Welcome to Orchid Montessori School, a unique and inclusive Montessori program for ages 3 to 9 years that opened in September of 2024. We currently have a Montessori primary classroom serving children ages 3-6 and a lower elementary classroom serving children ages 6-9. We plan to grow with our students, opening an upper elementary classroom within the next 1-2 years.
Orchid Montessori School is located in West Warwick, Rhode Island, and also serves students from Warwick, Coventry, Cranston, East Greenwich, and the surrounding areas.
Our goal is to empower all children to learn, thrive, and explore their passions. We offer both full and half-day programming.
Click HERE to complete an online application for our 2026/2027 academic year program.
Click HERE to complete an online application for our 2026 summer camps or to learn more about the camp program!
Our Rhode Island Montessori school provides a home-away-from-home atmosphere with an intimate design, warm decor, and an inviting outdoor space for gardening, crafts, and free play. We have multiple outdoor play areas and provide children with opportunities to learn outdoors (weather permitting) and engage with the natural world throughout the day.
Our unique program is an inclusive Montessori lab school. We believe that all children have unique strengths and challenges, and we have designed our physical space, classroom routines, and curriculum in a way that allows each child to develop holistically and at their own pace. For example, a child might be ready to explore reading, math or music at an accelerated pace but need additional support in developing fine motor skills, improving spatial awareness or cultivating friendships. Our goal is to embrace and meet each child where they are!
Our system of individualized supports was designed in partnership with Access Speech and Allied Therapy Group. Access Therapy has a satellite office in our West Warwick, Rhode Island, building, and their amazing team is able to provide speech and occupational therapy services to students who need them on-site. We also communicate with families frequently to ensure that parents have the opportunity to connect their children’s experiences at school to their life beyond the classroom.
Orchid Montessori is a member of the Wildflower Network of schools. Wildflower is an ecosystem of decentralized Montessori micro-schools that support children, teachers, and parents. Wildflower aspires to give all children and families the opportunity to choose high quality, beautiful learning environments as they follow life’s unfolding journey.
Daily Schedule and Calendar
Our school follows a ten month academic year calendar and also offers optional summer programming. Please reach out to info@orchidmontessori.org to receive the most up-to-date version of our school calendar.
Montessori Mornings
8:00-8:30 before care
8:30-11:30 morning work period (snacks/ movement breaks as needed)
11:30-12:00 outdoor time, dismissal window for morning students
Afternoon Program
12:00 -1:00 lunch, rest/nap time starts (as needed), free play
1:00-3:00 afternoon work period/ classes, continued nap/rest time (as needed)
3:00 dismissal time for full day students
3:00-5:00 after care (outdoor time, enrichment activites, free play)
Tuition
At Orchid Montessori School, we believe that a high-quality Montessori education should be available for families regardless of income. We have a flexible sliding-scale tuition model, and we work with each family to find the right tuition rate based on their income and expenses. We also accept CCAP vouchers.
**Please note that the number of remaining flexible tuition slots for the 2026-2027 school year is limited! We encourage you to apply ASAP if you’d like to be considered for one of these slots!**.
Please contact us at info@orchidmontessori.org to receive a copy of our tuition schedule or with questions about our tuition model.
Our Team
We are a team of teachers, therapeutic professionals and parents. We are passionate about providing a high-quality early learning experience for every child. Our extensive and diverse professional backgrounds have allowed us to design a unique approach that allows each individual child to thrive.
Katie Rodrigues, M.Ed.
Founding Head of School and Lead Teacher
Katie (she/her) has been working in Montessori primary and elementary classrooms since 2007. Katie received her B.A. in Political Science from Carleton College in 2002 and her M.A. in International Studies from Rotterdam University – Netherlands in 2004. After working in nonprofit administration for several years, Katie went on to earn her AMI Montessori Diploma for ages 6-12 in 2010 and her M. Ed. in Montessori Education in 2013. She is also a certified preschool teacher and is in the process of completing her Montessori primary training. She is thrilled to be serving on Orchid’s teaching team because she feels that every child, regardless of their unique gifts and challenges, deserves to learn in a classroom that embraces their individuality.
Jo’Nella Queen Gueye, M. Ed.
Curriculum Consultant
Jo’Nella (she/her) earned her Bachelor’s Degree in American/Ethnic Studies from Brown University. She has a Master’s Degree in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education and a M.Ed. in PK-12 Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Fordham University. As a school leader in TFA’s Green Fellowship, she has served communities in Providence, RI, as a Dean of Student Culture, Learning Specialist (Special Education), and Instructional Coach for first-year teachers over the past two years. Presently, she is pursuing her Infant/Toddler Montessori Accreditation at the Northeast Montessori Institute.
Stephanie Izzi, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Inclusion Coordinator
Stephanie (she/they) will serve as our inclusion coordinator this year. An autistic adult herself, Stephanie specializes in designing robust programming for students with communication support needs. Stephanie completed their Ph.D. in Genetics at Stony Brook University, and M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. They are also the co-founder and Executive Director of Autism Included and Access Holistic Therapy Group, a nonprofit supporting those with communication disorders/differences. Stephanie’s background as a research scientist provides a unique approach to their work, and their individualized, strengths-based approach to student learning and growth are a great fit for the Montessori method and for our program!
