~ Welcome ~

 

We hope you will find this site informative and enjoyable.

This new site will certainly help us to achieve greater contact and communication with our Kinder Haus families..

We want to reach out to prospective parents. We hope this site makes it easy and convenient for parents to research and make decisions.

We look forward to meeting prospective new parents personally. Kinder Haus has two locations; Metairie services the New Orleans area and Mandeville services the Northshore of New Orleans. Our programs are similar in both facilities, yet they are unique, reflecting the gifts and personalities of the staff. The level of commitment to the children is unsurpassed. We are extremely aware of the importance of the work we do. We recognize the opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives of children and their families.

It is our vision to create an environment where children, parents and teachers are supported in reaching their full potential.

Pat Lacoste, Founder and Director

In 1966, Pat Lacoste found her calling. She began her first work in early childhood programs in both the United States and Europe. She gained valuable experience in traditional preschools, Child Care centers, and eventually in Montessori environments. She obtained her Montessori diploma in 1976, at St. Nicholas in London.

The insight she gained by working in such diverse programs led her to fulfill her dream of creating a place where children are nurtured, stimulated and respected. Thus, Kinder Haus Montessori School was built in 1984.

Our Metairie school has been toured and used as a training site for hundreds of professional Montessori and traditional teachers over the years. A forerunner in its field, Kinder Haus was one of the first schools in the United States to provide full-time, year round care with in a Montessori “children’s house.” Again, ahead of its time, programs for children 12 months through 3 years were included as regular programs. We remain one of the few schools with Montessori programs that are designed to meet the needs of working parents.

Encouraged by parents transferring to the Northshore of Lake Pontchatrain, Pat opened a second campus in 1996. Kinder Haus Northshore has similar programs and is near the foot of the Causeway Bridge in Mandeville.

She is a graduate of Saint Nicholas of London where she studied and earned her Preprimary Montessori diploma. Eager to share her knowledge with other educators, Pat became a state certified trainer for Unlimited Potential Incorporated. Touring throughout Louisiana, she took part in training hundreds of Child Care workers and directors from licensed centers. She has also worked as a  licensed trainer for Associates in Human Development, a national company also specializing in educating early childhood professionals, directors and owners.

Other honors include representing the United States as a member of the People to People Delegation sent to China in 1991. Pat also was invited to represent the Louisiana Child Care Owners Association at the White House. Pat has served on the East Jefferson Hospital Advisory Board for women and child services and was the state Liaison for the National Association of Child Care Professionals for several years.

Pat has been an active participant in many professional organizations including the State and National Association of Education of Young Children, the American Montessori Society, American Montessori International, La. Child Care Council, La.Professional Association for Child Care, and the La. Association for Children Under Six and National Assoc. of Child Care Professionals.

Her passion for improving the quality of care for children has been an inspiration for many teachers. Her endless commitment to excellence continues to touch the lives of children, parents and teachers everyday.