Historic Tulsa

UNDERCROFT
MONTESSORI
SCHOOL
When the Beatles first landed in America
and Lyndon Johnson was elected the country’s
president, a group of Tulsa parents started a
Montessori pre-school. They had read about Dr.
Maria Montessori in Time magazine. The article
outlined her extremely successful ways of
teaching all children. If schools in other parts
of the world and United States had Montessori
schools for their children, then 1964 was
certainly the time for a progressive Tulsa to have
this special education available to any family.
Since that time Undercroft Montessori
School has educated thousands of children
ages three through fifteen from the Tulsa
community. While the educational focus of
this non-sectarian, nonprofit school centers
around on the academic, physical, and
emotional well being of the child, Undercroft
serves parents and educators throughout the
state and is known nationally as a resource for
the Montessori educational philosophy.
In 1907, Dr. Maria Montessori, a visionary
Italian anthropologist and Doctor of Medicine,
who addressed the profound needs of the
whole child, developed the “Montessori
Method” of education. Under the direction of
the specially trained Montessori teaching staff,
the children of Undercroft Montessori School
are offered a full range of academic and artistic
programs along a developmental continuum.
The developmentally appropriate curriculum
is designed to advance with the child and
therefore creates a seamless education. The
classrooms include self-selection of works by the
student, use of compelling manipulative objects
and careful observation and guidance by the
teacher. Classes consist of multi-year age spans
for social and intellectual collaboration and
challenge. The classroom structure provides the
ideal environment for the student’s selfconstruction
into adulthood.
With their love of learning, sophisticated
skills in group work and firm academic
grounding, Undercroft graduates move easily
into surrounding schools.
Located at Thirty-sixth Place and Hudson
Avenue, Undercroft Montessori School draws
families of all backgrounds, from across
Oklahoma, into a tight-knit community. This
community both nurtures children and
encourages their natural desire to “do it
myself” in the very unique and always
inspiring Montessori way. Exposure to the
Montessori beliefs, which are firmly grounded
in the principles of human development and
to the school’s supportive environment,
dramatically enhances parenting skills.
Undercroft alumni are now leaders–wellknown
authors, artists, actors, business
leaders and wonderful parents, who learned
at the earliest age to believe in themselves
and in education.
For more information about Undercroft,
Tulsa’s first Montessori school, please visit
www.undercroft.org or call 918-622-2890 to
arrange a tour of the campus.
SHARING THE HERITAGE
✧
Above: Undercroft Montessori School today.
The “little red schoolhouses” consist of four
primary classrooms (shown) and a middle
school building (not shown). A new
elementrary building was opened in 1997.
Below: An early Undercroft graduation
ceremony. Only one portion of the school’s
buildings was present and it was painted
white. The early campus lacked many of the
trees, which now provide extensive shade.
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