History

Our school’s Dominican foundresses, Sister Edna Ann Hebert and Sister Shirley Owens, envisioned the rich potential of combining Montessori and Catholic principles, and their generous legacy continues to inspire our community. St. Catherine’s Montessori is the third-oldest Montessori school in Houston and the first Montessori school in the area to include basic religious doctrine in its curriculum.

Sister Edna Ann opened the school as Dominican Montessori in 1966. Originally in the former St. Agnes Academy building, she and 43 Primary students were joined by Sister Shirley the following year. Both sisters held AMI diplomas and taught for many years, much to the delight of generations of students. Sister Shirley passed away in June 2012. Sister Edna Ann passed away in July 2021.

St. Catherine's has moved and evolved many times since its founding. In 1974, the school moved to Holy Rosary Parish, where Primary classes were located, followed by expansion to another building at Bering Memorial Methodist Church, where Elementary classes were held. In July 1982, Dominican Montessori was renamed St. Catherine’s Montessori after St. Catherine of Siena, a Doctor of the Church and follower of St. Dominic, acclaimed for her preaching in the fourteenth century. In March 1983, the school moved to the Westridge “castle” campus and finally to the current Timberside campus in July 2006.

 

Expansion of our current campus was completed in August 2018, with the addition of two Upper Elementary classrooms and renovation of the Sister Edna Ann Hebert Library.

In February 2019, St. Catherine’s was gifted three acres of land in Houston’s Greater East End District to expand the Adolescent Community's environmental education activities at Japhet Creek.

We opened our high school in August 2017 and graduated our inaugural senior class in 2020.

St. Catherine’s Montessori is a vibrant community of approximately 250 students from diverse backgrounds. Sustained by the support and work of dedicated guides, staff, parents and friends, our school continues to awaken students to their inner wisdom and to prepare them for service in the world.