Thrilled to announce Denise Ostrowski will be Founding Spark Studio Guide (ages 5-7) at The Forest School
We are thrilled to share that Denise Ostrowski will be our Founding Spark Studio Guide at The Forest School next year!
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Denise has been a professional Montessori guide in the Atlanta area for 14 years. She began her journey as an assistant (student teaching) in 2005. Denise took on a lead role in 2013 and received her first Montessori certification from NAMC. She continued on her journey to receive a second Certification from MTEI of Atlanta in 2016.
“When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength.” – Maria Montessori
Over the past two decades working with young children, Denise observed the need for children to spend more time learning outdoors in order to best take care of themselves, each other and the Earth. This led her down an exploratory path of Waldorf and Tinkergarten methodologies given their renown for embracing nature as an optimal environment for childhood growth. She began studying the Acton model in 2018 and since then has incorporated it into her teachings.
As a true pioneer in education, Denise believes in always learning something new and growing from experiences. This philosophy applies not only to her own life but to the children she supports as well. She pays attention to every aspect of children’s development in order to help them grow into the full expression of themselves. “My goal is to get children ready to learn (communication, focus, social and sensory development), ready to thrive (empathy, resilience and wellness), and ready for anything (problem solving, persistence, collaboration, stewardship and creativity). I trust in the process.”-Denise Ostrowski
In this way, Denise confidently yet humbly dedicates herself to education as both a teacher and a student because, as Waldorf School founder Rudolph Steiner once said, “Even the wisest can learn incalculably much from children.”
Denise emerged as the leading candidate for the Spark Studio Guide role after a national search. To date, we've received over 200 applications for Guide roles from a high quality, diverse pool of candidates. Throughout the interview process, we came to see that Denise is a kind, compassionate, energetic learner, mentor, and leader who loves young people and who values forward-thinking education and youth development. In addition, her experience working in Montessori environments positions her to help The Forest School Spark Studio create hands-on learning experiences, build a culture of self-directed learning, and make our youngest learners feel inspired each day.