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The Summit - Questa Montessori School was founded to develop the intellectual, social, spiritual, and ethical qualities that each child has inside of them.
This means the learning environment is built on the Montessori philosophy, which focuses on the known developmental needs of the child.
To that foundation we add current research and the latest theories of learning and human development. Our goals are to create academic excellence, creativity, appreciation of nature, good communication skills, respect for others, maximize each individual's personal development and nurture the love of learning, knowledge, and life.
To that end, the Summit - Questa School Community endeavors to provide a state of the art learning environment which is developmentally responsive, safe, respectful, and positive.
Summit - Questa will provide extensive opportunities for students to grow into intellectually and spiritually reflective individuals who are well rounded, harmonious, ethical, and caring.
Each will learn to appreciate meaningful, constructive work as the cornerstone of becoming a vital and contributing member of the community.
Summit-Questa Montessori School is a community of
educators, children, parents and extended family committed to the
Montessori philosophy. Dr. Maria Montessori, whose life work
centered on the care and education of children, so eloquently said,
"Within the child lies the fate of the future." Summit-Questa
assists in developing all the aspects of the individual, including
the child's self-creation of who they become. Our program has also
been validated by our middle school graduates who have been
accepted, and excelled in many of the top high-schools in South
Florida. We are located on a beautiful 10 acre campus, with native
habitats, edible schoolyard vegetable gardens, butterfly gardens, a
wetland preserve, and brand new gymnasium and pool. We offer
classes from Toddler to 8th Grade:
Toddler (18 months to 35 months)
Special Emphasis-Alt Methods
Lower Elementary (1st 3rd grades)
Upper Elementary (4th 6th grades)
Questa Middle School (6th 8th grades)
The Summit-Questa campus includes eight individual buildings
housing classrooms, music rooms, art rooms, computer labs and full
size gymnasium. Our campus is a continually growing and changing
project as our needs evolve. The campus also includes two pools: a
4'-6' 40,000 gallon lap pool and a 3'-4' 10,000 gallon pool. The
pools are used for 1st-8th grade PE swim, swim lessons, swim team
practices and for school events. The pools are maintained by a salt
system and are kept at 86 by the use of solar panels. The students
enjoy a soccer/ball field used for recess, P.E. and sports
practices. The school is also home to chickens, goats and pigs
which enjoy a well maintained barn and yard. There are also many
classroom pets, including bunnies, birds, cats, turtles and fish.
There is a beautiful, shaded "outdoor classroom" in the back of the
campus which includes seating for about 30 students. The classroom
is a legacy gift from the Class of 2013. We have several beautiful
outdoor gardens growing veggies, flowers and butterfly plants which
the students work in as part of our curriculum. There is a
beautiful official wetlands preserve full of fish, turtles, plants
and fowl.
South Florida principal named Educator of the Year
Summit-Questa Montessori School principal, Judy Dempsey, has been
awarded the 2016-2017 Richard & Dorothy Lear Distinguished Educator
of the Year-the highest honor given by the Association of
Independent Schools of Florida. She will be accepting her award at
the AISF School Leadership General Meeting on Monday, February
27th, 2017. The award, named for the founders of the Lear School of
Miami, recognizes the distinguished career of Judy Dempsey and her
continuous efforts to help educate the children of South Florida.
Dempsey`s passion for education led her to found the Summit-Questa
Montessori School in Davie, Florida, 25 years ago-a Montessori
school on 10 acres of land for children from toddlers through 8th
grade. She is also the co-director of the Summit Montessori Teacher
Training Institute where she trains teachers to develop into
Montessori leaders and educators. She also is the author of the
just released, Turning Education Inside-Out: Confessions of a
Montessori Principal, which is now available worldwide through
traditional book retailers and online in the iBookstore. In her
informative and engaging best seller, Dempsey details her over 40
years of experience with the Montessori philosophy as a Montessori
educator, administrator, school owner, and teacher trainer. She
shows the impact that the Montessori experience has on the
developing child, clears up misconceptions about exactly what
Montessori is, and helps prospective parents determine if
Montessori is right for their child. "This is a must-read for all
parents considering a Montessori education for their child. Dempsey
also offers Montessori administrators and teachers a joyful sharing
about her significant Montessori career." -Richard Ungerer,
Executive Director, American Montessori Society More information on
the book can be found here and more information on Judy can be
found here. Judy has written numerous articles on Montessori and
her personable style makes her great for interviews. To contact Ms.
Judy or book for a speaking engagement, please call or email:
Krista Joyce, , or 954-649-2274 or Ms. Judy`s Office:
954-584-3466
Welcome to the Summit-Questa Montessori School website. We are
thrilled that you have chosen to glimpse a view of life at
Summit-Questa. We are a unique community of Montessori educators,
parents, children, and friends dedicated to the philosophy of Dr.
Maria Montessori. This school originated in 1981 as Summit Private
School of Ft. Lauderdale, primarily a Montessori preschool. In 1991
I bought the school and focused on building our Montessori
elementary and middle school levels. The result is what it has
grown into today, Summit-Questa Montessori School, a community that
includes preschool through middle school on a beautiful 10 acre
campus under my direction and ownership. Summit-Questa is
affiliated with the American Montessori Society and is the site of
a fully accredited Montessori teacher training center. In addition,
the school is fully accredited by AISF (Association of Independent
Schools of Florida), AdvancED/SACS (Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools), MSA (Middle States Association), NCPSA
(National Council for Private School Accreditation) and Ai
(Accreditation International). What makes Summit-Questa unique is
multifaceted. We are an interactive community which values
everyone's voice and contributions...and the contributions are
many! Our school has literally blossomed because of our dedicated
staff and supportive families. All are invited to be active members
in this community. Decision making within our community is a
process that begins at a very young age and is based upon respect
for the individual as well as the needs of the community as a
whole. It is very important to us that everyone has a voice. We
have a very active and involved PTO. Our unique park-like setting
situated on 10 acres, has afforded us the opportunity to implement
a hands-on outdoor environmental program second to none. Students
are surrounded by the serene beauty of butterfly gardens, a variety
of animals, flower and vegetable gardens, flora from all over the
world, a live pond, as well as just open space for running and
enjoying nature. Our students have the rare opportunity to learn
directly from nature, working with the land and animals, something
too few of our children are able to do in this overdeveloped, urban
society of ours. We are truly an oasis in the middle of a concrete
world! Our students flourish due to the commitment, professional
training, and experience of our outstanding staff, many of whom
have been with the school for ten or more years. All Montessori
teachers at every level must be certified by nationally accredited
teacher training centers. In addition, Summit-Questa Montessori
School proudly boasts high standardized test score results, thereby
proving that yes, Montessori students can perform well on
traditional standardized tests if the tests are treated as a
practical life skill and the students are not subjected to undue
stress in regards to the test. Our upper elementary and middle
school students consistently average in the top 1-25% of the
nation. Our eighth grade graduates have successfully entered both
private and public high schools where they usually enter as honor
students. I am pleased to share with you some of the exciting and
outstanding programs your child will experience at Summit-Questa.
In addition to the rich array of Montessori materials in every
fully-equipped classroom, and the complete and challenging
Montessori curriculum, we offer the unique outdoor education
facilities, outdoor fields for varied sports, a 6,000 square foot
air-conditioned gymnasium which is designed for indoor basketball,
tennis, volleyball and badminton , multi-cultural programs, foreign
languages, library skills, computers, physical education, and
specialists in music, drama and art. We also have two swimming
pools and are building a strong swim program. In my role of
leadership, my goals for the school are many. First and foremost,
however, is to provide a safe, nurturing learning environment rich
with opportunities for each student to fulfill their unique
potential, be challenged and learn according to their own personal
style. We feel every child has a gift and it is our responsibility,
as well as a privilege, to shine a light on that gift in order to
allow it to emerge. As a result, we strive for each student to
leave Summit-Questa secure in the knowledge of who they are, their
strengths, their weaknesses, what it takes to succeed today, and
assured that they have their gift to offer the world. We know this
is a winning combination because we have seen the outstanding
results as our students graduate and step into high school as
self-assured, successful young students and leaders, not to mention
interesting and genuinely nice, respectful young people. I thank
you for visiting our site and invite you to tour our school and
meet our staff. Please be sure to check our calendar for the many
upcoming events, including a series of parent education classes.
All are welcome. Sincerely yours, Judy Dempsey
Judy is the author of Turning Education Inside-Out: Confessions
of a Montessori Principal which is now available (February 2017)
for purchase worldwide. Buy online on Amazon or through her
publisher, Jross Publishing.
Yes, Questa Middle School offers a summer program. Visit their summer school page for more information.
What sports does Questa Middle School offer?
Questa Middle School offers 17 interscholastic sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cheering, Cross Country, Dance, Field Hockey, Flag Football, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Indoor Soccer, Martial Arts, Sailing, Soccer, Swimming, Track and Field and Volleyball. Questa Middle School is ranked as one of the top 20% of private schools in Florida for most sports offered.
When is the application deadline for Questa Middle School?
The application deadline for Questa Middle School is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).
Grades: K-12 | 205 students4.4 miles 3275 West Oakland Park Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 (954) 485-7500
4.4
K-12
205
School Reviews
5.00 out of 5(6 reviews)
58/3/2024
I have been going to this school for years and have no complaints.
- Posted by Student/Alumni - Fern
58/4/2018
In my children's classrooms there are 3 teachers to every 30-35 students. When compared to a traditional school with 1, this is fantastic! Montessori in general and specifically Summit-Questa creates a partnership between the families and the teachers that allows the them to really know the children. This makes for a very special classroom environment. The ratio of teachers to students is very good. (just wanted to make this point again) They offer more than just the simple on-site ruling and day-to-day direction for the children that you get in most school environments; at Summit-Questa they make an effort to change perceptions and have a dialogue: not just from top-down but amongst parents and with the children themselves.
- Posted by Parent - Roberta
54/23/2018
My son has been attending Summit-Questa for four years now. It`s been incredible to watch him evolve, the teaching staff has been amazing at identifying his strengths and weaknesses and pushing him to excel where needed. Growing up my son was a bit clubsy and was never very confident with athletics. The Sports program has been a huge game changer for him. The ability for every student to participate with positive reinforcement has allowed him a new level of confidence in himself he never had before! He even practices his sports at home now, I`m so proud of him.
- Posted by Parent - Steven
53/10/2018
Summit-Questa has been an amazing school, I am thankful that my child has had the opportunity to be a part of. Aside from the amazing education the introduction of the sports department has allowed my daughter to participate in different team sports growing her self esteem, camaraderie and physical abilities. Go Sea Hawks!!!
- Posted by Parent - Heather
55/17/2016
My 2 sons attended Summit-Questa from 5th grade to 8th grade. They received a top quality education and went on to one of the best local private high schools were they both maintained 4.0 averages. One is now attending UF still maintaining "A" average and the other will attend FS.
One of the many things that helped them do this is that Summit's program taught them to be independent learners and thinkers. They were taught time-management skills and how to be in charge of their own learning. While the early childhood and lower elementary programs are outstanding, it is hard to find such a top quality upper and middle school Montessori program.
- Posted by Parent - krist
52/9/2014
I am quite pleased with the school and its staff. Our six yr old son has been there since vpk and is quite happy. Staff is very nurturing and warm.
- Posted by Parent - opale
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