2022-23 Annual Report
Nurturing Potential. Igniting Passion. www.princetonmontessori.org
Board of Trustees Dear Princeton Montessori School Community, Our motto to nurture the potential and ignite the passion in every student is evident in the ways members of the PMonts community have come together in service to our school and students over the past year. It is an honor to be part of a community that is so passionately committed to furthering Princeton Montessori School’s unique mission and values. We aim for this annual report to offer insights into our strategic progress, support our mission and demonstrate responsible financial stewardship of our nonprofit organization. As a school, our commitment lies in delivering the highest quality education in accordance with Montessori principles, while adhering to best practices in independent school management. We endeavor to cultivate and sustain a vibrant and well-informed community by fostering meaningful and timely communication, upholding transparency in our school’s governance, and engaging our families to meet their academic and social needs. This collective effort, undertaken on behalf of the children in our care, is evident daily within our school. Furthermore, your generous support ensures our ability not only to meet but to exceed our strategic objectives for the betterment of our community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your contributions of time, talents, and financial resources. Princeton Montessori School will continue to thrive for generations to come thanks to our dedicated and passionate faculty and staff, strong leadership, support from our families, and sound governance from our trustees. With Gratitude, James Chambers Jr., Chairperson, Princeton Montessori School Board of Trustees
Princeton Montessori School 2022-23 Trustees: (left to right) Ugur Koyluoglu, Jennifer Ni, James Chambers (Board Chair), Michelle Morrison, Scott Eckstein, Chance Van Sciver, Pete Egbert Missing from photo: Rehana Farrell, Caroline Scriven, Justin Yi ‘02, Rita Zetterberg
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2023-24 Chair James Chambers Scott Eckstein Pete Egbert Rehana Farrell Kelly Hart Sep Kamvar Jennifer Ni Andrea O’Brian Caroline Scriven
Infant/Toddler Wing Addition
Chance Van Sciver
Sandpiper Room
Justin Yi
Princeton Montessori School began work on a construction project in May 2023. The project was an expansion of the current Butterfly Room, adding a multi-purpose room for the Infant/Toddler programs, student bathroom facilities, and extra storage space. The project exemplifies our ongoing commitment to creating environments that are purposefully designed for children and are optimal for learning. The addition was completed in time for the start of the 2023-24 school year.
Rita Zetterberg
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Parent Association Dear Parents, The Parent Association of Princeton Montessori School is a vibrant, dedicated, and diverse organization of parent volunteers with a mission to build upon and celebrate our strong partnerships with parents, faculty, and school administration. We are inspired to nurture this incredible community by creating opportunities to connect with other Princeton Montessori families as well as inviting families to participate in activities at the school. Parents or legal guardians of students currently attending Princeton Montessori School are automatically considered members and are welcome to participate. At its core, the four pillars of the Princeton Montessori School Parent Association are: WELCOME ~ GATHER ~ APPRECIATE ~ VOLUNTEER. We WELCOME families to our community, We create opportunities to GATHER, We APPRECIATE our teachers and staff, and We VOLUNTEER to help with school functions and initiatives. Last year, we had the pleasure of meeting families at program coffee socials and at Back to School Night. With the help of our dedicated room parents, we ensured that everyone had information about the new ParentSquare app launched in 2022-23 and our ongoing WhatsApp groups, which offer parents easy and efficient communication channels. Room parents used WhatsApp to plan activities including Halloween and Thanksgiving gatherings, spontaneous meetups, and fall/spring playdates. ParentSquare offered official school communications and information, including the school calendar, student directory, and important announcements. Similarly, a new PMonts Community Facebook Group page was launched last year as a place to share local events, seek recommendations, and promote local, family-friendly activities. In 2022-23, the Parent Association organized and supported a number of events to benefit child-focused charitable organizations in the greater Princeton area. Such events included: The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) Food Drive, the Thanksgiving Drive to benefit Mount Carmel Guild, and the Holiday Giving Drive to support The Children’s Home Society. Each of these efforts gave students the opportunity to learn about the needs of others and empowered them to make a difference in their own communities. We also celebrated the phenomenal Princeton Montessori faculty and staff with a catered holiday party and an end-ofyear faculty luncheon, thanks to generous donations from the parent community. As we closed out the 2022-2023 school year, the Parent Association had the pleasure of honoring our outgoing Head of School, Michelle Morrison, who retired after 33 years at Princeton Montessori School. The Parent Association donated a Little Free Library and two bird books in recognition of Mrs. Morrison’s tenure as Head of School. You can now find two Little Free Libraries at the school. One is at the Infant/Toddler entrance (a gift from the 2021-2022 Parent Association) and the newest one, dedicated to Mrs. Morrison, is at the Elementary entrance to the building. We encourage families to bring and borrow books throughout the year. I am grateful to serve as your Parent Association Chair again in 2023-24. On behalf of the Parent Association, we look forward to another year of connecting with families, the school, and our larger community. We encourage all families to get involved! Warm Regards, Marisa Young 2022-23 Parent Association Chair
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PARENT ASSOCIATION OFFICERS 2022-23 Chairs Kristen VonWachenfeldt Marisa Young
Faculty & Staff Appreciation Rachel Pereira Desiree Reitknecht
Community Service Coordinator Providence More The Parent Association organizes several Community Service projects throughout the year. They include a Food Drive for TASK, a winter drive for toys, hats and mittens, and assembling Valentine’s Day dinner bags.
Social Rupa Mohan
Princeton Common Ground Representative Whitney Hung Room Parents
Infant - Sam Page Toddler
• Robin - Gina Herrara • Hummingbird - Julia Benedict • Cardinal - Kara Reed • Goldfinch - Susan Beshel Primary
• Rose - Samantha Strickland Each year the school holds a Book Fair. It is a great opportunity for parents to get involved by volunteering their time. Thank you to everyone who volunteered at the 2022-23 Book Fair, helping to make it such a big success!
• Pansy - Jen Piasio • Tulip - Catherine Hilton • Sunflower - Monika Friedman LE - Rachel Pereira
UE - Anil Perez & Ron Meier MS - Shabnam Salih
The Parent Association donated a Little Free Library to the school, located outside the Infant/Toddler entrance. Take a book, share a book, and enjoy!
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2023-26 Strategic Plan Programs Princeton Montessori School strives to provide an exceptional student experience through strong academics, student-centered learning, best practices in education, and a firm on the principles of Montessori education. Outcomes:
Montessori Makes a Difference Our three-year strategic plan is simple – to ensure that Montessori education continues to make a difference in the lives of children through three pillars: our Programs, our People, and our Prosperity. As we look to the future of the school, we envision a thriving institution that offers an exceptional student experience through our PROGRAMS, which provide strong academics, student-centered learning, best practices in education, and are firmly based on the principles of Montessori education. We believe that our PEOPLE - parents, students, faculty, staff, and alumni - are at the heart of our community. We strive to foster a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming environment that celebrates the uniqueness of each individual and promotes a sense of respect, inclusion, and belonging for all students, staff, and families. Finally, we want to secure our PROSPERITY for the future by applying our mission, vision, and values to ensure PMonts and PCTE continue to serve the needs of children and adult learners for generations to come. The strategic work we do in the coming years will be to this end. The following outcomes support the three pillars of our 2023-26 strategic plan.
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Communicate a clearly-defined curriculum aligned with the Montessori philosophy and International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) framework that prioritizes curiosity, creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as clearly-defined learner outcomes. Create classroom environments that respect and honor our shared values and individual identities, fostering inclusion and belonging. Offer extracurricular and enrichment activities that promote physical, social, and emotional development. Elevate the role of the teacher training center (PCTE) so it is known as the “gold standard” in Montessori teachertraining and is a profit center for the organization.
People Foster a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming environment that celebrates the uniqueness of each individual and promotes a sense of respect, inclusion, and belonging for all students, staff, and families. Outcomes: Create a culture that encourages the well-being of faculty and staff to retain a mission-driven, compassionate, and diverse community. Enhance our student services program to promote the well-being of students and better serve a broader range of learning styles. Establish engaged alumni and volunteer networks. Create strong partnerships between teachers and families built on trust and transparency.
Prosperity Apply our mission, vision, and values to ensure Princeton Montessori School continues to serve the needs of children and adult learners for future generations. Outcomes: Execute plans to prioritize the administrative infrastructure needs and long-term financial sustainability of the school. Embody a culture of service, giving, and philanthropy within our community. Ensure our campus supports the needs of future generations of students through building enhancements and improved outdoor learning spaces.
Montessori Moments Special thanks to Tamara Gillon, professional photographer and Princeton Montessori School parent, who visited the school throughout the year to capture some of the magical moments that happen throughout the day. Her donation of time and talent have helped us to convey the benefits of a Princeton Montessori School education.
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Financials Dear Princeton Montessori School Community, I am very pleased to share with you Princeton Montessori School’s healthy financial standing for the twelve-month period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. Revenue for the 2022-2023 fiscal year totaled $7,768,168 against $7,691,933 of expenses. 94% of our revenues resulted from tuition and fees, 4% from PCTE programs, with the Annual Fund contributing the remaining balance. Thanks to the generosity of parents, staff, alumni, and the Board of Trustees, the Annual Fund totaled $124,007. With respect to the school’s expenses, 68% of the revenues were used to cover personnel’s salaries, benefits, and professional development, with the remaining spent for classroom supplies and class activities, operating expenses, debt service coverage, and facilities. Specifically, we paid $221,863 for debt service coverage this year. The school’s mortgage was refinanced in early 2020 with favorable terms compared to the current interest rates and carries a balance of $6,300,604 as of June 30, 2023. Our investments into the school were at record levels this year with $385,838 invested for building improvement and accessories, $52,533 for technology, and $13,895 for furniture. We closed the 2022-2023 fiscal year with a net surplus of $76,234. This amount was added to our liquidity reserves. Thank you for your commitment to the school and your continued support. Kind Regards, Chancellor Van Sciver Board of Trustees, Finance Committee Chair
Enrollment Overview
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2021-22
2022-23
Infant
15
15
Toddler
55
57
Primary
78
62
LE
25
29
UE
30
33
MS
24
28
Total
227
224
Financials Revenue
Financials for the 2022-23 Fiscal Year Total Revenues: $7,768,168 n Net Tuition and Fees - $6,629,149 n SummerQuest - $684,777
3.4%
0.9%
1.6%
Revenue
8.8% 3.4%
0.9%
1.6%
8.8% 85.3%
n PCTE - $263,819 n Annual Fund - $124,007
85.3%
n Other - $66,416
Expenses
Total Expenses: $7,691,933 n Personnel - $5,292,622 n Supplies and Class Activities - $435,783
Expenses 12.6%
n Operating - $981,475 n Premises - $760,191 n Debt Service Coverage - $221,863
Surplus Income: $76,234 = 1.0%
2.9%
9.8%
9.8%
2.9%
5.6% 12.6% 68.1% 5.6% 68.1%
Capital Expenditures:
$385,838 Building Improvements and Accessories $52,533 Technology Software $13,985 Furniture
Above presented figures are our unaudited financials for the 2022-23 Fiscal Year. They are sourced from the school’s financial management reports. Each year, an external auditor audits the school’s financials records and prepares an independent report on its findings by the end of November. This audit report is used for official filing purposes.
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Annual Giving Dear Princeton Montessori School Community, On behalf of the Princeton Montessori School Board of Trustees and Development Committee, we extend our sincerest gratitude to all of you who contribute to our community. For those who generously supported the 2022-2023 Annual Campaign, your contributions have been instrumental in advancing our mission. Your support has enabled the school to enhance faculty development, acquire new educational materials and equipment for the children, and secure vital operational resources. Your gifts continue to have a profound impact on all aspects of our programs, for which we remain deeply appreciative. The 2023-24 school year marks a number of new beginnings, including the start of new leadership under our incoming Head of School Andrea O’Brian. As we say goodbye and express our immense gratitude to our outgoing Head of School, Michelle Morrison, we are equally excited to have Andrea guiding our school’s future endeavors. In addition to her 18 years of service to Princeton Montessori already, including most recently as Assistant Head of School, Andrea brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the position. This transition, marked by fond farewells to one exceptional leader and a warm welcome to another, has only reinforced our commitment to maintaining the excellence and forward momentum that defines Princeton Montessori School. As with many other independent schools, tuition alone does not fully cover our annual operating expenses. In fact, tuition accounts for only 86% of these costs. To bridge this financial gap, the school relies on contributions from our dedicated trustees, parents, alumni, corporations, and friends of the institution. It’s important to note that all donations to the Annual Campaign are 100% tax-deductible, providing an extra incentive for your support. We are immensely grateful to all those who generously supported the campaign last year, and we were heartened to see many families among the list of our esteemed contributors. As we move forward into the coming year, we encourage you to prioritize Princeton Montessori School in your family’s philanthropic endeavors. Every contribution, regardless of its size, makes a meaningful difference in advancing our mission and ensuring that our students receive the best possible education. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for helping to sustain and strengthen this remarkable institution. Your support is the foundation upon which we build a brighter future for our children, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership in this journey. Warm Regards, Development Committee Trustees: Pete Egbert, Kelly Hart, Caroline Scriven, Justin Yi, and Rita Zetterberg Member: Elizabeth Clarke
Sally’s Garden, a native plant pollinator garden created in honor of Sally Luke, a beloved educator and member of the Princeton Montessori community.
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2022-23 Campaign Donors Founders $10,000+ Peter and Mary Ellen Egbert Fred and Cara Perkins Caroline and Thomas Scriven Leaders $5,000-9,999 Anonymous (2) Mr. and Mrs. Hasan Ugur Koyluoglu Jennifer Ni Saltarelli Family Justin Yi Rita Zetterberg Cornerstone $2,500-4,999 Louis Barrood Barbara Hart Ram Mohan Lulin Zhong* Patrons $1,000-$2,499 Anonymous Abi Family Colin Britton and Marina Myers Britton Alex & Sandeep Cardona James Chambers and Shabnam Salih Choi-Shields Family* Melissa and Lee Davis Rehana Farrell Alex and Monika Friedman Lee and Nigel Gardner Vikas and Sphurthi Goela Robert and Cheryl Gregov Mesameh Family Michelle and Rick Morrison Wimmers Family* Innovators $300-999 Anonymous (3) Baskin Family Laura and Rob Berness Betz Family Chloe Brown and Hal Friedlander Ginny Cusack* Nancy D’Andrea Kevin Dsouza Scott Eckstein Friedland and Parker Family Emily and Adam Gasthalter Tamara Gillon Photography Judy Greener and Jim Fink Vanita and Jeet Gulati Pat Hlafter* Michael Homans
Justine and Jonathan Hopkins Livingston and Maria Johnson* Clare and John Kowalak Hayoon Lee and David Schoenherr Piasio Family Diana Seiler* Schnitzer Family Skeuse Family Marsha Stencel, former Head of School* Chance Van Sciver Dr. and Mrs. Peter Yi Creators $101-299 Anonymous (5) Rita Brenner* Burnfield Family Clarke Family* Erin Galbraith Samidh Guha and Nithya Jayaraman Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Helms Barbara Houze* Taylor Hwong Janssen Family Beth and Craig Kennedy Alexis and Matthew Lazarus Srujan Linga and Sparsha Kukunoor* Monteiro Family Lee Noriega Jeremy Perlman David and Liliana Post Shazah Sabuhi and Razi Hasan Steve, Katie, Amelia and Colin Spinner Siva Tamilmani Joyce Tatsch Peggy Thompson Anne Wright Wilson Young Family Sustainers up to $100 Anonymous (10) Rafael Andujar Jr. Delmy Barrera Elizabeth Bromley* Kimberly Burnfield* Martha Chaux B. Chin Bushra Chohan Jennifer Christiano-Boyle Cibbarelli Family Diane Colasanto* Ursula Connors
Chiara DiCondina Mrs. Banu Eser Lori Evans Raphaelle Gelineau Amy Gerstacker Eve Golfinopoulos Shaobo Han* Kelly Hart Hoyes John Gelson, Grandfather of Teagan and Sage Skeuse Gery Juleff Kalappurakal Family Huma Kazmi Toyoko Kitade Amy Krupa Elena Kurnov Derry Light Wills* Leslie Magliaro Kathryn Marmion* Lisa Meisenbacher Leonora Mesameh Baez Sue Ellen Miller Suzanne Mulder and Ted Sullivan Sarah Yang Mumma and Nathan Weaver Xan Nowakowski Chris O’Brian Page Family Tori Pinciotti* Alona Procaccini Reuter/May Family Sue Saad Christina Sappington Adam Schnitzer Tali Schnitzer Anne Schur* Gwen Shangle Olga and Edgar Soto Jill Spiro Lisa M. Stolzer Anna Suh Suchithra Vikram Kristen VonWachenfeldt Matt Weber / Shin-Yi Lin Ann Woodrow Xiaoxi Zhang
*Indicates a donation in
honor of Sally’s Garden
We are grateful to all of those who have supported the 2022-23 Annual Campaign. We have worked diligently to properly attribute all donations to the proper donor name(s) at the appropriate levels of giving. Please let us know of any misspellings or omissions.
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Our Mission Princeton Montessori School is dedicated to developing passion and nurturing the potential in each child, through the values and principles of the Montessori philosophy. We promote intrinsic motivation, independence, social responsibility, and a love of learning so that as global citizens, our students can lead fulfilling lives and work to better the world.
Princeton Montessori School 487 Cherry Valley Road Princeton, New Jersey 08540 609-924-4594
www.princetonmontessori.org