Snow was no deterrent to the excitement at The Montessori School of Winston-Salem on Friday, December 8th, 2017. Special guests, faculty and staff, students and their families, as well as the Board of Trustees, assembled to celebrate the groundbreaking at the school’s new location for the 7th to 9th Grade Adolescent Program, located one block from the main campus at 6157 Holder Road. This new North Campus is expected to be open this coming fall.
As the celebration began, Head of School, Jon Churn, spoke about the milestone this event represented for the school and community at-large. “This represents an important moment in our school’s 40-plus year history. We would not be here today if not for the hard work and dedication of our TMS families and faculty and staff to providing an excellent Montessori education for children. Not only will our adolescent program benefit our school community, but it will be a valuable educational opportunity for our local community.”
Breaking ground in unison with a specially-made three-handled shovel, representing the importance of this venture, were Mayors Allen Joines of Winston-Salem, Mike Horn of Lewisville, and Nick Nelson of Village of Clemmons. “It is clear that love, care and attention are driving this project,” spoke Mayor Nelson. “You have local educators and leaders motivated by their passion for kids and education. Those types of projects always produce the results Clemmons is always looking for.” Mayor Joines explained, “We are excited to see another educational opportunity integrated into our community. The Montessori School provides a wonderful educational resource for the region.” Lewisville Mayor Mike Horn added, “This expansion to add 7th to 9th grades will certainly enhance the unique learning environment offered at Montessori.”
Student participation was an integral part of the celebration. A group of charter students built a model of the north campus in honor of the event. Other students shared their thoughts with event guests, “In our new Adolescent Program, we hope to have a garden, raise some animals, and enjoy the outdoors. We hope to cook for each other, read and learn together, have responsibilities together, and look out for each other as we grow into our new adolescent lives.” Clearly, students are excited about this new opportunity at their school.
Among the guests were representatives from Stitch Design Shop, the project architects, and Windsor Commercial, who will oversee the construction. John Lenham, Windsor Commercial, commented, “Windsor Commercial is delighted to have been selected as the General Contractor for this project. We appreciate our collaboration with the design team from STITCH and Montessori School representatives to date and look forward to seeing the way that the new building will tie together the existing home, barn and natural surroundings and provide a wonderful atmosphere and learning environment for the Montessori School students and teachers.”
The new north campus comprises 6.7 acres, one block north of the school’s existing 8-acre campus. This project will include site development, renovation of the existing 1,800 sq. ft. home for class and community space, plus a new 4,500 sq. ft. building with additional classrooms and a science lab. Construction will be completed this summer with the charter class of 7th graders to begin in August 2018.
The Montessori School of Winston-Salem has been part of the Winston-Salem community since 1973, with a current student population of over 200. An additional enrollment of 40 students is anticipated for the 7th to 9th Adolescent programs. TMS is currently accepting applications for 7th grade for the 2018-19 school year. With this new program, the school now offers classes for children from 18 months through the 9th grade. Each classroom is comprised of multi-age groupings, with a rich and diverse curriculum that nurtures each child’s academic and social development. The Montessori approach is noted for helping children and adolescents not only gain academic knowledge and skills, but also develop acute executive functioning skills and a passion for life-long learning.
For additional information on the Adolescent Program, to schedule a school tour, or discuss The Montessori School of Winston-Salem’s current educational offerings, contact Brittney Biggs, M.A.Ed., Director of Admissions, at 336.766.5550 (extension 102), via e-mail at brittneybiggs@wsmontessori.org, or visit their website (wsmontessori.org). The campus is located at 6050 Holder Road, Clemmons, NC. You may also follow their Facebook page and keep up-to-date with progress on the new addition.
Photography courtesy of Terri Burke at Catch a Spark Photography
