Welcome to Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf.  Our school was founded by Julie Rutenberg and is her "dream come true."   As a child who attended a Montessori school, and as an adult who is involved in the Deaf community, she believes that deaf and hard of hearing children can indeed benefit from the Montessori experience.

We invite you to visit our innovative and exciting academic environment for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, unlike other traditional deaf programs, Blossom also enrolls children who are hearing and have deaf siblings, and children with deaf parents. We have also opened our doors 'a little wider' to a limited number of hearing children without a connection to the Deaf community. With this new outreach, students learn and grow in an environment that offers them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand a culture much different from their own, and to learn American Sign Language, a language that transcends all geographic barriers. Blossom is different and Blossom makes a difference in the lives of children.

Our curriculum is based on the Montessori method.  Not familiar with Montessori? No problem!  Come into our classrooms and watch our teachers deliver a dynamic and fascinating lesson to their students. Our  Montessori curriculum can be summed up in two simple sentences:

• Montessori classrooms allow the child to explore subjects in a multi-dimensional and inviting manner.
• Lessons are visual, tactile, physical, and engaging.

A Montessori education encourages imagination from both teachers and students. It requires respect for the educational environment. It fosters expansion of an academic lesson and it allows for real-life applications of subjects learned in the classroom. It prepares students to become contributing members of society. It allows children to master concepts and follows each child's strengths and interests.  As you can see, a Montessori environment is truly beneficial in the life of a deaf or hard of hearing child, or a hearing child/sibling of a deaf family member.

We are the only school in Florida with this type of curriculum serving this unique population of students, and one of only two such school in the United States. Blossom has established itself as a front runner in the search for an effective and efficient way to teach children who are deaf or hard of hearing.  Our teachers clearly have a "whatever it takes" attitude when it comes to creativity. 

What else makes us so special?

Class size is small at Blossom (6 - 8 children per room) and communication is geared to the preference of each child, in spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). Each child is taught in a language that best fits his or her learning style. This translates directly into the creation of a child who is confident in their ability to communicate as well as in their ability to excel at whatever they choose to do in the future.

We invite you to contact Blossom to learn more about our school.  Located in Clearwater, Florida, in the heart of Pinellas County, we are currently accepting children ages 2.5 - 15.  We welcome visitors to experience firsthand the excitement that our children and staff experience every day. 

For more information or to schedule a visit please call (727) 539-7879 (voice and TTY).

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State of Florida Section 20 SB 1712 requires that all employees and agents of Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf report all actual or suspected cases of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the Dept. of Children & Families at 1-800-96-ABUSE.