About Us

Who We Are

Established in 2004, Little Fruit Farm Montessori Preschool acquired its name from the soil it was founded on.  In 1903, twenty ten acre parcels in South West Beaverton, Oregon once designated for fruit farming now incorporates the upscale Murray Hill, Sexton and Cooper Mountain neighborhoods.  Little Fruit Farm Montessori resides on a quiet residential street within a three and half mile radius of major corporations including Nike, Intel and Tektronix.

Tucked away on the rolling hills of South West Melinda Street, two blocks from South West Brentwood Park, Ms. Lauren Mathewson, owner and founding educator has created a beautiful place for young children to thrive.  A warm, open, light and bright home with surrounding lawn and gardens welcomes children each morning.  Over twelve hundred square feet of indoor space including a five hundred square foot Montessori classroom is utilized for educational purposes as well as a spacious and protective outdoor environment.  The Children’s Garden, easily accessible through two sets of French doors offers two covered play areas, a covered sand box and an open area giving ample room for running, jumping and playing soccer.  The garden is surrounded by raised beds filled with flowers, vegetables, strawberries, lush grape vines, espaliered apple trees and a composting worm bin.  Available to the children for a “real urban farm experience” are several wild animals to feed, gardening tools for digging, wheelbarrows for pushing, watering cans for lifting, fruit crates for carrying and a red wooden wagon for pulling.

Our Teacher

Ms. Lauren Mathewson has over thirty years’ experience managing activities to enrich, nurture and educate young children.  She has been the lead A.M.I. Teacher/Business Administrator for Little Fruit Farm Montessori Preschool from the start.  Incorporated into Practical Life are many activities she experienced growing up on a farm including baking biscuits, churning butter, making jam and tending to the gardens.  Dedicated to her AMI training by following the child, providing lots of enriching hands on activities in Practical Life, Sensorial, Language Extensions and Expression has proven to give the best results for students’ later academic excellence in elementary.  Keeping in touch with most of her former students, she finds them excelling in reading, math, science, art, music and sports.  Lauren’s ability in meeting children where they are individually, building trusting relationships and fostering a love for learning by offering challenges when ready, ensures students at Little Fruit Farm Montessori a place to enjoy childhood, to have fun and to be happy.

Our Staff

Parent volunteers, paid assistants and consultants work together providing extra hands and support with daily operational tasks and routines in the classroom or with business administration.  We are underway incorporating a new and exciting parent volunteer program by using our collective time, talents and skills to expand into more specific areas for enrichment including teaching foreign languages, special science projects and field trips as well as learning world cultures through cooking and art.  The many hearts and hands of our diverse group of parent volunteers strengthen our roots bringing us closer together to do this very important work.