About Us
Who We Are
Heather Keizur,
Founder / Teacher
The teacher, Heather Keizur, has devoted 36 years to working with children in the Montessori classroom. She received her Montessori Teacher’s Diploma in 1987 and holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in French from Portland State University. The assistant, is a devoted mom of 3 who loves working with children in the Montessori environment.
In 1984, Heather was a teacher’s aide at The Cupertino Montessori School. While studying at The Montessori Educational Institute she was hired as an assistant teacher at Santa Cruz Montessori. After graduating with her Montessori Teacher’s Diploma in 1987, Heather spent 7 years teaching at West Hills Montessori in Portland, Oregon. In 1994, she founded The Happy Children’s Montessori in her home. Five years later the school moved to its current location inside the Hillsboro Presbyterian Church.
Heather holds a Bachelor of Arts in French from Portland State University and shares her love of the French language with her students. Heather is also an accomplished jazz vocalist and includes music as an integral part of the children’s lives at HCM.
“I know of no greater satisfaction than helping children become their best selves and develop a confidence in learning that will last a lifetime.” Heather Keizur
Tami LeClair
Assistant
Tami’s love of the Montessori method began when two of her three children attended The Happy Children’s Montessori. After extensive volunteer work in her children’s schools, Tami began working as the substitute classroom assistant at HCM and in 2018 she became the classroom assistant. Her loving ways, gentle demeanor and enjoyment of helping children learn make her the excellent and beloved classroom assistant that she is today. Tami holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from OSU.
What We Do
At The Happy Children’s Montessori our goal is to provide a program which helps each child grow academically, socially and spiritually. Montessori is a hands-on, individualized program in which children are encouraged to learn at their own pace in the areas which interest them most. In doing so, each child soars in his or her learning journey.
The areas of the classroom include art expression, practical life (i.e., handwashing, pouring, polishing, sewing, dressing frames, hammering and more), sensorial (materials that help them to differentiate between different dimensions, colors, sounds, smells and touch), math, language, science, geography, botany, zoology, history, French and music (our song selections are from standard children’s songs, Bible songs for children and French songs).
Self-directedness, concentration and focusing skills, a strong sense of responsibility, respect for oneself, one’s environment and the people in one’s environment and an ability to make choices are all important life skills that children learn and keep with them for the rest of their lives.
Our program encourages children to use respectful conflict resolution skills with one another. We use grace and courtesy lessons to teach manners, proper handling of materials, respect of one’s classmate’s work and workspace and respect of the environment. We always stress the importance of treating each other and the materials in the classroom with respect and kindness.
The Happy Children’s Montessori is a Christian based school in which Christian values are taught. Each child learns that he or she has been beautifully and wonderfully made and is loved deeply by God. Monthly, we explore a new theme, including how to be a good friend, joy, love, giving, honesty, forgiveness and gratitude. The children are presented with Bible verses which correspond with the theme of the month and helped to apply these principles to their daily lives.
After graduating from our three year program, children leave with advanced academic skills, beautiful social graces and a strong sense of self confidence. Further, each child knows the joy of learning and is ready to excel at whatever school he or she attends in the future.