History

Our history begins in the Fall 1997 in the Village of Amityville, NY. After working in other Montessori schools, the director of the school, decided to open her own. Ditas and her late husband, Walter, decided to use the money they were saving for a trip to start the school. She found a storage room in a local synagogue and with the help of her husband and children turned it into a classroom. The school was originally named Maria Montessori Children’s Center and from there the school expanded and eventually found a new home in Merrick, NY and renamed South Shore Montessori School in 2003. The school which originally started with five students grew in enrollment and reputation.

Over the past twenty years, many changes have been made including new locations in Greenlawn and in Setauket.  Now the three locations (South Shore Montessori School, Star of the Sea Montessori School, and Little Bay Montessori School) have merged and now known as the Montessori School at Old Field. As always, Ditas has the support of her husband, Shawn, and her children, Caterina, Alessandra, and Joshua in this endeavour.

The Montessori School at Old Field is a not for profit educational corporation. It is registered with the New York Department of Education and is International Montessori Society (IMS) Recognized. This Montessori School provides programs for children ages 3 - 9+ years old. We also offer Italian as a foreign language, Suzuki violin, and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Montessori School at Old Field is located in the historic district of Setauket, NY.