Welcome! Rooted in faith and tradition and inspired by new possibilities, we are Pathfinders, a Christian, Montessori adventure school. We explore, learn, and grow as a mixed age community of thinkers, learners, and doers. Our children are given hands-on learning experiences and the freedom and responsibility to make creative, self-directed choices about their learning. Our teachers guide and encourage by offering activities to match the children's development and interests.

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

We want to be a community of courageous learners characterized by sacrificial love, industriousness, and joy.

MONTESSORI LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

We work to support the development of children through real world experiences that naturally lead to wonder and discovery.

ADVENTURE

Our outdoor adventures are the foundational experiences for enjoying creation and understanding our responsibility in it.

CALENDAR

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Pathfinders is in session from late August to late June following a rhythm of 7 weeks of school followed by 2 weeks off.

SCHOOL TOURS AND FAMILY ORIENTATION

By appointment.

2020 SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS

Monday, August 24, 2020

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PATHFINDER

While every week looks a little different with new adventures and projects, our general daily routine is:

8:45 -12:00 Morning Work Time

12:00 - 1:30 Lunch and Recess

1:30 - 2:00 Handwork and Read Aloud

2:00 - 3:00 Afternoon Work Time and Classroom Chores

OUR STAFF

KENT BECKER

Co Director and AMI Trained Guide

JOIN US!

Pathfinders Christian Adventure School is currently geared for elementary students ages 6-12 years old. To be engaged participants in the community, students will benefit from having basic reading, writing, and math skills as well as experience with self-directed learning and work.

ENROLLMENT STEPS

1. Private family tour and orientation.
2. Student Preparedness Assessment

VACCINATION POLICY

Pathfinders requires vaccinations in accordance with the state of South Dakota standards and only makes allowances for medical exemptions.

TUITION POLICY

You might think of this as the "honor system" tuition policy. We promise to provide the best learning environment we can and we expect our foundation families to pay the tuition they are capable of paying: between $0 - $8,000.

We have chosen the honor system to help us build a foundation of families that, first and foremost, believe in what we are doing. Our tuition policy will eventually change yet our foundation families will remain on the honor system for all of their children.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

Our school is a mixed age learning environment and our admissions committee will work to admit students that maintain our balanced and diverse community.

Pathfinders, Inc. admits students of any race, color or national/ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally made available in the school or in the administration of education policies.

I was drawn to Pathfinders by the Montessori-inspired education model, and by the time spent adventuring in nature. Kent’s emphasis on teaching children to “work hard and love people” clinched the decision for me. The classroom and community experiences for my son have been everything we could have hoped for and more. What I did not expect was how God would use the experience to renew my motherhood.

We’ve had some unusually challenging parenting paths to walk, and it stole a lot of the enthusiasm, self-confidence, and high ideals that I went into parenthood with. God has uniquely used being a part of the Pathfinder community to refresh my spirit and set my heart aflame again with those ideals. Witnessing the classroom model in action has encouraged and inspired me to work to return to being my highest self as a woman and mother, and as the primary educator of my children; it has motivated me to endeavor to create the rich environment I desire to cultivate at home for them, and for us as a family. I’m so grateful to be a part of such an intentional community of thinkers, doers, and believers.