Woodinville Montessori School awards first high school diploma

June 17 marked a historic day for Woodinville Montessori School, as Head of School Mary Schneider awarded its first high school diploma to Louis Ziob, the sole member of the senior class.

The commencement ceremony came 32 years after Schneider and Sheri Nick co-founded the school in a rented house in downtown Woodinville, and just two years after the Board of Trustees approved the school’s expansion to a high school.

WMS High School began with the addition of 10th grade in the fall of 2014, and the school planned to add one grade per year, offering 11th grade in 2015-2016. The first graduates were expected to receive their diplomas in June 2017, after the complete expansion through a full 12th-grade program.

But the return of a former student and fortunate timing changed that. Louis, who had attended WMS as a younger student, needed just one course to earn his remaining high school credit. WMS was offering that class to its current high school students. Louis enrolled, and the school’s first commencement moved up by two years.

The event comes at an exciting time for WMS High School. As of July 1, veteran Montessori teacher Sunita Pailoor is the secondary program director, and a new chemistry, physics and advanced mathematics teacher joins the faculty this fall, with plans to also start a running club as a forerunner to a cross country team. Schneider has also announced the addition of a college counselor.

“As we add 11th-grade this fall, we need to provide excellent college counseling for students and their families,” she said.

The WMS High School program is based on a philosophy that honors the individual, respects a variety of learning styles and provides high-challenge educational opportunities to every student.

Woodinville Montessori School educates children using Montessori and contemporary methods, on two campuses. The Woodinville campus serves preschoolers and kindergarteners, while the North Creek campus at Bothell enrolls toddlers through high school students. For more information, visit www.woodinvillemontessori.org.