About

History

Three generations of Montessori Advocates

Ilsa Reuvekamp and The Center for Children’s Cultural Development, Tanya Reuvekamp and Oakland Montessori Elementary School, and Natasha Lettis and Oakland Montessori School.

Where It All Began

Ilsa Reuvekamp and The Center for Children’s Cultural Development

In the 1970s, Ilsa Reuvekamp opened the Center for Children’s Cultural Development in a church basement on MacArthur Boulevard. Her daughter Tanya was a lead teacher in the Primary classroom.

Soon, CCCD outgrew the space and moved to a new location on Dimond Avenue. Tanya continued as a Primary teacher, and soon, Ilsa’s grandchildren including granddaughter Natasha began attending school with their mother.

Tanya Reuvekamp and Oakland Montessori Elementary School

In 1982, Ilsa’s granddaughter Natasha was ready for an elementary Montessori program but there weren’t any close to their home in Oakland. Tanya recognized the need for high-quality Montessori elementary school for Natasha and her peers and opened Oakland Montessori Elementary School on Fruitvale Avenue.

As time continued, OMES outgrew their space and Tanya bought a second property on Dimond Avenue, allowing OMES to have a secluded courtyard playground between two buildings.

In the mid-1990s, Ilsa retired and Tanya absorbed the primary classrooms of CCCD into a new school. To recognize this change, the school dropped the “elementary” part of the OMES name and became Oakland Montessori School.

Natasha Lettis and Oakland Montessori School

In 2006, Natasha came to OMS as a teacher in the Primary classroom. She completed formal Montessori training while learning in the classroom from her mother and has over the years slowly taken over running the school. Tanya retired from classroom teaching in 2006, as school director ten years later, and from administrative duties in 2025.