Gretna, Location of Nation’s Only Montessori Secondary School in Health Care Setting

The Roberts Academy (therobertsacademy.org), Nebraska’s only secondary Montessori school (grades 7–12), will re-open for the Fall 2019 school year in an environment unlike any other Montessori school in the nation. After reaching a lease agreement with Hillcrest Health Services (www.hillcresthealth.com), the school is moving from their midtown Omaha space to the campus of Silver Ridge Assisted Living in Gretna. This will be the first Montessori secondary school in the country based in a health care setting. The school is co-founded by Alice Roberts who serves as Lead Montessori Instructor.

Eight years ago, Hillcrest entered into a partnership with The Roberts Academy to host students at Hillcrest’s Mable Rose assisted living campus, and their collaboration has been essential to the consistent use of purpose-driven activities to engage with residents.

With The Roberts Academy lease expiring, board member Dr. Anna Fisher, who also serves as Hillcrest’s director of education, recognized an opportunity to move the school to Silver Ridge. The school started moving into Silver Ridge in June. Classes will begin this fall in the new space. Despite the long-standing collaboration and the new lease agreement with Hillcrest, The Roberts Academy remains an independent, not-for-profit entity and has no financial ties to the health system. Learn more online at therobertsacademy.org.

Hillcrest Health Services offers the region’s largest continuum of health services for aging adults, including independent and assisted living, in-patient and outpatient rehabilitation, long-term care, memory support, adult day services, certified skilled home health and in-home personal care, telehealth services, and hospice care. For more information, visit www.hillcresthealth.com.