Dear Parents,
Recently students in Cindy London's fourth grade classroom were asking questions about the stock market and why they were hearing adults talk about it so much. Hearing the unease in their queries, Mrs. London took advantage of this teachable moment to address the children's questions, which were clearly a reflection of all of our concerns. Moving to her Smartboard and accessing resources online, she introduced the students to the stock market, what it is and what it does. We are fortunate at Montgomery to have the flexibility to shift from the daily lesson plan, to respond to children's curiosity and concerns, and to know the children so well that we can use the classroom to teach a timely life lesson.
The economic climate and global financial challenges before us are creating uncertainty for all of us. Our concerns at Montgomery School are not unlike yours at home. The Board of Trustees and the Administrative Team are working together to ensure that the School remains strong and healthy in these challenging financial times. I want to assure you that Montgomery School is on sound footing. Thoughtful planning by the Board of Trustees and prudent management over the last ten years have made us as stable and healthy as we have ever been. As part of our regular planning process, we anticipate economic downturns and develop contingency plans for addressing them. We are taking prudent measures to assure that our program remains strong.
Montgomery School is a compassionate and caring community, and our commitment to our families is an integral part of our identity and our success. Regardless of our individual situations, coming together in difficult times is comforting. We see this daily at School as the level of volunteerism is high and participation in our events is strong. Charitable giving, average gift size, and parent participation in our Annual Fund are all ahead of recent years; this is an indication to us of your commitment to the School. I sincerely thank all who have contributed thus far, and ask everyone to continue to make Montgomery their philanthropic priority. Let's keep the momentum going. A prompt response to the phone call from your Annual Fund Class Captain, and your participation with a gift as generous as you can give, will go a long way.
We are extremely sensitive to the added hardship some families will face in providing their children a Montgomery School education during these times. The School is committed to exploring additional strategies, as needed, to retain our current families. As always, we are working to continue to attract new families, keeping our enrollment strong.
Montgomery School is a strong and vital community, and together we will weather this storm. As Mrs. London's divergence from business as usual that October morning illustrates so well, we will continue to provide the best education possible to our students. And as always, but especially in challenging times like these, we will remain a compassionate and caring community.
Sincerely,
Kevin Conklin, Head of School