MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Education for Life
Honolulu, Hawaii
Celebrating 50 Years of Providing an Education for Life
We are proud to announce that during the 2022-2023 school year, Montessori Community School (MCS) marks its 50th year of providing a Montessori educational foundation to thousands of children on Oahu! Such a historic achievement has only been made possible as a result of a dedicated community of educators, administrators, families, and Board of Trustees, who put their heart and soul into the MCS mission of providing an “education for life” that Dr. Maria Montessori envisioned. This is an important milestone moment in the life of our school and community! Read more about our history below or check out recent news stories here.
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A HISTORY TO BE PROUD OF…
MCS was founded as Katrice Montessori School by Marilyn and Wayne Weber in 1972, on the grounds of the First Christian Church on Liholiho Street in Makiki, designed to accommodate the special needs of their daughter, Patricia Weber, a child with Down Syndrome. At the start, there were just five students in a 3-6 year-old classroom and, over the years, grew to include children from around the island with wide-ranging abilities and backgrounds.
In 1982, the school changed its name to Montessori Community School to emphasize our vision of an educational experience that involves people and resources in the community, as well as the community of children, parents, and teachers.
The Elementary program originated with one Lower Elementary class (grades 1-3) which grew in numbers until the commitment to create an Upper Elementary class (grades 4-6) was made in 1981. And, in the fall of 1987, MCS expanded its programs again to meet the increasing demand for quality early child care with our first toddler class, consisting of 18 month-olds. Our growing programs found a home on the current Nehoa Street campus, which opened in the spring of 1988. Montessori Community School continues its search for its own permanent campus.
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At MCS, we know that our current good work stands on the shoulders of the people who came before us (some of whom are still with us at MCS now), and we are honored to continue in their wake. Some of the key figures who have left their mark on MCS include former Heads of School Susan Siebert and Patsy Tom, former teachers Jerry Mueller, Lynn Haia, Danni Vaiceliunas, Lisa Nakata, Lisa Browning, and Kathy Shirakawa, and current teachers and staff members Norine Galton, Sulia Ricote, and Elena Chan. The school enjoys ongoing relationships with many legacy families whose parents attended MCS and who now send their children to our school.
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THE MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF TODAY…
MCS is the only school in Hawaii that is fully accredited from Early Childhood through Sixth Grade by both the American Montessori Society and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools. We are committed to our mission to provide a Montessori program that nurtures a lifelong enthusiasm for learning, encourages engagement with the community, and fosters stewardship of the natural world.
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Montessori Community School is forever indebted to the people who contributed to our past 50 years, and we look forward to the year ahead!