Wilmette Newest Montessori School Has Unique Twist

The first thing I noticed was the calm in the room. The natural wooden furniture and large sundrenched windows added to the warm welcome I received from the head of school, Esther Leah Teldon as she invited me into the newly designed Gan Montessori classroom in Wilmette.

“It’s a dream come true,” says Teldon. “This school is just the perfect combination – Montessori philosophy fused with a vibrant Jewish soul.”

Teldon and her husband Moshe, moved to Wilmette in 2013 where they are raising their five daughters. She has worked with children for over fifteen years and has always wanted to open a preschool.

“Ironically, it was the pandemic that really accelerated the process.” With so many people moving to the suburbs, it became obvious to her that the time was right.

Rivka Benjamin, the newly-hired Curriculum Director, has been immersed in Montessori educational philosophies ever since her youth when her parents opened the first Jewish Montessori preschool in her New Jersey hometown. Since then, she has taught, directed, and consulted for Montessori schools on the East Coast and, more recently, at Chiaravalle in Evanston.

“Your child has an essential need for love, learning, independence, and creativity,” says Benjamin, who is an AMS-certified Montessori educator. “At the Gan, they will be given opportunities to follow their inner learning guidance -- and thrive when they make choices within the healthy boundaries set for them.”

Educating the whole child was a core value Suzy Schwartz, a Winnetka mom, prioritized in her search for a preschool for her son Blake.

“Montessori has always been the obvious choice for me: honoring different learning styles, setting everyone up for success and fulfillment,'' said Schwartz. “But I never expected to find a school that also nurtured my child's Jewishness, a place where my child feels so at home.”

The inaugural class will be for 3-5 year olds. “In a mixed-age environment, younger children look up to older students, while more experienced classmates flourish as mentors,” Benjamin said.

Teldon has gathered a faculty who themselves are inspired educators. As this is the first stop for many incoming students on their educational journey, she is confident that they will continue on to become lifelong learners and compassionate leaders.

If you’re interested in learning more about the new school, please visit GanMontessori.org to learn more and to schedule a private tour.