Summerside Montessori Children's Studio

Welcome to Summerside Montessori

Children's Studio!

Welcome to Summerside Montessori Children’s Studio, where we are dedicated to providing a high quality Montessori education in a nurturing, child-centred environment. Our goal is to foster independence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning by following the principles established by Dr. Maria Montessori. We believe that children learn best when they are given the freedom to explore, make choices, and engage with their environment in meaningful ways. Our classrooms are designed to encourage self-directed learning, where children can work at their own pace with materials that support their developmental needs.

Operating as a private licensed Early Childhood Centre - License - L4648 - and located in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, we provide full time (Monday to Friday) Montessori education and child care for children who are ages:

• Children ages 12 months – 4 years/school entry.
• We have 3 spaces for infants and 9 spaces for toddlers/preschool age children.

Summerside Montessori Children’s Studio, located in Summerside - Prince Edward Island, offers a carefully prepared Montessori environment where children are encouraged to explore, engage, and develop at their own pace. Our program is structured to provide a balanced approach to learning, incorporating both guided and independent activities that promote cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.

Virtual Tour of Our High Quality Program!

Our Leadership Team at Summerside Montessori Children's Studio

Background

Summerside Montessori Children's Studio is owned by Jane Boyd, a Child Care Consultant with extensive Montessori, child care, indigenous-led child care and ECE training experience in many areas of Canada. She is thrilled to be collaborating with Kimberly Ellsworth, an ECE with Montessori and inclusive/trauma informed child care experience in PEI and Alberta. Together, Jane and Kim have over 70 years experience operating award winning, high quality early learning spaces.

 

Kimberly Ellsworth - Co-Director & Montessori Lead Educator

Kimberly Ellsworth is a highly skilled and certified Early Childhood Educator (ECE) with over 35 years of experience in early learning and child development. She holds ECE certifications in both Alberta and Prince Edward Island, along with an International Montessori Teaching Diploma from the North American Montessori Centre (NAMC).

Known for her strong leadership, attention to detail, and warm ability to connect with children and families from diverse backgrounds, Kimberly brings a wealth of knowledge and professionalism to the Summerside Montessori team. Her career reflects deep dedication to creating inclusive, nurturing, and engaging environments where children can thrive.

Before joining Summerside Montessori Children’s Studio, Kimberly led programs and teams in Alberta and Prince Edward Island, including roles as Team Lead at the Care for Newcomer Childcare Centre in Edmonton, Toddler Room Supervisor at Global Aware Child Care, and Owner/Director of Global Montessori School in Summerside—where she built on the original Montessori program founded by Jane Boyd. Earlier in her career, she operated her own licensed home child care program and taught kindergarten in several PEI communities, helping lay strong educational foundations for hundreds of children.

Kimberly’s professional experience spans program administration, staff supervision, curriculum development, and hands-on Montessori practice. She is a passionate advocate for educator growth, inclusive learning, and excellence in early childhood education.

Education & Certifications

• Early Childhood Education Diploma – Nova Scotia Teacher’s College (1990)
• International Montessori Teaching Diploma – North American Montessori Centre (2008)
• Certified Early Childhood Educator – Alberta & Prince Edward Island

Jane Boyd - Founder & Co-Director & Montessori Program Developer

Jane Boyd is a highly respected leader in early childhood education, Montessori programming, and early learning program development with more than 25 years of experience in the field. She is the founder of Summerside Montessori Children’s Studio and the owner of 45 Conversations Media & Education Ltd., an organization dedicated to professional development, educator training, and the advancement of high-quality early learning programs across Canada.

Jane holds Early Childhood Education (ECE) certifications in Alberta and Prince Edward Island and has been certified in three other Canadian provinces. Over the course of her career, she has played a key role in designing, developing, and managing early learning and child care programs, Montessori environments, and workplace child care initiatives nationwide.

Recognized as a thought leader in child-centered education, Jane is deeply committed to fostering relationship-based, inclusive, and developmentally grounded environments that support every child’s natural growth and potential.

Her professional expertise includes:

• Montessori & Child-Centered Learning: Designing programs grounded in Montessori principles of independence, curiosity, and respect for the child.
• Inclusive Education & Neurodiversity Support: Creating environments that honour and adapt to the needs of neurodivergent children and those with exceptionalities.
• Workplace Child Care & Consulting: Leading award-winning workplace child care projects and consulting with organizations to support working families.
• Educator Training & Professional Development: Delivering customized learning experiences for educators, administrators, and Montessori professionals through 45 Conversations Media & Education.
• Policy & Systems Advocacy: Providing expertise to government and community partners on early learning policies, funding models, and quality standards.
• Indigenous Child Care Collaboration: Partnering with Métis Family Services and Homalco First Nation to design and develop culturally integrated child care facilities in British Columbia, including securing $9.5 million in federal and provincial funding for new early learning spaces.

Jane’s leadership is guided by a deep belief in “following the child.” Her approach emphasizes adapting environments to meet developmental needs, empowering educators, and ensuring that every child experiences belonging, purpose, and joy in learning.

Through her ongoing work at Summerside Montessori and beyond, Jane continues to inspire excellence in early learning, champion quality child care development, and advance Montessori education across Canada and internationally.

Our Values

1. Respect for the Child - We see every child as capable, curious, and full of potential. Our role is to follow the child—observing, guiding, and creating an environment that supports their natural development.

2. Independence & Confidence - We foster independence from the earliest age, giving children the time, tools, and trust they need to develop confidence, self-direction, and a lifelong love of learning.

3. Inclusion & Belonging - We celebrate diversity and create spaces where all children and families feel seen, valued, and respected. Our approach honours individual differences, neurodiversity, and cultural identity.

4. Mindfulness & Connection with Nature - Children learn best when they feel connected—to themselves, others, and the natural world. We cultivate calm, beauty, and mindfulness within our prepared environment and outdoor experiences.

5. Collaboration & Community - We value open, respectful communication and collaboration between educators and families. Our studio is a community built on trust, empathy, and shared purpose.

6. Educator Well-Being & Professional Growth - We believe that high-quality early learning begins with supported educators. Our team is encouraged to grow, reflect, and bring creativity and joy to their work each day.

7. Commitment to Quality & Continuous Improvement - We hold ourselves to the highest standards of care and education, integrating Montessori philosophy with current research and best practices in early childhood education.

8. Joyful Learning - Above all, we believe learning should be joyful. Every day offers opportunities for curiosity, discovery, and wonder.

At Summerside Montessori, we believe that children learn best when they are given the freedom to explore, make choices and engage with their environment in meaningful ways. Our classroom areas are designed to encourage self-directed learning, where children can work at their own pace with materials that support their developmental needs. We emphasize respect for each child's unique learning journey and provide guidance that nurtures both academic and social growth.

Our Program Includes

• Montessori Work Cycle: A two-to-three-hour uninterrupted period where children select activities that interest them and work independently or in small groups.
• Outdoor Play: At least 60 to 120 minutes of outdoor activity per day, allowing children to develop gross motor skills, engage in nature-based play, and socialize with peers.
• Open Snack & Lunch Times: Children participate in preparing the classroom for mealtimes and sometimes even contribute to meal preparation, fostering independence and responsibility.
• Rest & Quiet Time: A designated period for children who need to rest, while others engage in quiet activities such as reading or working with materials.
• Group Activities & Cultural Exploration: Storytelling, music, movement, art and cultural lessons that enrich the child’s understanding of the world around them.

Our Parent Handbook

You can learn more about our program by reviewing our Parent Handbook. It is comprehensive and outlines many aspects of our program as well as the various policies that apply to our program.

Applying To Join Our Program

There are two ways to apply to join our program:

1. Through The PEI Early Learning & Child Care Registry - Parents can create a profile on this site, search for our program profile and then indicate their interest in joining our program by clicking on the blue Apply To Centre button. As we have spaces available, we will contact parents from this list to schedule a time to tour our program and to further discuss enrollment.
2. Parents can contact us directly by sending an email to SummersideMontessori@gmail.com. Please indicate your child's birthdate, when you are seeking care for and which of our scheduling options you are interested in. As we have spaces available, we will contact parents from this list to schedule a time to tour our program and to further discuss enrollment.

If you are/have been given an Offer of Enrollment in our program you are required to complete our Child Enrollment Process. Please see this page for further information.

Creating Content Within Our Environment

At Summerside Montessori Children’s Studio, the classroom is more than a place for learning—it’s also a living laboratory for observation, reflection, and creativity. As part of our collaboration with 45 Conversations Media & Education Ltd., we thoughtfully document and create educational content that highlights authentic moments of learning, exploration, and connection.

Educators capture images, video clips, and written reflections that showcase how children engage with Montessori materials, nature, and one another. This documentation is used to:

• Deepen educator reflection and professional development.
• Share meaningful learning stories with families.
• Support educator training and the creation of professional development resources.
• Inspire broader conversations about early childhood education, inclusion, and child-centered practice.
• All content is created respectfully and ethically, with a focus on protecting children’s privacy and dignity. Families provide consent before any materials are shared beyond the program.

By weaving observation, creativity, and reflection together, our environment becomes both a place of learning for children and a place of learning for educators—where practice, research, and storytelling come alive.

Photos of Our Program