In 1998, a group of parents and community members organized and wrote a contract, or charter, that would enable children in the Upper Keys the ability to attend a public elementary Montessori school. It would be free from tuition and transportation constraints, increase available resources and enable the school to offer a full service of subjects in addition to the traditional ones, offer competitive pay and benefits to acquire quality staff and secure facilities that meet the needs of the program.
Since then, the original goals of the group have been met and new ones have been set. TVM has grown from an original enrollment of 60 and a teaching staff of 4 to its current enrollment of over 190 students and a staff of 30. The school started as a kindergarten to third grade program and has grown to include VPK to 8th grade.
Through its evolution, TVM has been under the direction of Kelly Astin. Ms. Astin, along with the help and support of the staff, the board, the parents, students and the community have built a competitive program that specializes in the Montessori approach to learning, while successfully integrating Florida’s Sunshine State Standards. As a result the school has become a well established, accredited, A charter Montessori program in the Upper Keys, celebrating 10 years of success.
Our Mission
Treasure Village Montessori nurtures a love and curiosity for learning while developing students’ abilities to be successful, contributing members of society.
Our Motto
High Standards, Higher Expectations
Treasure Village Montessori sets high standards for our students by providing the setting, guidance, instruction and resources to meet and exceed all standards. Likewise, the bar is set high for the staff, with expectations on training and development exceeding those set by regular standards. Treasure Village Montessori believes that having high standards and higher expectations leads to academic excellence and achievement, and solid success later in life.
Our Facility
Treasure Village Montessori is located in the beautiful Village of Islamorada in the Upper Florida Keys at MM86.7. The school is housed in a building once known as Art McKee’s Museum of Sunken Treasure, hence the name of the school, Treasure Village Montessori. Built in 1950, the building originally housed millions of dollars of salvaged treasure discovered by the late Art McKee. All of the treasures once housed in this facility were found in surrounding waters from various Spanish Galleon wrecks including The Capitana El Rui, circa 1733 and 9 other wrecks from the same fleet, lost to a hurricane. The facility resembles that of a fortress and rests on 2.5 acres of land. It features a naturally occurring estuary and from the 40-foot tower or Keep, both ocean and bay views can be seen.
The fortress-like exterior of TVM opens to a unique and inviting interior campus. The school is centered around a large courtyard/playground, surrounded by covered walkways and classrooms. Upon entering the building known as Horton Hall, the computer room and library are the first areas encountered as well as the administrative offices and conference room. Horton Hall serves as the gateway to the campus and offers a feeling of old world ambiance combined with the new world technology. Combining the two, new world and old world is common place at TVM. Each offers avenues for learning and exploring which are fundamental elements of Montessori education and Florida’s Sunshine State Standards.
Leaving Horton Hall, visitors enter the catwalk, which extends around the entire interior of the building. After passing the well-known middle school “Wreck” or game room, visitors will encounter the courtyard playground, one of two on property. There are slides, monkey bars, sitting benches, palm trees, and other structures that offer students many social and physical opportunities. Here, TVM students play and learn to interact with one another.
Lining the catwalks are the classrooms. Each set of French doors open to a world of discovery. The classrooms are harmonious and colorful. Everything in the room has a purpose, and everything is appropriately sized to the students. The concentric rings of the courtyard, catwalk and classrooms enclose a perfect setting for learning. In addition to the main campus, the school has recently added a cultural center and preschool classroom in the neighboring plaza. Both additional rooms compliment the current program by enabling the expansion of programs such as music and art, preschool and other community projects that make TVM well rounded and successful.
