St. Mary’s Montessori was founded on the 1st of June 1984 at “Samrock” Nagoda, Kandana, with a classroom fully equipped with Montessori equipments. It had initially seven students. Miss. Anotinette Samaranayake was the founder principal who is a fully AMI qualified teacher. The motto of the institution is “Help children to make themselves independent”. Over a short period it had a meteoric increasing in number of students.

With the increase of students and the need to add more facilities the Montessori was shifted to a more spacious locality. Up to now in the present location a three storied building, houses the classroom complex as well as office and other rooms for aesthetic activities. At present the new building accommodates 14 classrooms, with washroom facilities, assembly hall and a music room.

In 2008 the institution recruited Miss. Thakshila Jayatilake (daughter of the principal) as the vice-principal who is academically qualified and with her services the institution rose to higher standards both in teaching as well as in administration.

St. Mary’s Montessori facilitates the children to grow up with vivid ideas in a multi-cultural ethnic and religious environment.

“A child chooses one of the materials rather than another, but he could not tell us why. Nevertheless this choice is significant. It is a form of self-expression, by means of which we can follow his development; for he expresses his needs better by choice than by words. It is not by chance or by a mere whim that he chooses this occupation today rather than that.”
                                                                                                                                                                   Dr. Maria Montessori

Core competencies encouraged at the institution:
• Continuous education
• Evaluation
• Initiative
• Interpersonal relations
• Leadership
• Oral communication
• Thoroughness
• Writing skills

We are St. Mary’s Montessori kids
Who like so much to sing and dance;
We are like the flowers about to bloom,
We delight everyone when we prance.

The Montessori is like our loving Mother,
It looks after us with every loving care; //
When we grow up in wisdom and age,
We’ll remember our Montessori in prayer.

A literate Society we’ll endeavor to build,
Aided by Teachers, around whom we gather; //
May our Montessori be among the galaxy of Stars,
With the Grace of Mary our Loving Mother.

Lyrics by: Mr. Russel Fernando
Melody and Music Directed by: Mr. Ajith Silva