Welcome to Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf.  My name is Julie Rutenberg and Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf is my "dream come true."   As a child who attended a Montessori school, and as an adult who is involved in the Deaf community, I believe that deaf and hard of hearing children can indeed benefit from the Montessori experience.

This web site has been created to introduce you to an 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/or deaf parents. 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. 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.

I would like to personally take this opportunity to invite you to contact Blossom to learn more about our school.  Located in Clearwater, 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).

Yours truly,

Julie Rutenberg

Director and Founder

NEW MARCH 2009 - Blossom is opening our doors 'a little wider' to hearing children without a connection to the Deaf community.  Blossom is unique in that our enrollment already includes many hearing children, as they have deaf parents or deaf siblings.

With this new outreach, students would learn and grow in an environment that would offer 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.