Tom Zengeler Named President of Board of Directors For MSLF
September 10, 2014

tomzengelerBy John Coxon
Original Article can be found at Dailyherald.com

Tom Zengeler, President of Zengeler Cleaners, was reelected President of the Board of Directors for Montessori School of Lake Forest (MSLF). Zengeler has been a long-time supporter of the school and has served as a Director for several years. This will be his second term as President for the all-volunteer Board. Zengeler Cleaners is the Midwest’s largest and oldest cleaner, having served the northern Illinois area since 1857.

Zengeler recently welcomed the school’s parents to the 2014 – 2015 school year during MSLF’s annual Parents’ Night. He outlined exciting new activities for the year, including the announcement that the school’s very first mascot will be unveiled during its upcoming spirit week. Zengeler also introduced the school’s theme for the coming year, “The Driving Force,” detailing how faculty, staff and parents working together can become the driving force in the lives of their children.

In his remarks, Zengeler also challenged parents to become as involved as possible in the education of their children. Said Zengeler, “MSLF is fortunate to have so many parents who are driving forces – parents who volunteer their time and who fill so many important roles for the school. When you combine outstanding teachers and professional staff with parents who are actively involved in the education process, the results are simply amazing! And yes –every parent can be involved at our school, from working on committees and special events to serving on our volunteer Board of Directors.”

Montessori School of Lake Forest has provided excellence in education for 49 years. For more information about MSLF, visit www.mslf.org. A picture of Tom Zengeler is attached below. For more information about Zengeler Cleaners, please contact Tom Zengeler at (847) 272-6550 or visit www.zengelercleaners.com. Zengeler Cleaners has eight locations, including Deerfield, Hubbard Woods, Northfield, Winnetka, Long Grove, two Libertyville stores and its headquarters store in Northbrook. Zengeler Cleaners … America’s First Family of Dry Cleaning™.

By Teresa Pavelich June 2, 2025
At MSLF, overnight trips become an important part of Montessori learning beginning in Lower Elementary. Each trip is carefully planned to meet the developmental needs of students in the second and third plane of development , with each overnight trip getting progressively longer to ease children into these independent journeys away from their families. These aren't just trips - they're carefully crafted opportunities for students to discover who they are, what they're capable of, and how they can contribute to their community and the wider world. Beginning in their first year of Lower Elementary, students take their first MSLF overnight trip to Nature’s Classroom in Wisconsin. For many Lower Elementary students, this trip represents their first nights away from home. During their trip they explore the outdoors, work together in groups, use their practical life skills during community meals, and grow! It’s this first overnight trip for MSLF students where parents and staff remark how students come back almost transformed after being able to develop their independence in a supportive environment. Our Upper Elementary classroom has embarked on overnight trips to both Camp Timber-lee in Wisconsin and The Country Experience at Amstutz Family Farm in Elizabeth, IL. Both locations provide students with increasing opportunities to apply their practical life skills, like checking the weather to ensure they have weather-appropriate gear for their trip. Every task empowers them to develop self-reliance and problem-solving skills. These trips are also opportunities for the students to get to know one another and build strong relationships with their peers and with the adults in their classroom. Adolescent Program students at MSLF have opportunities to visit both Springfield, IL and Washington, DC . These overnight trips tie directly into their studies – connecting curriculum learned in the classroom to experiences in the wider community. They often take their learning on the road, for example by watching a legislative session in action in Springfield to see which bills are passed during their trip or presenting their research papers at monuments in Washington, DC. And for these students, the skills they built on their trips in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary are put to work, as they pack their own bags, learn more about public transportation, and plan their daily itineraries to make the most out of their visit. Experiences like these at MSLF support the child’s independence, laying the groundwork for transitions in later life: the start of high school, going away to college, a first job, and beyond. As they conquer challenges outside their comfort zone, their confidence soars, laying the foundation for the autonomy and independence they will continue to utilize throughout their Montessori experience and beyond. It’s good for parents, too, to see how truly capable our children are!
By Teresa Pavelich March 7, 2025
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