Desert Garden Montessori

There’s something special about watching our students come full circle. From their first days in the classroom to where they are now, our alumni continue to inspire the next generation of learners.

Whether you’re staying connected through events, sharing your journey, mentoring students, or supporting our community, there are so many ways to remain part of the story long after graduation. We love celebrating the paths our alumni take and the impact they continue to make.

Interested in getting involved as an alumni? Head to our website to learn more! Link in bio.

Graduation day came with an extra reason to celebrate. 🎓

101 years of Dr. Jagdish Davé— our founder’s father, our school’s quiet rock, and someone who has poured so much wisdom and love into everything Desert Garden Montessori has grown to be.

And what a special bond between our MYHS graduate, Julian, and Dr. Davé!

Nearly 30 years in, we don’t take a single moment like this for granted. Thank you to everyone who makes this community so incredibly special.

Some partnerships just feel right — and @‌trueturfaz is one of them. 🌿

As one of our incredible local partners, they gave us a good rate for the turf in our outdoor space and we could not be more grateful and so are all the children.

Their quality, service, and genuine heart for the company is something we trust wholeheartedly.

If you’re looking to make the switch to turf, we couldn’t recommend them more. Visit the DGM app → Local Partners to learn more about working with them. 🌿

Once a DGM student, always a DGM family member. 🤍

We love nothing more than a full circle moment — and Zach Crouch gave us just that. After growing up in our community, Zach came back this year as an intern and showed up as exactly the kind of person we hope all of our students become. Passionate, driven, and genuinely invested in the little ones coming up behind him.

Watching our alumni return as leaders and mentors is everything. It’s a reminder of why we do what we do every single day.

Zach, we are so proud of you and everything you are becoming.

The DGM family will always be rooting for you. 🌱 If you’re an Alumni, and looking for ways to get involved, click that link in our bio to get started!

#4 in the state of Arizona. And so incredibly proud.

This past week, our Executive Director Shetal and the Desert Garden Montessori team attended the Phoenix Business Journal Healthiest Employers Awards — and we are beyond proud to share that we ranked #4 in the Microbusiness category, nominated by Benefit Commerce by Alera Group.

Out of all the incredible businesses in Arizona — they chose us. And that means everything.

But here’s what this recognition really means to us:

It means that the intention we pour into our team — the culture we protect, the wellbeing we prioritize, the environment we work so hard to maintain — is being seen. And validated.

Because here’s what we believe at Desert Garden Montessori: you cannot pour from an empty cup. The care our educators give to your children every single day starts with the care we give to them. A healthy school starts with a healthy team. And building that has always been one of our greatest responsibilities as a school.

Montessori philosophy doesn’t stop at the classroom door. It lives in how we lead, how we support one another, and how we show up — for our students, for our families, and for each other.

To be recognized alongside some of Arizona’s most outstanding employers is an honor we do not take lightly. 🏆

Thank you to Benefit Commerce by Alera Group for this nomination, to the Phoenix Business Journal for celebrating businesses who are doing the work behind the scenes, and to our entire team — you are the reason we are here.
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Desert Garden Montessori | Healthiest Employers Arizona | Phoenix Business Journal | Montessori School Phoenix | School Culture | Montessori Education | Small Business Arizona | Conscious Leadership | Arizona Schools | Montessori Community

Every day is Earth Day in a Montessori classroom — but yesterday we took an extra moment to celebrate the world that inspires so much of our learning! 🌍

In Montessori, we believe deeply in fostering a love and respect for the natural world. Children learn best when they are connected to their environment, which is why caring for the earth isn’t just a lesson — it’s a way of life. Today we celebrated with our school assembly, learning about composting and recycling, and getting resources on ways we can be better for the planet Earth, giving our little ones the chance to explore, appreciate, and understand why protecting our planet matters. 🌱

Thank you to all the volunteers for making this event a meaningful one.

Happy Earth Day, everyday! 🌎💚

This is what a Tuesday looks like at Desert Garden Montessori. 🌱

Our maintenance team needed to fix the sprinkler system — and instead of asking the children to step aside, we invited them in.

Toddlers and primary students gathered around, listening, learning, and contributing to something completely real. No worksheet. no simulation. No pretend play. Actual work, alongside actual people, solving an actual problem.

This is the Montessori difference.

While traditional education asks children to sit and wait until they are “ready” — Montessori has always known that children ARE ready. right now. at every age. They are capable of real contribution, real responsibility, and real understanding of the world around them.

Maria Montessori called it practical life. We call it just another day.
When a child digs in the dirt alongside the people who care for their school, they aren’t just learning how a sprinkler works. They are learning that their hands matter, that they are trusted. That they belong to a community that needs them.

That kind of confidence? It doesn’t come from a lesson plan. It comes from being given the chance to show up — and being told yes when they do.

This is what we mean when we say we do things differently here. 🤍
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Desert Garden Montessori | Montessori School | Montessori Education | Toddler Program | Primary Classroom | Practical Life | Montessori Philosophy | Child-Led Learning | Montessori [Your City] | Conscious Parenting | Montessori at Home | Raising Capable Kids

Every year, Earth Day hits different for us. Because, for Montessori children, caring for the earth isn’t a lesson. It’s a way of life. 🌍

From the time they enter the classroom, our children are learning to tend, observe, and respect the living world around them.

Maria Montessori called it cosmic education — the understanding that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves, and that every small action matters.

Watching a child water a plant with intention, sort materials mindfully, or scoop “trash” out of water— that’s not a moment you forget. That’s a value being formed.

This Wednesday we’re celebrating Earth Day the Montessori way! Come see what your child gets to experience this week 🌍

Our assembly starts at 9AM for primary students and up!
🌱P.S. is back! Bring your refillable bottles!

Spring Fling is ALMOST HERE and we are not ready for how fast this school year has flown. 🌸

We pulled out some of our favorite moments from last year to get everyone in the spirit — and honestly it just made us even more excited for what’s coming. This is one of our favorite traditions and we cannot wait to celebrate our incredible school community together.

Join us for our Spring Fling Dance!
Hosted by our Middle & High School students

Here’s the deets:

📍Desert Garden Montessori
🗓 Saturday, April 25th
💃 Parent & Child Dance: 5:30–7:30 PM
🕺 After Party (6th–12th): 7:30–10:00 PM
Light snacks + drinks available

Come dressed, come ready, and step into the story with us.
Tag a family you’re excited to see there! 👇

What you’re watching is a few of our Lower Elementary students (ages 6–9) working with the Montessori Bead Material — one of the most powerful math learning tools ever designed for young children.

Here’s what’s actually happening when a child works with the beads:

The Montessori bead chain allows children to physically count, skip count, and explore multiplication and squaring concepts by moving through the beads with their hands.

When a child can touch, hold, and manipulate a math concept, it moves from short-term memorization into deep, long-term understanding.

That’s the difference between a child who can recite a times table and a child who actually understands what multiplication means.

Research consistently shows that children who learn math through concrete, hands-on materials develop stronger number sense, better problem solving skills, and significantly less math anxiety as they grow.

In Montessori, we never ask a child to understand an abstract concept before they’ve lived it with their hands first.

By the time our Lower Elementary students transition to abstract math, they don’t just know the answer. They understand why it’s the answer. That’s a gift that follows them all the way through high school, college, and beyond.

This is Montessori math. And this is why it works. 🌿