My name is Nicolas Lepine, and I have been involved with Montessori my whole life, from student to teacher. My educational background, Montessori experience, and athletic history have given me a unique insight into creating fun and engaging Montessori PE lessons.
Background
Attended Rogers Park Montessori (Chicago) for kindergarten
In grade school and high school, I played basketball, baseball, football, volleyball, track and field, soccer, swimming, taekwondo, fencing, and gymnastics
Competitive powerlifter for close to two decades
B.S. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign
Personal Trainer for four years with the Campus Recreation Department
Helped publish research on arterial stiffness and exercise
Led group strength and conditioning classes for elderly subjects for research on the effects of exercise on mental cognition and memory
M.A.Ed. and AMS certificate 6-12 from St. Catherine's University
Action research was on the effects of integrating PE with the classroom curriculum
Co-head teacher in a Montessori upper elementary classroom for seven years at Rogers Park Montessori (ten years total classroom experience)
Currently Athletic Director and PE instructor (eight years of experience)
Currently coaching basketball (seventeen years), volleyball, cross country, and track and field (all seven years), flag football (two years)
Published in Tomorrow’s Child Magazine
Presentation history:
2026 LMAIS (Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools) Day of Play presenting the Sustainability Game
2024 28th MF/IMC Montessori Conference presenting the Sustainability Game
2024 SCMA (South Carolina Montessori Alliance) Annual Conference, presenting the Sustainability Game
2023 Montessori Family Alliance Webinar
“Physical Wellness Part 3 - The Activities We Do
The annual AIMS conference (Association of Illinois Montessori Schools)
2026 - “Using Traditional and Indigenous Games to Explore Culture in Montessori Education.”
2024 - “The Sustainability Game.”
2023 - “Sportsmanship is Social Emotional Learning.”
2022 - “The Effects of Integrating the Scientific Method into Physical Education.”
2020 - “Big Projects mean Big Fun in the Montessori PE Classroom.”
2019 - “How to Integrate Physical Education with the Montessori Classroom.”
2017 - “Learning Through Movement: Integrating Physical Education with the Classroom Curriculum.”
2012 - “Sex Education in the Montessori Classroom.”
The annual WMA conference (Wisconsin Montessori Association)
2025 - Sustainability Game
2023 - “Sportsmanship is Social Emotional Learning.”
2022 - “The Effects of Integrating the Scientific Method into Physical Education” (Video Link to the 2022 Conference)
2021 - “Big Projects mean Big Fun in the Montessori PE Classroom.”
2018 - “How to Integrate Physical Education with the Montessori Classroom.”
2021 18th World Education Summit, Early Childhood Education panelist
2020 Guidepost Montessori Webinar
Elementary Learning with Physical Activity at Home is Possible; Here’s How
2019 Training Seminars Montessori Inštitut Ljubljana, Slovenia
