Peggy Malone (Teaching Excellence Award)

Peggy Malone is retiring at the end of this school year in June 2023. Peggy has been at Ancona for 40 years, instilling Montessori and social justice values in students and families alike She has been an inspiration and a mentor to many students and a source of support and assurance to many parents worried about their young children. Her classroom environment was inviting, to the young children, as well as, their parents. From her picture books, to puzzles, to the fresh flowers that adorned her classroom and made it look beautiful. Peggy created a space of belonging for many children and sparked their love for learning and a joyful environment.

In her classroom the children were able to be themselves and be curious, share their new learning by working independently and with each other, and many learned to read under her guidance. Peggy would encourage their curiosity by mindfully observing, asking insightful questions, and listening. She has been responsible for shaping the learning of countless humans at an early age, their insightfulness, developing a strong foundation that would serve them well a lifetime.

In addition to leading the pre-primary team, Peggy is a skilled calligrapher and florist, and the parent of Ancona alum and registered nurse AnnaTai Malone During her tenure at Ancona, she worked with the children in a group and individually to learn about their strengths and their opportunities for growth. Through her partnership and collaborations, she worked with many of the parents as a true partner to help with the continued growth of her students.

Peggy has had an unwavering dedication in the classroom and shaped the early years of dozens of generations, as she helped ignite their passion for learning and inspired their young minds by helping them grow Her impact will be felt for generations, as the children she welcomed once into her classroom, are now agents of change in their own ways. Thank you for being an extraordinary teacher, leaving your legacy, in the lives of the children that you have touched. You will forever be remembered.