For years, Subie Stone, founder of the Little Miners Montessori School, had hoped to expand the school to include younger children, from 18 months to three years in age.
Last Monday, Stone saw her wish realized, as students filled the classrooms in the recently added wing of the school for the first time.
“I think there’s a demand in Park City for this age group,” Stone said. “There’s a lot of daycare situations, and I wanted to offer a bit more of a structured learning environment.”
Since opening the school in 2001, Stone has offered preschool and kindergarten to children aged 3 to 7. But many parents want their younger children to learn in a structured environment, too.
“Not everyone feels that going to school at this age is important, but I think if you allow them the opportunity, then they will pick up on so many different things,” Stone said. “I think kids want to learn. Being in a small environment with kids in their age group, socially they’re learning from each other.”
Stone said building the new wing, which houses two classrooms, has been gratifying. It has forced her to remember the school’s humble beginnings, when it had just 36 students and was housed in a local church. The school opened its own building, at 1091 Beehive Drive, in 2005 and now has 128 students.
“It was hard at the church, to be honest,” Stone said. “There was a lot of shared space. So when I broke ground here, I was really excited. I’m really fortunate to have this space. When people walk through the door, they know right away if they want their children to be here or not.”
The next step for Stone would be to start offering elementary education. She’s considered the option, but says it’s in the distant future, if it ever happens at all.
“People kind of joke around and say, ‘Is that your next addition?'” Stone said. “I don’t think so. But you never know. It could turn into a need. Right now, I don’t know if there’s a need for that, necessarily.”