Thank you all for taking the time to be here tonight. And thank you for choosing to be a part of the MSLF community. This will be my 18^th year at MSLF. I still very much remember the first time I visited this school. I truly felt I had discovered a hidden gem; a magical place where children do amazing things and become these remarkable human beings. The classrooms were beautiful and warm, the teachers were kind and graceful and the students were busy, happy, and independent. I didn’t want to leave. So, I didn’t. I took advantage of every opportunity MSLF offered me, and I stuck around. I had children of my own – several children – and naturally enrolled them at MSLF. And now Nico is a 6^th year, Bella a 4^th year, Rosie a 2^nd year and Leo is in extended day. My appreciation for this school and this community has only grown as I’ve had the privilege of experiencing MSLF as a parent. I can honestly say I feel that same magic here today and I’m grateful my children get to experience it with me every day.

We’re here together tonight because we all feel that magic at MSLF. It’s hard not to, right? There’s a peace within these walls that compels us to send our children here daily but draws us in as well. You’re all Montessori parents now. And your children aren’t the only ones who will be practicing their patience. You’ll spend a significant amount of your time now waiting – waiting for your child to dress themselves, undress themselves, clean up after themselves. You’ll fight the urge to feed them, dress them, speak for them, or correct them. You’ll master the art of allowing your children to do for themselves, to learn from mistakes, and self-correct, to learn how they learn best. You’ll survive the wait, the backwards clothes or shoes on the wrong feet, and the natural consequences, that at times inconvenience you the most. With the support of MSLF teachers, staff, and parents, you’ll master Montessori parenting.

In choosing to send your child to MSLF, you’ve truly given them a gift. A Montessori education at MSLF will offer your child independence, confidence, concentration, and persistence. Learning will bring them joy as they experience hands-on activities, collaboration, and leadership. They’ll develop life skills, strategies and practices that will serve them well into the future. Skills that will lead them to be problem solvers, independent thinkers, caregivers, peacemakers, creators, innovators, and world changers. The investment you make now will not only support your child academically, but also socially and emotionally. At MSLF, we strive to develop the whole child focusing on far more than the curriculum. This focus results in greater self-awareness, self-confidence and work ethic, a strong ability to adapt to change and problem solve and a desire to lead, teach and collaborate with others – critical skills that will support their future success, regardless of their path.

This year at MSLF we are extremely excited to begin the school year surrounded by so many amazing upgrades to our campus. Thanks to the generosity and support of our MSLF community we were able to replace and upgrade all our playgrounds, install all new flooring throughout the building, and tend to quite a bit of needed maintenance to our campus – inside and out. None of this would have been possible without the hard work from our parent volunteers and staff supported by incredible giving from current families and alumni. So, thank you. We look forward to continuing to focus on growth and improvements throughout the year evaluating additional enhancements we can make to our enrichment programs, materials, and our facility to support our students needs and interests, offering as many opportunities for learning, unique experiences, and distinctive programs as possible. We will once again pursue a goal of 100% participation from the MSLF parent community during our Annual Giving Campaign, which will kick off following Spirit Week next week. We hope we can continue to count on each MSLF family to contribute and support the future growth of MSLF. We ask our parent community to not only consider donating to annual giving and Spring fundraising, but to consider supporting our school by volunteering. There are many opportunities available to parents to be more involved such as volunteering as a room parent, joining the MPO to help plan and support events, or serving on our Board of Directors. Without the support of our volunteers, we would not be able to achieve our strategic and fundraising goals each year and we are so grateful to all that give their time to MSLF. Whether its once a week, once a month, or once a year – we know your time is precious and we appreciate you giving your time to MSLF.

I stand here tonight incredibly proud of our school and our community. By finding inspiration from those that led this school before us, while also looking to the future to prepare our students for what’s to come, we’ve ensured our students will continue to receive an authentic Montessori education while adapting to the 21^st century. We know you have many options for school choice in the area and I am grateful you’ve chosen to be a part of the MSLF community. It truly is a very special community and an exceptional school.