sister school, Montessori Oberschule Potsdam, has had an exchange three times. The most recent was in October 2005 when the German students came to spend time with their exchange and March 2006 when the Americans did their part of the exchange.
Heidi Walz, the only German teacher, organizes the exchange every two years. Students stay with host families while attending the school for two weeks. For a third week, the American students get to travel southwestern Germany and Salzburg, Austria. Places like Erfurt, Munich, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Schöntal are visited.
In the Spring, Laura Funk and Amanda Gerke will take 8 students to Guadalajara, Mexico for the first Spanish exchange. They will be spending a week in Guadalajara, in southern Mexico. 8 students from Guadalajara will return to Portland with their partners for a 2 week stay in Portland.
[edit] Current Head Staff
- Founding Administrator: Mother Francine Cardew
- Associate Administrator: Sister Kathleen Ann Cieslak
- Development Director: Michael Winning
- Development Associate: Sandy Healy
- SFA Head Guide: Laurie Langevin
- Upper Elementary Head Guide: Sister Karol Marie Hagerty
- Lower Elementary Head Guide: Alice Talbott
- Childrens House Head Guide: Priscilla Winning
