Montessori Children’s House of Lemon Grove Summer Camp

Montessori Children’s House of Lemon Grove Summer Camp offers Practical Life activities that include self-care, environmental care, grace and courtesy exercises, and refinement of physical movement and coordination. Children work with Sensorial materials that let them order, classify, and describe sensory impressions such as length, width, temperature, mass, and color. The camp also includes Montessori math materials that use concrete manipulatives for number, symbol, sequence, operations, and memorization of basic facts, along with language work that covers oral language development, pre-reading, reading, writing, and children’s literature.

• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Morning arrival between 8:00–8:30 and afternoon dismissal between 2:30–2:45, Monday–Thursday, with Summer Camp running for six weeks starting at the beginning of July
• Price: Afterschool care is billed at $3 per 15 minutes; School Year tuition ranges from $6,370 to $9,180 yearly depending on the number of days enrolled; Summer Camp tuition is $275 per week or $55 daily

Since 2003, Montessori Children’s House of Lemon Grove has provided Montessori education for children aged 2 to 5 years old. The school uses the Montessori methodology and philosophy with fidelity in a dynamic, child-led classroom that includes mixed-age groups and a three-hour work period. The primary stated goal of the Montessori program is to help children reach their full potential in all areas of life, with activities that address social skills, emotional growth, physical coordination, and mental preparation.

The program is led by owner and director Ms. Denise (Mary Denise Duppée) and teacher Ms. Sophia. Ms. Denise received her Montessori Early Childhood Education Certificate through a MACTE-accredited center in 1994, completed Montessori Philosophy and Methods of Child Development through the UCSD Extended Studies Program, and holds a degree in Photography from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She has worked in Montessori preschools in San Diego and El Cajon for over a decade before opening Montessori Children’s House of Lemon Grove, became a Certified Barton Reading and Spelling Tutor in 2014, and is a Dyslexia Screener and Consultant. She is a member of the American Montessori Society (AMS), the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). Ms. Sophia has a BA in Child Development from Point Loma Nazarene University, received her Montessori Early Childhood Education Certificate through a MACTE-accredited center in 2025, and is a member of the American Montessori Society (AMS).

Montessori Children’s House of Lemon Grove holds a Large Family Child Care License under the California Department of Social Services, license #376614702, with attendance limited to 12 students per day and a 1:6 student-to-teacher ratio. The license allows enrollment of children who are not yet using the toilet and still require diapers or pull-ups, and the school assists with transitioning to bathroom independence when children are ready. Teachers and assistants have current EMSA-approved and OSHA-compliant CPR-AED and First Aid certifications for adults, children, and infants, renewed every two years with the full 8-hour accreditation. Teachers, assistants, and all household members have Department of Justice Fingerprint Clearance, have completed Mandated Reporter training under Health and Safety Code 1596.8662, and have documentation of immunization against pertussis, measles, and influenza as required by Employee and Volunteer Immunization Code 1597.622. Open Enrollment begins in April for the upcoming School Year, and a school visit is required to be added to the waitlist.

Last updated July 17, 2026.