OUR SCHOOL

Sauganash Montessori School is very proud to offer exceptional early childhood education to the Edgebrook-Sauganash Community and the surrounding area. SMS has created two beautiful and spacious classrooms, set in a warm home-like atmosphere, for children three to six years of age. The school is governed by the strict ethical codes of the American Montessori Society and follows DCFS and Illinois State Board of Education regulations. SMS began with one classroom of 17 children in 2004. By the end of 2005 SMS enrolled 28 children and expanded to hold 60 children in the fall of 2008. The child to teacher ratio is always 10 to 1 or under.

The founder and executive director of the school is Katie Higgins Ferris. Katie taught for fifteen years before opening SMS in 2004. Her goal is to bring high quality education in a beautiful environment to the residents of Sauganash, Edgebrook and the surrounding area. Katie Higgins was born and raised in Edgebrook. She is a graduate of St. Mary of the Woods Grade School, Regina Dominican High School, Marquette University and the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center in Evanston.

                                       WHAT OUR PARENTS SAY

"From day 1, the care, dedication, and thoughtfulness the team at SMS has put into our child's days has been remarkable. The level of engagement, enrichment, fun, and friends that SMS provides is above and beyond anything I've seen, and we looked at a lot of schools. From a reassuring phone call after the first day when I had to leave a crying kid to working through transitions with kindness and grace, I've always felt like the staff at SMS are firmly on our child's team and therefore on our team, too."- Google Review 4/15/2025

"Our experience at SMS has been absolutely wonderful. Before enrolling, our child was hesitant about school -- mornings were tough, and there was little excitement about learning. But everything changed once we found this Montessori program. From day one, the teachers welcomed our child and family with warmth, patience, and genuine care. The classroom environment is calm, inspiring, and thoughtfully designed to encourage independence and curiosity. Seemingly overnight, we watched our child grow not just academically, but emotionally and socially as well.
What touched us most was seeing a true love for learning blossom. Our once-reluctant student now wakes up excited to go to school, talks nonstop about their projects, and takes pride in new skills and accomplishments. We're so grateful for the way this school nurtures each child's unique path. It's more than just education -- it's a foundation for lifelong learning, confidence, and joy." -Google Review 4/15/2025

"Our child has had an incredible experience at Sauganash Montessori School! We love the program, the staff and the classrooms! The teachers do an excellent job of making a safe, warm and welcoming space for children to learn and grow. We really appreciate how the school admin communicates regularly about all things big and small so we never feel out of the loop. Only wish we have is that they offered programs beyond kindergarten as we would love to keep our child there through elementary school!"- Yelp Review 4/8/2025

"Sauganash Montessori School is a wonderful school with kind, nurturing teachers and staff. The classrooms are beautiful, prepared environments created true to Montessori, so that children can learn and explore in developmentally appropriate ways. The teachers are experts in their field; they are loving guides who have made our children feel at home while also guiding them to become confident, independent learners. My four year olds have already learned how to write, are starting to learn how to read, and can add, subtract and multiply by fives and sevens. I am amazed, but not surprised, by how much my children have learned and want to learn after only two years at SMS. The staff at SMS is friendly, warm, communicative and has used their educational expertise to create a school that inspires life-long learning and caring community amongst the students and their families. I am so happy I found SMS and my children have had the opportunity to attend school here. I couldn't recommend this school more."-Yelp Review 4/7/2025