Dear Foundation members,

As the end of the year approaches, we wanted to thankyou for being part of our Hills Montessori School Foundation community. We so enjoyed our inaugural Under the Elm event in October and are already looking forward to gathering together next year.

As our Foundation grows, we look to more opportunities for past and current students, parents and staff to gather together.

We hope you enjoy this snapshot below of our Foundation news and wish you a refreshing and relaxing time through these summer holidays.

Welcome to our first Hills Montessori School Foundation (HMSF) Newsletter. 

It’s hard to believe that the HMSF Board met over three years ago on the 10 June 2021 for the first time to start the process of establishing a School Foundation. There was a monumental amount of work that needed to be undertaken before the HMS Foundation could be launched.  The Board worked diligently over a two year period to achieve the numerous tasks and activities outlined in our operational plan to set up the entity and it was fulfilling to officially launch the HMSF on 4 May 2023 at an event held at Wairoa.

Our first fundraising event

On Saturday June 17th 2023, the HMSF Board organised its first fundraising event.  We came together as a school community, to commemorate The Hills Montessori School's 45th anniversary and acknowledge the establishment of The Hills Montessori School Foundation.  Past and current staff, parents, old scholars, and Life Members joined us for this special occasion. It was wonderful to come together with a diverse group of individuals representing different eras in our school's history, all celebrating our collective accomplishments over the past 45 years. In true Montessori fashion, it had the feeling of a family gathering with many happy reunions of old friends not seen in a while. 
Special thanks to Merilyn Kuchel, a former parent and current grandparent, Charlie Evans, a former student, and Suzie Saffin, a current teacher and parent; who all shared their connection to The Hills Montessori School and what it has meant to them over the years. Heartfelt speeches were enjoyed prompting laughter, tears and further reminiscing.  It was a wonderful celebration! 

An excerpt from Merilyn Kuchel’s speech
What I valued at the HMS was the natural bush environment, the small classes, the mixed age range and the diversity of the parents from all socio-economic backgrounds and beliefs. I loved the way the children played together down the bush building cubbies, years, if not decades, before Nature Play became a major mainstream movement. All the teachers were wonderful, taking a genuine interest in helping Eleanor overcome her shyness and lack of confidence. I always felt she was not just valued as an individual but loved and cherished. I believe that she is now the wonderful, caring, generous, multi-talented, confident and successful mother and social worker that she is now is due to her Montessori education.

…I congratulate Cathy and all the staff on reaching this 45th milestone and setting up the HMS Foundation to ensure that future families can feel confident that their children and grandchildren can have the benefits that my family has been privileged to enjoy. 

An excerpt from Charlie Evans’ speech
Not only supporting students to thrive and succeed in their education but also inspiring them to build their independence and individuality, I believe that the Hills Montessori School is such a positive and caring environment. Experiencing this first hand, I strongly feel as though Montessori greatly shaped me into the person I am today, and taught me many life lessons that I will forever be grateful for. From organisation, time management, social skills and public speaking, just to name a few, Montessori enabled me to become confident and proud in my learning and interactions with others. 

Our first member gathering

On June 20th 2024 we held our first ever event for members of The Hills Montessori School Foundation (HMSF).  A small group of HMSF members gathered for drinks and nibbles at Wairoa.  It was great to come together with past parents and staff, old scholars and current staff and parents. Meg Barker (past parent and HMSF member) was the guest speaker and briefly spoke about the impact that The Hills Montessori School has had on her and her family's life.

An excerpt from Meg's speech...

It's hard to describe our first response to Montessori from surprise; 'We didn't realise school could be like this', to relief, 'At last, like minded families and leaders who created a sense of belonging'. 

We had found our flock, a bunch of beautiful, colourful, big and small birds all flying together.  That sense of belonging galvanises your parenting, gives you confidence that home and school can be in step...

A bit like the new world Maria Montessori faced at the end of WWII, our new world will require a radical reset for the restoration generation and it's my view that Montessori schooling offers this chance to young people.

Under the Elm

We were thrilled with the success of our inaugural Under the Elm event held on Saturday 26th October 2024.  It was a twilight event packed with connection and memorable moments shared by past and present members of our community.

The music set the perfect vibe with musicians Tim Moore, Naomi Keyte, Sanjay Taverna and Myles Mayo, and old scholars Isaac Bonilla-Killey and Zoe Cipriano bringing immense talent to the stage. Delicious food and drinks added to the festive atmosphere, making it an event to remember.

Sincere thanks to the HMSF Board for organising the event and volunteering in the set up/pack up and working throughout the day. A big thank you to old scholars Johnny Daly and Andrew Garsed who along with Paul Daly, ran the bar at the event. Thanks to other staff, parents and HMSF members who volunteered and helped out and particularly to Che Zahra who skillfully cooked delicious paella and to the HMS Fundraising committee that ran the BBQ. Thanks to Tim and Helen McNamara for adding to the festivities offering Hokey Pokey icecream from their van. Thanks also to Anthea Hagar for MC-ing the event.

A massive thank you to everyone in our commmunity who joined us creating a wonderful atmosphere. We’re already looking forward to seeing even more of our community at Under the Elm next year!

Make a donation

You might like to make a tax deductible donation to The Hills Montessori School Foundation.  Visit our website to make a one off or recurring donation. Every gift - large or small - will make a valued contribution to our vision to achieve financial sustainability and opportunities for our young people into the future. 

Your involvement and generosity will help us to support and advance an exceptional Montessori education for our present and future young people attending the Hills Montessori School.

Foundation Tier Structure

As donations accumulate, your support reaches different Foundation Tiers. Donations to the HMS Foundation are tax deductible.

• Montessori Friend $500

• Montessori Advocate $2,000

• Montessori Ambassador $5,000

• Montessori Guardian $20,000

• Montessori Patron $50,000

Staying connected through the HMS Foundation

The HMS Foundation will organise two events each year.  One event will be specifically for HMSF members and custodians to get together and catch up at an informal gathering.  The other event will be a community event for past and current students, staff and parents.  This will fulfil our important goal of encouraging and facilitating opportunities for our community, past and present, to stay connected.

Early in 2025 we will send our members a Save the Date for both the HMSF members get together in 2025 and Under the Elm 2025. We’d love to see you at both events and encourage you to let other families, students, and old scholars know about both the HMS Foundation and these ways to stay connected.

We sincerely thank our members and custodians for their support in these early days of the HMS Foundation.

Our current membership

We currently have: 15 Custodians, 30 Foundation members, 2 provisional members (under 18 years old). A total of 47 members.