Issuu

2025 2026

ANNUAL ANNUAL REPORT

CONTENTS Welcome to our Annual Report. We are excited to share the successes, connections, and strong community that defined the past year at Montcrest. We invite you to explore the following pages to see the meaningful progress made possible by your generosity and dedication.

Mission

Letter from the Head of School & Chair of the Board

Board of Governors & Board Committees

Annual Giving

Giving Day

Community Garden

MPA (Montcrest Parents’ Association)

Volunteer @ Montcrest

Class of 2026

Our Alum

Montcrest by the Numbers

Our Donors

MISSION

Montcrest School is a community, small enough to honour the individual and big enough to provide an exceptional academic experience with balanced opportunities in leadership, the arts, and athletics. Our school challenges children to discover and acknowledge their own voices, so they can understand and make meaningful connections with the world. 2

LETTER FROM THE HE AD OF SCHOOL & CHAIR OF THE BOARD

As we reflect on the 2025-26 school year, we find ourselves at a moment of significant evolution. This past year, as we fully embraced our Adventurous and Ambitious Learning 2025–30 Strategic Plan, we have seen how a commitment to adventure does not just coexist with academic excellence; it fuels it. We have proven that a school can be small enough to nurture the individual while providing challenging experiences that value our collective capacity and responsibility. Our students are not only learning, they are applying their knowledge in real-world contexts, whether supporting scientists in solving complex problems related to the Don River or participating in literature competitions on the international stage. This balance—the "yes, and..." of adventure and limitless learning—is the story of a Montcrest education. It requires resources to make a vision a reality, and our community’s response has been nothing short of extraordinary. We are immensely grateful to have raised over 1.2 million dollars for our Community Garden project. This space is more than a garden; it is a tangible expression of our strategic direction, providing a living laboratory for sustainability and connection to the natural and scientific worlds. Beyond this milestone, our robust annual giving has enabled us to enhance our programming and resources, allowing us to integrate new equipment and enhance our academic, arts and co-curricular offerings, including our outdoor learning spaces, Science Lab and Maker Space. The strength of Montcrest rests equally with our people. Our culture of volunteerism is the heartbeat of this school, and we remain deeply indebted to the parents, volunteers, and the Montcrest Parents’ Association for their tireless energy in bringing our community together. We are also grateful to our Board of Governors for their thoughtful, future-looking stewardship. As we move forward, we do so with confidence and excitement. We are not just a collection of houses, but a vibrant, collaborative community where every contribution matters. We look towards the coming year with the assurance that our foundation is strong, our faculty is exceptional, and our students are ready for the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Thank you for your continued trust and partnership in this remarkable journey to realize the limitless potential of every Montcrest learner.

Patti MacDonald Head of School

Sarah Lerchs

Chair, Board of Governors

MONTCREST BOARD OF GOVERNORS & BOARD COMMITTEES Board of Governors

Board Committees

Sarah Lerchs, Chair Thomas Laporte Aust Bridget Child Beth Dewitt Ted Gorsline Chris Hills Warwick Marchant Jonathan Moncrieff Craig Race Stephen Shuttleworth Colette Tom

Advancement Committee: Ted Gorsline (Chair), Ken DiMarco, Debbie Heuff & Wayne Pommen Finance & Risk Committee: Chris Hills (Chair), Bridget Child, Beth Dewitt, Laura Jarrett, Sarah Lerchs, Stephen Shuttleworth & Colette Tom Head Support & Evaluation Committee: Sarah Lerchs, Jonathan Moncrieff & Chris Hills Nominating & Governance Committee: Jonathan Moncrieff (Chair), Alexander Dyck, Thomas Laporte Aust, Michelle Chaisson, Beth Dewitt, John Hanlon & Sarah Lerchs Property Committee: Craig Race (Chair), Noreen Flaherty, Chi Hong, Warwick Marchant, Geoffrey McGrath & Wendy Smith

2025-26

Risk Subcommittee: Beth Dewitt (Chair), Chris Hills & Jonathan Moncrieff

ANNUAL GIVING

Total Dollars Raised towards Annual Giving in 2025-26 Montcrest Initiatives

$173,021 Financial Assistance

$8,919

Dear Montcrest Community,

Looking back on this past school year, I am deeply grateful for the community support that continues to shape everyday life at Montcrest. Thanks to your collective generosity, this past year was a resounding success—funding immediate classroom enhancements, expanding hands-on programs, and keeping our village strong. While tuition covers our core operating expenses, staff salaries, and facilities, Annual Giving provides the extra flexible funding that elevates everyday learning. It ensures we don't have to wait for the next budget cycle when a teacher has a compelling idea, a lab needs specialized tools, or a unique learning opportunity arises. Every dollar given goes to work directly inside our school. When you give to Annual Giving, you can direct your support in two core ways: Montcrest Initiatives: Our unrestricted annual fund. Rather than sitting in reserve, these gifts go directly to work for our students—providing the flexible funding needed to respond to emerging classroom opportunities, address immediate program priorities, and maintain our margin of excellence. Financial Assistance: Strengthens community diversity by assisting families through unexpected hardship and opening doors for new students to thrive at Montcrest. Whether you supported Montcrest Initiatives, the Elaine Danson Bursary, or the Taber Family Bursary this past year, your gift delivered immediate impact. Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your care for our students. If you ever have questions about how fundraising works at Montcrest, or if you would like to discuss how your giving can support our vision, please reach out to me anytime—my door is always open.

Ajla Bilajbegovic Director of Advancement

Initiatives in Action: A Few Ways You Made a Difference New Studio Pottery Wheels Now installed across both of our art rooms, three new potter’s wheels will challenge students with the patience, focus, and resilience of traditional ceramics. Shaping raw clay gives our artists thrilling proof that with determination and practice, they can master complex, hands-on crafts.

Loose Parts Play Inspired by loose-parts play at Toronto’s Evergreen Brick Works, Big Rock now features a custom mud kitchen and dedicated corral for organizing building materials. Hands-on natural play builds selfregulation while sparking creative engineering, cooperative storytelling, and ambitious problem-solving.

Campus Bikes & Track A new fleet of campus bikes and a track circulating Thomson House have effectively expanded our recess playground. Cycling around campus builds physical grit, spatial awareness, and confidence, giving students high-energy independence and fostering habits of active living.

Middle School Field Science Kits Equipped with soil and water testing kits, our Grade 7 and 8 students will analyze local ecosystems across city, farm, and forest. Doing real science in the field demands analytical rigor and critical thinking—proving our students are ready for big, complex challenges.

GIVING DAY 2026

Building Momentum for Student Learning On Friday, April 17, 2026, our village rallied like never before for Montcrest’s inaugural Giving Day. Focused on funding ambitious, hands-on learning, this 24-hour movement showcased the extraordinary power of our community in action. Campus was electric from morning drop-off to dismissal. Student Ambassadors greeted families with high-fives and infectious energy, turning collective enthusiasm into extraordinary real-world opportunities for our kids. Far beyond meeting a milestone, the day was a joyful demonstration of what happens when parents, alum, and friends unite behind our students—proving to them that an entire village believes in their limitless potential. To everyone who gave, cheered, and showed up for our kids— thank you. Your generosity fuels our mission and opens up bold new possibilities for every learner across our campus.

$45,000+ Total Raised Directly supports immediate classroom resources and student learning experiences.

$15,000 Match

Generously provided by The Boyes Lerchs Family, doubling impact across the day and encouraging broader participation.

25 First-Time Donors New families and alum who made their very first gift to the school on Giving Day.

70+ Total Donors Our highest single-day turnout of supporters— marking a historic moment for Montcrest Giving!

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CITY, FARM, FOREST Our Community Garden: The Living Classroom Two years ago, our community envisioned transforming an underused corner behind 664 Broadview into a vibrant "Living Classroom." Positioned between the city and the forest valley, this campus "farm" creates an experience uniquely Montcrest—where JK students discover seed lifecycles while Grade 8s analyze local soil filtration. Grounded in reciprocity and care, students plant, harvest, study ecology, prep meals, and share what they grow, discovering that caring for the land nurtures us all. Bringing this vision to life called on the full strength of our village. Driven by the extraordinary generosity of parents, alum, staff, and friends, together we raised $1.2 million to fully fund our kitchen pavilion, raised garden beds, gathering spaces, and a firepit gifted by the Class of ’25. This milestone brings our commitments to Limitless Learning and Adventure Every Day vividly to life.

Construction Timeline Across the Year Fall 2025 Hand-salvaged Riverdale bricks from the garage on site.

Winter 2025 Protected mature canopy trees and prepped the ground.

Spring 2026 Raised the structural skeleton and completed the roof enclosure.

Summer 2026 Completed the building exterior and finished most of the interior.

Thank you to our generous donor community. We extend our deepest gratitude to the families, alum, staff, and friends whose generous gifts built our Community Garden. Every name listed below helped turn a vision into a place where Montcrest students learn and grow every day. Anderson Wheeler Family Barbuto Family Larry & Sherrill Berg The Boyes Lerchs Family JP & Erin Brock Alison & Christopher Burrison Patrice Carmichael & Rob Carmichael Suzanne Cassidy Chau Family Dalglish Family Davies Family Dewitt-Swego Family DiMarco Family Adrienne & Derek Fisher Folland & Buchanan Families Gardner Family Ted & Bronwyn Gorsline Green Sanderson Family The Gunawan Family Sarah and Cheryl Hawthorn William and Anne Hepburn Jaquart Visch Families Nini Jones & Alex Baniczky Don & Barbara Kawasoe Jacob & Renee Kennedy Lebel Family Lindell Family Lint Family Patti MacDonald

The Katie Macdonald Foundation for a Better World Drew & Erin McFeetors Virginia & Peter McLachlan S. Miles The Mitchell Family Moeser-Morgan Family Montcrest Parents’ Association Finn Mowder Nella-Slaight Family Derek Pattison Peranson Family The Pereira Family Wayne Pommen and Morgan Barense Rob Posthumus & Michelle Chaisson Jay Prichard Trina Reid & Fred Gosselin Debbie Schatia The Shibley Family Shuttleworth-Cornies Family The Slaight Family Paul and Gillian Smith Matina Stevis & Ilya Gridneff In memory of Sue Maxwell George Tory & Allie Bradford Tudor-Marcotte Family Waters Family Wen Wen & Barry Zhang Ann Wilson & Rob Prichard

MONTCREST PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION Serving as Chair of the Montcrest Parents' Association this year has been incredibly rewarding. I want to sincerely thank our parents, volunteers, faculty, staff, and MPA Executive for their enthusiasm, generosity, and commitment to making Montcrest such a welcoming and connected community. This year, our community came together through many memorable events, including the Fall Fair, Bingo Night, Pancake Breakfast, and Kite Day. Whether you volunteered behind the scenes, attended an event, or simply lent a hand when it was needed, your support helped strengthen the sense of community that makes Montcrest so special. Thank you for everything you have contributed this year. I look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to strengthen the Montcrest community in the year ahead.

Ken DiMarco Chair, MPA

MPA Leaders 2025-26

Chair, Ken DiMarco Vice Chair, Ravina Deo

Treasurer, Marika Cheung Secretary, Corina Tudor Graphic Design Coordinator, Paul Abrams Pizza Lunch Coordinator, Jennifer McEachern Tuck Cart Coordinators, Erin Shearer & Jessica Shearer Parent Ambassador Coordinator, Christina Tuns Used Uniforms Coordinators, Noreen Flaherty & Nicola Hockin Lost & Found Coordinator, Kendall Pereira

Grade Parent Reps Rebecca Max - JK, Larissa Vermeersch - SK, Suzanne Cassidy - Grade 1, Monika Mullen Grade 2, Melissa da Silva - Grade 3, Suzanne Cassidy - Grade 4, Devon Largio - Grade 5, Melonie Friesen & Laura Petronzi - Grade 6, Salma Zarghami - Grade 7, Jennifer Good & Noreen Flaherty - Grade 8

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COMMUNITY EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Celebration & Connection Through dedicated volunteers and generous community spirit, the Community Relations Team and Montcrest Parents’ Association (MPA) bring our school together with memorable events all year long.

August

September

October

MPA Grade Reps connect with families

MPA Used Uniform Sale Learning at Montcrest Parent Social MPA Fall Fair

MPA Parent Cocktail Parties

November

January

February

April

May

MPA Bingo Night

Family Sporting Event @ The Blue Jays

Movie Night

MPA Teacher Appreciation Event MPA Used Uniform Sale

MPA Pancake Breakfast

June

MPA Kite Day Community Lunch

PARENTS IN PARTNERSHIP Volunteering @ Montcrest

When our community members volunteer, learning connects directly to the real world. This year, among the 100s of activities, volunteers shared technical skills, introduced specialized careers, coached co-curricular athletics, built theatrical sets with our drama team, and joined our classes across Toronto—adding practical depth to our curriculum and bringing shared cultural experiences directly into school life. At Montcrest, philanthropy includes time, talent, and financial support alike. While donations build our future, your time enriches our students' daily experience. Thank you to everyone who contributed hours this year to strengthen our academic program.

Board & Committee Leadership 2810 hours

Events & MPA Operations 1252 hours

Classroom & Student Programs 424 hours

Provided strategic governance, financial oversight, and insights for risk mitigation for Year 1 of the Adventurous and Ambitious Learning strategic plan.

Spearheaded signature community events, managed used uniform sales, and organized campus traditions like pizza lunch.

Led career presentations, supported science labs, coached sports, built drama sets, shared cultural traditions, and chaperoned city field trips.

4,518 TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS One village, countless moments of growth. 13

USED UNIFORM SALES

21,000

PIZZA SLICES SERVED

170+ PARENT

VOLUNTEERS

3700 10 VOLUNTEER HOURS

COMMUNITY EVENTS

CONTRIBUTED

CLASS OF 2026

Every year, we invite our graduating class to reflect on their time at Montcrest and answer a big question: What legacy do you want to leave behind? The Class of 2026 took this challenge to heart, coming together to brainstorm creative ways to leave a lasting mark on campus. In the true spirit of what makes Montcrest so special, our graduates voted to bring "Buddy Benches" to our outdoor spaces. The concept is simple yet powerful: if a student is ever looking for someone to play with or feeling a bit left out at recess, they can take a seat on the bench. Seeing them there acts as a gentle signal to fellow students to step up, offer a big smile, and invite them into the game. By choosing this gift, our graduates are leaving behind something far greater than physical seats. They are embedding the spirit of friendship, inclusion, and kindness into the daily rhythm of school life. It is a sweet, thoughtful gesture that perfectly captures what it means to be part of the Montcrest village—ensuring every single child always feels seen, included, and welcomed.

total raised 87% $24,000 by the Class of 2026 participation

High School Destinations Branksome Hall Bishop Strachan School Crescent School Etobicoke School of the Arts Greenwood College School Harbord Collegiate Institute

Lakefield College School Metro Prep Neil McNeil Northern Secondary School Riverdale Collegiate Institute Rosedale Heights

Royal St. George's College St. Clement’s School St. Michael's College School Toronto Prep School YMCA Academy The York School

OUR ALUM VO L U N T E E R I N G O N C A M P U S We love seeing our alum back on campus. For a K–8 community, having graduates consistently return to mentor, volunteer, and lead is truly special. Our alum bring their time, talent, and real-world experience back to our spaces—from high school service hours to classroom visits. Their ongoing connection shows current students that they belong to a school community that supports them for life. Thank you to the alum volunteers who have been back to support Montcrest!

MONTCREST BY THE NUMBERS Throughout the 2025–26 academic year, Montcrest built on its solid financial foundation, keeping enrolment steady through careful stewardship and the continued support of our community.

Expenses Salaries & Benefits - 77.7% Administrative - 8.5% Premises - 3.2% Academic Supplies & Equipment - 4.0% Amortization - 6.6%

Revenue Tuition & Special Fees - 90.5% Donations & Fundraising - 2.8% Interest - 1.5% Other - 5.2%

Fundraising Highlights 2025-26

Class of ‘26 Legacy Gift 4.0%

Community Garden 42.5%

Montcrest Initiatives - $173,021 Elaine Danson Bursary - $5,264 Taber Family Bursary - $3,655 Community Garden - $264,089 Class of ‘26 Legacy Gift - $24,146 Capital Initiatives Fund - $65,465 MPA Contribution to Montcrest Initiatives - $15,790 MPA Contribution to Financial Assistance - $47,370 Building Together Campaign Pledged Gifts - $10,000

Capital Initiatives 10.8%

$619,300 MPA Contributions 10.6% Pledges 1.6% Financial Aid 1.5%

Montcrest Initiatives 28.4%

Constituent Highlights 2025-26

Grandparent 8.4%

Current Parent 43.4%

143

Alum 14.7%

Total Donors

$619,300

529 Total Gifts

Board 5.6% Faculty & Staff 28.0%

OUR DONORS THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT 1961 Circle The 1961 Circle honours Montcrest School’s founding year and recognizes donors who have made gifts of $1,961 or more each year to Annual Giving. Each year Montcrest’s 1961 Circle members are invited to a special donor recognition event to thank them for their leadership giving.

M Aaron & Katrina Atkinson Majeed Family M The Boyes Lerchs Family Dr. Notisha Massaquoi & Alison Duke Badeau Family Drew & Erin McFeetors M Alex Baniczky & Nini Jones The Mitchell Family Chau Family Mullen Family Dalglish Family Arielle Paech Lee & Gail Paech DiMarco Family Christopher & Sarah Parisien David & Liya Dunlap The Pereira Family Fluegel Family Wayne Pommen & Morgan Barense Kay Family M Jay Prichard Ted & Bronwyn Gorsline Qi Family Gransden Family Race Family Green Sanderson Family Reid Gosselin Family The Gunawan Family Shuttleworth Cornies Family M Amanda Heale Professional Corporation Slaight Family M William & Anne Hepburn Jan & Rick Sutin Laura & Teddy Jarrett George Tory & Allie Bradford M Kay Family Tudor-Marcotte Family M Knodell Family Tait Vines Family The Fung/Lang Family M Ann Wilson & Rob Prichard Henry Kaye & Family Wen Wen Devon Largio Anonymous Lebel Family Patti MacDonald

We thank all community members who have supported Montcrest School over the years, and acknowledge those who have made contributions between July 2025 and June 2026 in this report. Donors who have supported Montcrest School for five or more years are marked with M , ten or more years with M and twenty or more years with .

Parents Paul & Jenn Abrams Tamsin Atherton - Chatterbox Speech & Language M Aaron & Katrina Atkinson Badeau Family M Alex Baniczky & Nini Jones Daniel Berenstein & Doron Noah Chau Family Asha Chawla Nancy Chew Holly Cornies & Stephen Shuttleworth Crawford Family Cyr-Deutsch Family Dalglish Family Davachi family Deo/Sanghera Dewitt & Szego Family DiMarco Family David & Liya Dunlap Dan Eldridge Fluegel Family The Fung/Lang Family Glynn-McKenna Family Goldsmith Jano Family Foundation Ted & Bronwyn Gorsline Gransden Family M The Gunawan Family M Amanda Heale Professional Corporation Laura & Teddy Jarrett John Hanlon Hockin Family Wes & Gretchen Isaacs

Parents Cont. Edward Johnston Kathryn Jones Nagesh Kalegowda Nella-Slaight Family M Kay Family Henry Kaye & Family Tyler & Jamie Keenan Kennedy Family The Kettel Treiber Family Sonia Kim Brian Klunder & Melanie Hickey Krossey Family Devon Largio Lebel Family Lee Family Macey Family Lucy Main & Mike Dwyer Lu Family Majeed/Bryant Family Marchant Family Dr. Notisha Massaquoi and Alison Duke Matthews Family Max Family The McEachern Family The McFeetors Family Geoffrey & Leigh McGrath The Mitchell Family Stephanie & Jonathan Moncrieff M Mowder Family The Munro Family Mullen Family M Sacha Neesham Oh Family Chris Parisien & Sarah Farrugia Lisa Pasquin & Brian Rosevear Kate Pitfield & Thomas Aust Wayne Pommen & Morgan Barense

Posthumus Family Reid Gosselin Family Rittberg Bayanpour Family Schmidt Family Erin & Daniel Shearer Niall Singh & Family Paul G. & Gillian Smith M Nick & Krista Spence Carlo Sprovieri M Emma & Dave Stewart Matina Stevis & Ilya Gridneff Tudor-Marcotte Family Tait Vines Family George Tory & Allie Bradford Tuns Family Urquhart Family Alexis Wise Wells Family Will & Louise Young Shereen Zahawi & Sami Kazemi The Zwingenberger Family Anonymous

Alum Community Laurie & Brad Arseneau M Matthew Barry & Sarah Bruce M Botha Family M Yvonne Boyd & Foo-Lim Yeh M JP & Erin Brock Elaine Danson & Family M Cynthia Eldridge '88 & Philipp Frei Dan Eldridge M Kathryn Finn M Green Sanderson Family M Anne & William Hepburn M Don & Barbara Kawasoe M Knodell Family Andrew & Elaine Le Feuvre In memory of Sue Maxwell M John & Lisa McMeans Alex & Diane Nishri M Jay Prichard '99 M Jessica Raum & Olivia LaFoy M Philip & Maria Smith Tricia Smith & Judson Venier M Andrew & Carrie Weston M Ann Wilson & Rob Prichard

Board Thomas Laporte Aust Bridget Child Beth Dewitt Ted Gorsline M Sarah Lerchs Warwick Marchant Jonathan Moncrieff Stephen Shuttleworth M Colette Tom

Friends & Grandpals Camp Oconto Camilla Dalglish Alexander Dyck Adrienne and Derek Fisher JoAnn and Mike Heale Charlie and Olivia’s Grandparents Virginia & Peter McLaughlin Barb McLean & Mort Mitchnick Elaine & Peter Marshall S. Miles Onondaga Camp Gail Paech Stephen Pereira Race Family Denise Rittberg Slaight Family Jan and Rick Sutin Anonymous

We’ve made every effort to ensure the accuracy of our donor list. If we’ve missed your name or made an error, we sincerely apologize and would love to correct it. Please contact Ajla Bilajbegovic at abilajbegovic@montcrest.ca so we can update our records.

Faculty & Staff Laurie Arseneau M Matthew Barry M Mara Berzins Ajla Bilajbegovic M Yvonne Boyd Eugene Calvez Marcin Ciesielski M Krista Cobham M Ryan Coutts M Stephanie Curtis M Nicola Daykin M Gerry De Fazio Michael Dilworth M Darcy Doone Natasha Estey Natalia Franco Halle Goldkind Beth Histed M Natalie Hollinshead M Blair Livingstone M Katie MacDonald

M M M M M M M M M M M M M

Patti MacDonald Martha Mansfield Shannon McEwen Lisa McMeans Andrea Mercer Sean Mitchell Sacha Neesham Sarah Nelles Mufridah Nolan Carley Page Sharda Prashad-Hartmann Jay Prichard Greg Reynolds Tricia Smith Nick Spence Emma Stewart Jennifer Vincent Carrie Weston Justin Yantha Maggie Zegas-Tepper

THANK YOU

A sincere thank you to our entire community for your continued support.