Leaving Cleveland -- Hershey Montessori School

Peanut has had a growth spurt! When we left, her shoes fit; three days later, she’s got blisters. Unbelievable. This was a blessing in disguise, however, because we went searching for a shoe store and found Little Italy and Coventry in the process. It was nice to end our visit with these charming and alive neighborhoods fresh in our minds.

Hershey Montessori School was a must-see for us. It’s out in the middle of nowhere – pure farm country – which turns out to be just 45 minutes East of Cleveland. Anyone committed to a Montessori education will be interested in a fully operating Adolescent Farm School.


There are only a few and I couldn’t wait to see one with my own eyes. Several parents back home are waiting to hear what we have to say…

I drove all around the grounds which were at once bigger than I expected and smaller than I expected. Hmmm. I found some students right after their lunch, lounging on a hammock, and 3 girls walked right over, eager to talk to my kids. The boys pretended not to notice us but when I asked for a picture of them, the boys raced over and jumped behind. It was hysterical. They just as quickly retreated.

The Students

Of the 3 girls one was a Day Student, one a 5-day Boarder and one a 7-day Boarder. They were charming and genuine and spoke clearly and in complete sentences. I didn’t get the feeling they were trapped in the American Mainstream, but I can’t say for sure. They seemed to have real things to say. Peanut wanted to know what they could do in the forest. Right now one girl is learning how to price a tree, another’s favorite class was “bees” where she got to wear a real bee suit and work in the hives, another learned to tap the trees and gather sap to make home-made syrup.

We had seen a boy carrying 2x4s into a barn and this peaked Little Man’s interest. He wanted to know if they were allowed to operate farm equipment and they confirmed that they do learn how to drive a tractor. They love their camping trip once a year to an island (in Lake Erie maybe?) and their weekend activities. I mentioned that we’re not really comfortable with a boarding school situation and the Day Student said with a hint of envy, “Well, they seem to really like it here”.

The Buildings

They’re building a new schoolhouse (it mentions this on the website), but it’s actively under construction and it is gorgeous. The grounds are amazing. Surrounded by forest, with a huge pond and immaculate buildings. This place is out in the country but has some serious style. Peanut was very impressed and sure she’d like to go to school there. Little Man said, “No way am I going there”. Remember he’s the one who said once, "Mom I wish I were a baby boy whale and you were my mama whale because then I could stick with you forever." Scary.