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Our History

Sunny Hollow Montessori was founded in 1981 by Mary Sue Dobbin, a Montessori teacher and early childhood advocate. The school’s name comes from Mary Sue’s childhood experience in her own backyard. As a blind child, she loved to spend time in a special spot where she would feel the sun on her face. It made her feel safe and nurtured.

Mary Sue called that backyard her “sunny hollow.” She named her school for the same feelings of security and welcome she wanted for her students. 

Sunny Hollow Montessori is celebrating more than 40 years of serving children in the Twin Cities area.

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Our Location 

Located along the mighty Mississippi River in the City of Saint Paul, Sunny Hollow is a Minnesota Montessori school where.

where students can raise their outdoor voices and learn there are some things textbooks can’t teach. And sometimes great minds actually think unalike.

Our students enjoy a short walk to scenic Minnehaha Falls, Hidden Falls and Shadow Falls where they have easy access for river and waterways curriculum. Along the way, they explore fossils, Minnesota geology, biology and botany.

As a school for every kind of one-of-a-kind, we blend academics and self-discovery, curiosity and purpose, nature and community to shape a better tomorrow, kid by kid, just as Mary Sue envisioned.

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Our School

Sunny Hollow offers authentic Montessori education for children ages 16 months through Junior High.

This consistent, connected experience—from toddlerhood to teenager—creates a sense of trust, belonging, and courage. Our students feel safe to try, explore, and grow.

Our classrooms follow the international, high-quality standards of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). They are designed to foster students’ natural curiosity, their desire to “do it myself,” and their independence.

Sunny Hollow parents appreciate that our classrooms are no- or low-tech. Our materials are real wood and real glass and really delightful.

Come see for yourself…

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Mission

Be the school we need in the world.

Vision

Become a force for Montessori education, one where a brighter future isn’t just inspiring. It’s inevitable.

Values

We believe whatever you like to do, do that. And do it with purpose.

We believe whatever you like to do, do that. And do it with purpose.

We champion progress in ways big and small, for one and all.

We work to ignite and unite community.

We prioritize doing the right thing over the convenient or conventional thing.

We recognize play as important research.

We guide freedom with responsibility, exploration with competency.

We cross-examine the status quo.

We think humankind should be both human and kind.

We inspire every student to be exactly who they are—with courage, conviction and completely without requisite.

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Equity & Inclusion

As a school community, we commit to:
  • Integrate anti-bias, anti-racist education at all levels of our school.
  • Become aware of how implicit bias is pervasive in our own lives, our school, and our society.
  • Respect the contributions and protect the rights of all people no matter their identities (race, gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, ability, and sexual orientation).
  • Work to notice, appreciate, and honor differences in our children, families, and staff.
  • Apply a lens of equity and inclusion to strengthen all programs, policies, and practices.
Explore Programs
Sunny Hollow offers the only authentic Montessori in the Twin Cities for children ages 16 months through 8th grade. This consistent, connected experience—from toddlerhood to teenager—creates a sense of trust, belonging, and courage. In a community where students are deeply known, they feel safe to try, explore, and grow.

All children love to learn. At Sunny Hollow, that love is protected and strengthened through hands-on exploration and purposeful work. Our classrooms are intentionally designed to foster curiosity, independence, and the confidence to say, “I can do it myself.”

Yes—and proudly so. In Sunny Hollow classrooms, children learn by doing, not by swiping. They explore with real materials, real tools, and real curiosity. Technology enters the classroom in Upper Elementary and Junior High, where students use computers as tools for research and communication, not distraction.
Montessori rigor looks different—but it runs deep. Our curriculum is designed to meet and exceed state standards by cultivating conceptual understanding, not just memorization. Instead of relying on high-stakes tests or homework to spot gaps, we use continual observation, detailed record keeping, and individualized lesson plans. We nurture curiosity, mastery, and confidence—so students stay on track academically and grow far beyond it.
Our small size is one of our greatest strengths. In a close-knit community where everyone is known, students don’t just find their group—they find themselves. They learn to collaborate across ages and differences, building empathy, adaptability, and confidence that larger schools can’t always nurture.

Absolutely. Sunny Hollow provides a stable, connected journey from early childhood through adolescence. Because the environment feels safe and known, children can focus on discovery instead of constant adjustment. The result? Students who meet new challenges with confidence and curiosity.