HOW THE STORY BEGAN
H
ow many people find school meaningful? This question was one of many that our founder, Lorene Dekko Salsbery, posed when she considered opening a school in Northeast Indiana. As she shares in her open letter about how Oak Farm Montessori began, Lorene admits that she never really connected to school herself and wanted to make a difference for her two young daughters. After touring over 25 different public and private schools in three different states, meeting with various educational leaders and serving on her own children’s school board, Lorene began a path that would touch the lives of thousands of children. Her father, ‘Chet’ Dekko, taught his children the same values that he shared in his business life, “Only the educated are free.” But how do you provide choice in education if you don’t have financial freedom? This was the question Lorene hoped to address by creating OFMS. Providing a high quality, individualized Montessori education that was economically affordable became her life’s work. With the support of the Dekko Foundation, the original building and parcel of land became the backdrop for what would become the sprawling
150+ acre campus that we have today. The first class of 13 students has increased exponentially during the last twenty-one years as we serve over 320 students from six weeks through 12th grade. Many of our former students have returned to the ‘farm’ over the years because of the family like community that exists in each of the classrooms. Some return to help teach summer camps, others to volunteer and stay connected, a few have decided to enroll their own children at OFMS and one alumni is now a full time employee! Over the years we have had new construction, remodeled old buildings, purchased additional land, dug out a pond, filled in said pond, added a state of the art Wellness Center and even ran a bed and breakfast at the middle school one summer! While decisions about structural changes, property boundaries or expansion of faculty happen frequently, the one foundation that has not wavered is our commitment to Lorene’s vision of a world class Montessori school. This is no small feat! As a nonprofit organization, we depend significantly on the grants we receive annually
“My dad always talked about education, financial freedom that comes with education, a free-market system, entrepreneurial-spirited students, problem-solvers and lifelong learners. I think he would be proud.”
from the Dekko Foundation, our annual fund, Tall Oak Gala and community supporters. We ensure that our teachers are Montessori trained and invest $80,000 annually in continued education opportunities. One of the greatest gifts Lorene provided to her beloved school, prior to her passing, was a blueprint for its future called, Vision and Values. This document provides not only her vision of what the future holds for the school: focused governance, teacher training institute, educational clearinghouse and a partner to other Montessori schools, but also a detailed explanation of the core values she expects the school to uphold in its service to the students and families it serves. This important document guides our leaders, board, teachers and faculty to be the ideal portrait of Lorene’s four pillars: leadership, citizenship, life-long learner and emotionally literate.
SENIOR CELEBRATION 2022
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