Today, we’d like to introduce you to Sonali Patil PhD.
Hi Sonali, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Sonali Patil, and I am an owner and co-founder of The Foundations Montessori The Foundations Montessori was a dream we envisioned for many years. Our inaugural day of November 1, 2016, was a culmination of a lot of research, groundwork, training, and perseverance.
I have lived in Houston for over 27 years and graduated from the University of Houston with a Doctoral degree in Developmental and Molecular Biology. My primary field of research was molecular pathways in early brain development. I worked for 12 years in the medical research field, studying an experimental medicine for brain tumors. I am passionate about teaching and have experience teaching at the University of Houston, Houston Community College, and Wharton County Junior College. I am a certified Hatha Yoga Instructor and have worked with groups of adults and children for over 15 years.
I am certified to be a Director by Texas Childcare licensing and hold Early Childhood Teacher credentials with the American Montessori Society. This AMS certification gave me insights into the philosophy and method of Dr. Maria Montessori. Her writings and teachings have inspired us to achieve and maintain a high educational quality, which is our focus at TFM.
My own children attended a Montessori school, and I have seen them flourish as young adults.
Some of the happiest moments in the past few years have been among the children and our team. I enjoy encouraging young budding scientists, answering their numerous “how,” “why,” and “when” questions. I also love teaching yoga to little ones at our school.
Teaching science lessons such as the butterfly life cycle, planting our vegetable garden at school, and many opportunities to be a part of the classroom experience are what motivate me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting a business is never a smooth road. We had just come to a stage of getting past being a new startup and coming close to an enrollment of full capacity when the pandemic brought things to a total shutdown. As with all businesses childcare facilities also shut down but after three months, we were declared essential workers and were given permission to open for limited enrollment only.
We are very grateful for the funding and support to small businesses during this time, without which our school would not have made it thus far.
It has taken time to gradually build the business back, and we may never be at the capacity we were pre-Pandemic, but we have to keep moving along.
Our team and the young children we see each day at school are our motivation.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about The Foundations Montessori?
Established in November 2016, we are an American Montessori Society (AMS) recognized school on the pathway to accreditation. We follow the guidelines of the AMS to establish our curriculum, programs, teacher training, and policies.
Inspired by the philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, we strive to create strong foundations for life for each child in our care.
Our goal is to help nurture children to be compassionate, independent, caring individuals who will be our future citizens and leaders. We believe that with an enriched environment and personalized education, each child can be lovingly encouraged to achieve and grow to their fullest potential.
What sets us apart is the dedication, compassion, and creativity of our team that is seen each day. We are not a franchise and being privately owned and operated we can mould our methods and curriculum to suit the needs of the community of parents around us.
We pride ourselves in being an authentic Montessori school and childcare facility and enrolling children from ages 3 months -12 years. Our students who complete Kindergarten with us, excel in First Grade at any public school they move to.
What matters most to you?
Being an owner of an educational and childcare facility, I take business very seriously. Our team has the golden opportunity of guiding the future citizens of the world.
What matters most is the well-being and safety of the children in our care. We know that our clients trust us to take care of their most precious things.
The well-being of our team is also important as they are the backbone of the school, and making sure the team is motivated at all times to do their best is very important to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thefoundationsmontessori.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoundationsmont?igsh=ZGljbHRtdTcxdWpn&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foundationsmontessori
