MSLF Welcomes Danna Ayres, new Adolescent Program Director for 2021-2022 school year
May 7, 2021

The Montessori School of Lake Forest is excited to share the following news with our community:

We continue to look forward to the new school year and beyond. We are extremely excited to announce that we are moving forward with the addition of an Adolescent Program , grades 7 & 8, to our program offerings for the 2021-2022 school year. The additional class will be conducted at our Laurel Drive Campus, using existing space as we re-introduce the program at MSLF.

Along with the new program comes an announcement of a new program director. We hope you will join us in welcoming Danna Ayres back to MSLF.

Danna is thrilled to be returning to MSLF to lead the re-opening of the Adolescent Program. She previously taught math and led students in the MSLF Adolescent Program from 2014 to 2017. Since then, she has been teaching math to elementary students and adolescents at Chicago Montessori. Danna has also been tutoring math for over 15 years, for students age 10 and up.

Danna holds a BA in History, with a concentration in History of Science and a minor in Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also has a Masters in Mathematics Education from DePaul University. While at MSLF, Danna completed the Montessori Orientation to Adolescent Studies, and she has continued her learning about Montessori mathematics in courses and workshops.

Danna shares her passion and vision for the MSLF AP:

“I have always loved both learning and teaching, and when I discovered the world of Montessori education, it was as though everything clicked into place. The idea that subject areas are integrated and interwoven, and that the development of the whole child is valued above isolated academic achievements resonated most with me.

At this stage of development, it is essential for students to move beyond simply gathering facts, and to really begin learning how to learn. My greatest hope in teaching any subject is that my students wouldn’t just know the material, but that they would love what they’re doing and find joy and excitement in the learning process.

To work with adolescents, one must truly love and understand that age group in order to establish an atmosphere based on mutual trust and respect. I have found that my personality, sense of humor, and ability to have fun while still being firm all help me to get along easily with adolescents, and provide them with an environment where they feel they are free to express themselves, to make mistakes without judgment, and to ask for help when they need it, whether it be academically or personally.

I cherish the personal connection with my students, the opportunity to work with families to help their children meet their goals and conquer their challenges, and the freedom to adapt my curriculum and teaching methods based on the needs of my students. I especially appreciate MSLF’s family-centered atmosphere and culture of respect and kindness. I believe this culture should also be central to the Adolescent Program, and will strive for that in my relationships with students, parents, and other teachers.”

Please join us in welcoming Danna back to MSLF!

 

More about Montessori Adolescent Programs and Curriculum

Dr. Maria Montessori believed adolescents should be given the opportunity to experience self-worth through real and important work—a process she called valorization – providing the opportunity for adolescents to realize they are strong, worthy, and capable of effort. A Montessori Adolescent Program strives to meet the adolescent’s need to exhibit creativity, to problem solve, to take responsibility, and to claim independence. The ultimate goal of the program is to support each student as they find a place in the community and become a respectful, responsible, and ethical contributor to society.

 

 

Graduation Message from Head of School, Hope Allegretti

By Teresa Pavelich • June 10, 2026
Hello everyone! Thank you for being here today to celebrate this year’s stepping up and graduating students. This day is always a bittersweet one as we celebrate all their accomplishments and all their hard work while also preparing to say good-bye as they join new classrooms and embrace new opportunities ahead. They’ve earned their key of knowledge, completed their Elementary cycle, and are graduating from the Adolescent Program and are moving on to high school. As hard as it is to say good-bye as these students step up or graduate, we do so with the confidence that they are better prepared for life having received the gift of a Montessori education. It’s been a true pleasure this past week watching key recipients receive their key of knowledge and wear it proudly for all to see. I have loved hearing all the speeches from our 3rd and 6th year stepping up students and our 8th year graduates as they share their fondest memories of MSLF and offer thanks to all those they are grateful to. I love hearing what memories they will take away from MSLF with them. Baking in their Primary classroom, building forts in Elementary, finding a turtle on a nature hike, learning to play the ukulele in music, visiting Nature’s Classroom with their classmates, performing in the school play, a research project they worked on with their friends, selling coffee at Friday Markets in AP. These are just a few of the memories shared by stepping up and graduating students over the years. These are all incredible memories to have from school and to be able to take with you. But what I’ve come to realize is these are really more than just memories. These are significant, impactful moments that will likely, in some way, shape our students’ lives. They may not know it yet. But 5, 10, 20 years from now, when these memories are reflected on and shared again, they will become part of each student's legacy—a collection of experiences, values, and lessons that help define who they are and how they move through the world. And just as important, they become part of MSLF’s legacy as well. Each graduating class leaves behind something meaningful: traditions, friendships and memories that become woven into the story of our school. The theatre student will remember the feeling of performing in their first school play. The entrepreneur will remember the excitement of planning for their first school market. The new parent will share their love of nature with their child as they remember nature hikes at MSLF. These memories are moments of self-discovery. Opportunities for our students to learn about themselves. Experiences that help guide their future. These memories will be their compass as they enter high school, college and beyond, guiding them towards a joyful life. And all those they thank are the ones who helped guide them towards that joy. Their teachers, their parents, their peers will have all impressed upon them knowledge and experiences that have helped them learn, problem solve, adapt and teach others, all of which are life skills that any of us need to succeed. They enter the world well prepared for what will come next thanks to the memories they have made here. And I hope to be here long enough to hear you share them again someday as you set out to do great things. So, Graduates, no matter where your compass guides you, I hope you will always remember MSLF as we will always remember you. YOU are our memories. YOU are part of our legacy. And YOU have helped shape our future, just as MSLF has helped shape yours. So, thank you!  Please join me in congratulating all our stepping up and graduating students today. Congratulations graduates!

Human Tendencies: Why Montessori Still Feels So Relevant

By Teresa Pavelich • October 21, 2025
From curiosity to self-control, Montessori aligns with the human tendencies that help children grow, adapt, and flourish.