Montessori Academy of London | London, Ontario

Dear Families & Friends,

Hooray! Summer is almost here and with it comes a change in our routines, hopefully some more time outside, and the chance for some rest, relaxation and reflection. 2025-2026 has been a busy year at Montessori Academy of London with many moments to celebrate and much to be grateful for. Among them, the most important are the people that comprise our MA-zing community – students, families, faculty and staff. On behalf of the Board of Governors, I wish to thank all of you for another wonderful year at MA.

The Board of Governors is a committed group of volunteers who work together to support Montessori Academy’s vision and mission, and ensure the long-term viability of the school. We have enthusiastically welcomed three new governors this year, including Leslie Rand, Alison Hannay (MA alumni parent), and George Diavolitsis (MA alumnus). Each of them brings valued skills and expertise to our table and we look forward to their contributions over the coming years. Former governor Jessica DaSilva completed her time on the Board in August 2025, and we wish her well in her future endeavours. 

This past year the Board has continued to focus on supporting our Executive Director, improving our governance practices and developing financial strategies that ensure the school is able to deliver world-class Montessori education for years to come. On behalf of the governors I am pleased to share several updates.

Capital Planning Review

During the past year the Board completed an extensive capital planning review involving evaluation of the school’s current facilities and long-term estimates of future maintenance requirements. The review informed our financial planning activities this year, and we now have a robust plan in place to ensure that buildings at our downtown and Westmount locations can be adequately maintained well into the future. Our thanks go to Finance Director David Pasquino and our Finance committee for their efforts to create a viable solution that enables the school to confidently plan ahead. 

Strategic Fundraising

Last year the Board invested in professional training and coaching to help us understand the role of fund development in future financial planning, and our role as governors in supporting the work of the school’s Fundraising Director. This year the board reconfirmed its commitment to the process with the addition of strategic fundraising expertise to our board, and the engagement of a broader group of governors to support the development of a longer-term plan. We look forward to sharing insights and updates from our work over the next year.

Congratulations – You Blazed the Trail!  

As students and families know, the Colborne St. United Church is a critical community hub where so many important experiences happen for our community each year. The gym is an integral part of our physical education program and, with that in mind, the school launched the Blaze the Trail fundraising campaign in 2025 to replace the gym floor and make improvements to the space where the MA community gathers. It is my pleasure to share that as of May 2026 the funds have been secured to complete this important project over the summer! We are grateful to Fundraising Director Tonya Dendrinos for her hard work, and to all of you for your kindness and continued generosity. 

Parent & Child Program

Our new Parent & Child Program is growing! The 8-week program was originally launched in October 2025 for parents and their Infants (2-10 months) or Movers (10-18 months), who are welcomed into a carefully prepared environment and enjoy the support of trained Montessori educators with expertise in child development. The school has received fantastic feedback from the newest members of our MA community and, at their request, the program expanded to include Movers 2 (18-24 months) in the spring, and we will add Tuesday sessions starting in October 2026. Learn more about the Parent & Child program on the school website. Congratulations to Tara Protopapas for creating a program that extends the magic of Montessori to new parents and their children and help us grow our MA community!

Faculty & Staff Training & Professional Development

Last month several MA faculty members attended the Montessori Canada Spring Conference in Toronto, where attendees were treated to an engaging presentation in the Adolescent stream given by our very own Shawn Butler from Junior High. Our MA-zing educators made meaningful connections with other Montessori professionals, and have already shared some learning and insights from the conference with their colleagues. We understand the importance of professional development and ongoing training for our people, and wholeheartedly support the work of our Executive Director to ensure MA is able to hire and develop educators who continue to deliver world-class Montessori education to our students.

As we reflect on the past year, the Board extends its thanks to the faculty and staff who support our work and enable us to focus on the future, while they deliver an amazing Montessori experience for students and their families. We are especially grateful for the continued commitment of Tina Brown, our Executive Director, whose effort and dedication to Montessori Academy of London is unmatched and deeply appreciated. Congratulations to Tina and her entire team for another successful year.

With warm regards,

Andrea

Andrea Dean, President

Montessori Academy of London Board of Governors