Dear Montgomery School Community;
Everywhere I turned last week, I saw Montgomery School at its best. Whether I was opening the door to a classroom, updating the score at Greek and Roman Games, or peering out through my window at the 8th graders doing trial runs with their solar cars in the parking lot, I was filled with pride watching children and their teachers at their very best.
Early in the week, while popping in and out of classrooms, I walked into Mrs. Schelhorn’s 7th grade social studies class as they were conducting their Model U.N. The students were in character, well prepared as they considered sanctions against one of the permanent members of the Security Council. The room was full of enthusiastic discussions, it was a virtual Tower of Babel as they were brokering side deals, making motions, and thoughtfully considering how to respond to a violation of appropriate international behavior. It was clear that the students were beginning to understand that power, politics, and international relations are fraught with ambiguity and lack of clarity.
Later in the week, the Greeks defeated the Romans on a glorious Montgomery School Day. The rolling hillsides of Kring Field were a perfect Coliseum for “The Games.” The day was full of excitement and competition for all of the children and their families. We had a great showing of over 30 alumni who were heavily weighted in the Greek’s favor, and, with little fanfare, the Romans (clearly outnumbered) were unable to out-pull the Greek legion in the alumni tug-of-war. Overall, in one of the most closely contested games in years, it came down to the final five tug-of-war pulls; the first team to win three would claim victory for the event and the overall competition. While the Greeks won the first three pulls, the competition continued and the 8th grade Roman Team won the last pull and could feel some consolation that while losing for the first time in four years, they won the last event of their Montgomery career.
For the 8th graders, the week was not yet over. On Saturday, they traveled to the Franklin Institute for the Northeastern Solar Car Competition. The day was full of head-to-head competitions throughout the heats and into the finals. Montgomery School had two cars make it to the final five, and for the second time in three years, a Montgomery School team had the fastest car in the competition and was declared Northeast Region Champions. Ray Zimmerman’10 and Jeffrey Hu’10 will travel to the National Competition in Springfield, Massachusetts on June 13 to compete against the top competitors from all regions. An invitation to the Nationals was also extended to Richard Chakejian’10 and Luc Luttman’10 whose car finished fourth. Congratulations to all of the 8th graders for working so hard over the last several weeks designing and fine tuning their solar vehicles.
As the year draws to a close, we continue to face many challenges due to the national and global economy. As a community, we have drawn closer and rallied together to create many successes despite the economic environment. The MSCA has had a banner year with strong participation at events guided by the leadership of Jackie Chakejian. This year with fewer families than in recent years, the Annual Fund, led by Mike van der Veen, is on track to raise a record total of over $230,000, with a parent participation rate of 85%. There is still a month left to go in the fiscal year, so the final totals will probably be higher. The Annual Benefit “History in the Making,” held at the Phoenixville Foundry, was bolstered by record attendance and raised nearly $100,000, which was 25% higher than anticipated. Thanks go to Jill Chamberlain, Christine Roussey, and Cindy New Mastrangelo for their tireless efforts to make the Benefit such a success. Additionally, as we look to next year, student retention for the upcoming school year is also at a record high, with 96% of our students returning. This is far ahead of the National Association of Independent School average of 88-90%. Many thanks go out to you for your loyalty and support and for referring your friends to Montgomery School. Montgomery is a great place because we come together for the sole purpose of building a community that ensures our children are educated in Mind, Body, and Character.
Not all of the news I have to share with you is positive. While we will have the largest Middle School student population in Montgomery School’s history next year, Montgomery School, like other independent schools in the Delaware Valley and across the country, is experiencing lower enrollments in Prekindergarten and Kindergarten. We expect to have only one section of each for the next academic year. Should we see a spike in interest, we would add another section as needed. Through prudent fiscal management and conservative budgeting, the Trustees have approved a balanced budget for the 2010-2011 school year. It has meant some difficult cuts in staffing and benefits, but we were also able to provide a modest salary increase for our continuing faculty. These types of budget cuts are particularly difficult in such a small, intimate community as ours.
In turn, we bid farewell to several faculty members who have given exceptional service to Montgomery over the years. Debbie Vaughan, who began at Montgomery in 1988, will retire to have a more flexible schedule to spend time with her family. I expect we will see Debbie around the Schoolhouse tutoring and substituting. Debbie has taught hundreds of Montgomery School alumni in her 22 years at School. In addition to teaching our youngest students, Debbie was our Reading Specialist for several years.
Sadly, Bev Wetzel will be leaving Montgomery School. Mrs. Wetzel has been one of the cornerstones of Montgomery’s Lower School for the last 11 years. Bev has taught 3rd and 4th grades at Montgomery and spearheaded the Community Service Program. It is our hope that Mrs. Wetzel will be no stranger to Montgomery in the future.
Finally, we bid adieu to Lisa Kolesar and Joan Miles. Both Lisa and Joan have been fixtures at Montgomery for the last two years. Ms. Kolesar is one of our 5th grade teachers this year and has also taught 4th and 5th grade science. Lisa also supported our performing arts programs with an enrichment class in ballet and was the choreographer for the Middle School Production of Willy Wonka last February.
Mrs. Miles served as a long-term sub in 3rd grade last year, and was appointed for one year to teach 3rd grade again. Mrs. Miles has been a wonderful addition to the faculty in her two years, serving as a strong member of our Powerful Learning Practice Technology Team and co-directing the 5th grade Spring Play.
While we are sad to say good-bye to these dear friends, our faculty continues to be our greatest strength. Please do not hesitate to call Susan Marotta, Chris Gorycki, or me if you have questions.
These staffing changes have created a new line up of our Lower School Grade Teams. They are as follows: Denise Kelly will move over from our Technology Center to join Ro Batson in teaching 5th grade. Denise has been at Montgomery School for 22 years and is excited to return to her own classroom. Betsy Barker joins Cindy London in 4th grade; Chris Guidotti and Pam Clay will serve as our 3rd grade team; Michele Oakes will join Patty Baumeister in 2nd grade; Carole Rex will team up with Jennifer Knauss in 1st grade; Kate Janney will be our Kindergarten teacher, and Samantha Getz will continue in Prekindergarten. Linda Norris will split her time as a teaching assistant to both Ms. Janney and Ms. Getz.
As we turn the page on the 2009-10 academic year, I am eager to begin the second decade of the millennium. In 2015 Montgomery School will celebrate 100 years of dedication to the lives of children and their families. This is a remarkable milestone for any organization. Your commitment and that of the many families who came before you has ensured that we remain steadfast in our mission of educating children in Mind, Body, and Character.
I look forward to seeing you around campus over the next two weeks, most particularly at the Lower School Moving Up Ceremony on June 9th and Commencement on the 11th.
Sincerely,
Kevin R. Conklin
Head of School