Orange Babies Montessori Pre-School was established in 2009 on the grounds of New Jerusalem Children’s Home in President Park, Midrand, Gauteng Province, South Africa (the school was officially opened on the 7th of February 2009). Construction and equipment of the school were funded by Orange Babies from the Netherlands, by money raised by our International Ambassador from Italy, Rita Ianuzzi and by donations in cash or kind from a number of local businesses and individuals.The current buildings are designed to accommodate 120 children, both from New Jerusalem Children’s Home and from the surrounding communities.Orange Babies Montessori Pre-School was registered as a NPO (Non-Profit Organization) in 2010.
Quick Facts
Who we are?
Orange Babies Montessori Pre-School is offering a learning/development program based on the teaching principles of Dr. Maria Montessori to children of New Jerusalem Children’s Home in Midrand, South Africa (http://newjerusalemchildrenshome.org) and children from surrounding communities.
The school is managed by our Principal Mr. Marius van Dorp, who has come from the Netherlands with a total of 20 years of teaching experience, both in traditional and Montessori schools. His knowledge and experience add a lot of value to our school. He was trained in Amsterdam and also by Dr. Elisabeth Caspari, a co-worker of Dr. Maria Montessori, in the USA and gave several workshops on the Montessori way of learning around the world. Mr van Dorp is assisted by 4 teachers, 4 teaching assistants, an administrator, two cleaners and a gardener. The breakfast, morning snack, and lunches for the children are prepared in the Children’s Home.

All the teachers are qualified to teach according the principles of Dr. Maria Montessori. At Orange Babies Montessori Pre-School we believe that children from different social backgrounds deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential and we are firmly committed to the Montessori approach as the best method of helping each child to excel and build the foundations for a lifetime. The Montessori philosophy respects the unique individuality of each child and helps to understand the true nature of a child. Dr. Montessori believed in the worthiness, value and importance of children. Her method does not compare a child to norms or standards that are measured by traditional educational systems. It is founded on the belief that children should be free to develop from within, reaching for their highest potentials.
