When Wonder School Marfa opened its doors nearly four years ago in the fall of 2022, teacher Emily Steriti and parents hoped to fill a gap in the local education system. Though a few things have changed since the beginning, the microschool plans to continue offering Montessori education to the Marfa community for its fifth school year next fall.
Initially begun after Marfa ISD closed down the integrated Montessori pathway in the elementary school, Marfa parents reached out to Steriti––who had spearheaded the public Montessori program at Marfa schools and taught the ages 3-6 early childhood classroom––to propose an alternative learning environment for their children.
“So now I’m looking for a place where I can be my entire Montessori self, be supported, and help the people I love the most, which is the children,” Steriti told Big Bend Sentinel in the spring of 2022 as the framework of Wonder School took shape.
Then, as now, Wonder School offers a full-day learning environment four days a week for children grades K-5, utilizing Montessori curriculum in a mixed-ages classroom “where education is reimagined and curiosity is fostered through the cultivation of mind, body, and spirit,” according to their mission statement. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, their aim has been to provide high-quality Montessori education at a low cost to families in Marfa and the surrounding communities.
Though some of the original students have aged out or moved away, the school has maintained a cohort of 8-10 students. The school currently has nine children who will be returning next fall and is accepting new students to join the classroom.
For families interested in learning more, Wonder School Marfa Montessori is holding an Open House at 110 W Washington St., Unit #1, in the Methodist Church on Friday, May 15, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Visit wonderschoolmarfa.org or email info@wonderschoolmarfa.org with any questions.