Atrium Information

Atrium Directresses

Mary Jo Klein earned her diploma in Primary Montessori Education at Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center in Evanston, Il. She received accreditation in Godly Play training through The Center for the Theology of Childhood and is working toward accreditation in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She has been active in her Catholic church community through work on Liturgy and Christian Formation committees, as well as Parish Council. Mrs. Klein has worked at Milwaukee Montessori School for ten years and is in her fifth year as a Montessori Directress. She has one son, Francis, who graduated from MMS in 2008 and is currently attending Pius XI High School. Her second son, John, is currently in the 6th grade here at MMS.

Lynn Nannicola received her training for the Level I Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Michael’s church in Canfield, Ohio in 2004 and worked in the atrium at St. Michael’s prior to moving to Milwaukee. She has assisted at the Atrium at St. Catherine’s Parish in Milwaukee and at MMS in 2007. She is active in her parish community. Lynn and her husband Charles have 3 children at MMS. 

Questions & Answers

How will this program benefit my child?
Maria Montessori strongly believed in fostering each child’s spiritual development. Drawing upon Holy Scripture, the Church liturgy, and Montessori methods of education, the directress will present lessons which engage the children in reflection, and guide their response using the materials, while nurturing the child’s natural sense of wonder and love for God.

My family is not Christian. Is this program right for my child?
The Atrium is a Christian-based program and children from any faith interested in learning more about the outlined curricula are warmly welcomed.

How does this program differ from traditional religious education?
Our program, based in the Montessori educational method, caters to the individual child in a child-friendly environment. The work they choose following presentations will help them learn the language of the spiritual materials, the history of the people in the stories of the Bible, and how these things are relevant in their lives. Each Atrium session also allows children time for responding to God’s Word as well as joining others in prayer. The program is a perfect compliment for preparation for First Reconciliation or Communion. It helps children recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in daily life as well as in the sacraments, and provides a solid foundation for faith formation.

Quiz Yourself

1. Who held theinfant Jesus in his arms at the Presentation in the Temple?
2. What seasons of the church year are represented by the color purple?
3. What words did the angel say to Mary at the Annunciation and to the shepherds in the field?
4. What is the name of the cloth placed on the altar under the chalice and paten?
5. What is the unifying theme present in the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price and the Parable of the Hidden Treasure?

“I would have a separate room dedicated to the supernatural. Everything in this room would have a bearing on the spiritual life, and the general effect would be that here the soul of the child and all his activities would be centered in the life and personality of our Lord. -“Maria Montessori, The Child in the Church