North Star Montessori Academy

Discovery Central Forest School opened in downtown Marquette in September 2010. In 2023 we moved to our current home on Silver Creek Road, where a forest trail and play system wind through the surrounding acreage. Our approach is play-based, Reggio Emilia inspired and nature focused, and children spend as much time outdoors as possible in every season. Our preschool enrolls children from 30 months to 5 years old, and potty training is not required. We run three classes: Pine, a half-day class of 10 children with 2 teachers; Oak, a full-day class of 12 children with 2 teachers; and Maple, our full-day GSRP classroom for 20 four-year-olds with 3 teachers. Families choose two, three or five days a week, and early drop-off and late pick-up are available for full-time families. For children 5 and up, our Aspen Class is a homeschool-hybrid option that meets two days a week to study ecosystems, habitats and natural cycles outdoors. Each summer we also run outdoor programs for both age groups with gardening, art and forest exploration.