Why us?
Little Lantanas is a Primary Montessori school for children between the ages of three and six. We are centrally located in downtown Phoenix off the I-10 3rd Street exit at Grace Lutheran Church. (There is no religious affiliation with the church.) The Burton Barr library, Japanese Friendship Garden, museums, parks, and theaters are short walks away. Taking advantage of Phoenician culture is something we are passionate about sharing with our students. We believe children deserve to learn, contribute, and be a part of their community.
Being a boutique school, we believe in keeping things small. Our families receive a personalized experience with class sizes that have 40 percent fewer students than the typical Montessori classroom in Arizona. By maintaining an exclusive environment of 16 students, with a teacher to student ratio of 1:8, we ensure that all of our children receive one-on-one instruction from experienced teachers.
At Little Lantanas Montessori, we are committed to giving our community a personalized, high quality, AMI education that will set a strong foundation for life long learning.
Space for outdoor play and gardening
School outings to the puppet theater, library, and more!
Fiesta Bowl Play at Hance Park
Individual instruction
A space that fosters independence
Developmentally appropriate materials
Ms. Elledge
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Ms. Elledge is the owner and lead teacher at Little Lantanas Montessori. She has a B.A. in Elementary and Special Education from Northern Arizona University, an M.Ed. in Montessori Studies from Loyola University Maryland, and a Primary AMI diploma from the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies. For the past ten years, Ms. Elledge has taught in public Montessori classrooms and traditional classrooms throughout the Phoenix area.
Ms. Nielsen
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Ms. Nielsen is originally Turkish. She graduated from San Jose State University with a B.A. in Photography and Advertising. For the past eight years, she has assisted in Primary and Lower Elementary Montessori classrooms. Ms. Nielsen has a son, who is 20, and a sweet cat named Abby. Her hobbies include painting, drawing, swimming, walking, and cooking vegetarian dishes.
