2024 Annual Report
July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
At Cambridge Montessori School, we partner with our diverse community, using authentic Montessori principles, to reveal each child’s innate love of learning and prepare our children to thrive in a complex world.
Dear CMS Community,
Behind the facts and the pictures in this annual report are the stories and the moments that defined the 2023-2024 school year: a year in which the Cambridge Montessori School community emerged from the challenges of the recent past and the pandemic. Together we began to feel grounded, steady and excited for the future.
The success of this year comes from the shared belief and commitment to Cambridge Montessori School’s mission and vision. Dr. Montessori said, “we shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” These words exemplify the CMS community.
This Cambridge Montessori School Annual Report honors all CMS families, trustees, staff, students, alumni, alumni families, and friends whose generosity helped make the 2023-2024 school year so successful and to deepen our commitment to our students and this community. The importance of CMS is clear. A Montessori education and the strength of CMS gives our students the foundation to become thoughtful, capable, open-minded, respectful leaders of tomorrow.
I am grateful to the CMS community, past and present, for shaping and building the school we are today. I want to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you to our families, faculty, staff, and trustees for your dedication, collaboration and trust in this moment of transition as you welcomed me as the new Head of School.
With gratitude,
Sue Angelides, Head of School
Mike Flannery, Chair
Ameilia Newbury, Vice Chair
Rob Cooke, Clerk
Annie Lawson, Treasurer
Sue Angelides, ex officio
Stacy Abder
Mike Cragg
Sophia Emperador
Shweta Gadgil
Todd Goulet
Mike Moran
Sara Ontiveros
Courtney Slade
John Sweeney
Head of School
Sue Angelides
Administration
Krissy Canastar, Director of Auxiliary Programs
Nell Henry, Admin Assistant
Nikki Jacobs, Chief Financial Officer
Blake Johnson, Director of Elementary and Middle School
Allison Lynch, Assistant Head of School
Maggie Moyers, Nurse
Laura O’Leary, Admin Assistant
MacKenzie Skeens, Business Manager
Bailey Turner, Director of Toddler and Primary
Teachers
Zlatka Bascandzieva, Primary
Alison Boreiko, Upper Elementary
Savannah Clinton, Primary
Anna Dubrowski, Middle School
Kari Frentzel, Upper Elementary
Katie Hamill, Primary
Ana Hankowski, Primary
Clemintine Hess, Toddler
Blake Johnson, Middle School
Jana Kucan, Toddler
Karen Mellor, Toddler Passport
Julia Tracy, Toddler
Elka Walter, Lower Elementary SPECIAL
Kamakshi Visvanathan, Primary
Adriana DeCicco, Toddler
Amanda DeSousa, Primary Passport
Sophia Fortuna, Toddler
June Griffith-Gomes, Primary
Dominic Jeter, Primary Passport
Annu Kumar, Lower Elementary
Patricia Saxler, Toddler
Edson Alves, Spanish
Brittany Emory, Art
Roberta Goganian, Learning
Yas Ishibashi, Music
Amy Neale, Librarian
Katrin Peterson, Music
Nora Stephens, Theater, Dance, Movement
Taylor Yeracaris, Learning
PARENTS ASSOCIATION
Leigh Flannery, Chair
Classroom Representatives
ROOM PARENTS 2023-24
Emiko Bryant
Jack Bryant
Kristen Canavan
Saranya Ganesan
Tara Gearhart
Mia Gore
Jennifer Hall
Pilar Iglesias
Harsha Jattani
Allison (Allie) Kaye
Pennylynn Makiya
Varun Mazumdar
Paula Narain
Pavla Pachova
Cara Quackenbush
Michelle Sabala
Svetlana Shulova
Angelica Teixeira
Camille Vasquez
Saira Yunus
The Annual Fund is a vital source of revenue for school operations. Like most independent schools, CMS relies on taxdeductible gifts to cover the gap between tuition and the cost of educating each child. These annual contributions have a direct impact on every element of our students’ experiences, while also providing important resources for our faculty and staff. Thank you for supporting Cambridge Montessori School. Your generosity and commitment to the school is truly inspiring and demonstrates an incredible level of commitment to our students, staff and our mission.
MONTESSORI SOCIETY ($10,000+)
Sara Ontiveros and Nathan Abramson
Kathryn Kosuda and Sina Yeganeh
PEACE TABLE ($5,000-$9,999)
Robert Cooke and Lisa Tittemore
Michael Cragg and Rachel van der Vort
Todd Goulet and Constantine Linnik
Greg and Lily Stanton Marra
Mike Moran
Amelia Newbury
FOUNDERS CIRCLE ($3,000-$4,999)
Susan and Michael Angelides
Pilar Iglesias Cavallo and Dr. Alberto Cavallo
Annie Lawson
Joan Lawson
Dexian Bao and Juanjuan Li
Sunil and Margo Dhaliwal
Michael and Leigh Flannery
Peter R. & Cythnia K. Kellogg Foundation
Aida Khan and Nergis Mavalvala
Tara and Joe Gearhart
Mia and Abe Gore
Nikki and Freddie Jacobs
Harsha Jattani and Sridhar Iyengar
Lucretia Philanthropic Fund
Gavin and Jessica McLear
Melina Morkin and Manuel Bertolotto
Darius Sidebotham and Cara
Quackenbush
Catherine Sweeney
Rengyi Xu and Yifeng He
($500-$999)
Courtney and Charles Slade
Robert and Rosemary Sheehan
James Turner and Deirdre Delaney
Stacy Abder and Gian Pangaro
The Bedard Family
Benevity Fund
Shweta Gadgil and Gautam Narayan
Anne and Bill Horn
Bill and Betsy Horn
Peter and Kyoko Kirby
Jana and Jakov Kucan
Allison Lynch
Dr. Daniel Raemer and Dr. Wallis Raemer
Hanley Abramson
Melvyn John Buckpitt
Lawrence Chen
Mason and Lisa Delafield
Alfred Ding and Lucy Xu
Elizabeth Fagenholz
Katie Hamill
Nell Henry
Calvin and Sally Hills
Eleanor Joseph and Andrew Johnson
Jerry Joseph and Sharon Lauer
Carol Nycklemoe
Laura O’Leary
Sophia & Eric Emperador-Schrauwen
Casey Sweeney
John Sweeney
Daniel Wendel and Karen Zee
(Up to $99)
Zlatka Bascandzieva
Phil Bansal and Jessica Harrison
Carolyn Gouges D’Agincourt
Roberta Goganian
Mark Marchionni
Karen Mellor
Maggie and Thomas Moyers
Amy Neale
Katrine and Alan Peterson
Daniel Recht
Maryanne Senn and Richard Sheridan
Jennifer Torres
Julia and Phillip Tracy
Taylor Yeracaris
“CMS has been a nurturing place for our three kids for the past 18 years. Each of our kids has had the space to explore who they are and what their passions are and has prepared them for success in life and further academic pursuits.”
SARA ONTIVEROS, Board Member, Development Committee Chair, and 18-year parent of CMS students
As a non-profit organization, CMS is funded solely through tuition fees and contributions. We strive to keep our tuition rates as low as possible to keep our doors open as wide as possible.
Your gift honors and celebrates a culture of giving back, supports CMS today, and helps to secure educational opportunities for future generations. Please consider a gift today. Your gift matters.
Every contribution is meaningful and needed. Your support sends a message that you believe in the mission of Cambridge Montessori School, whether it is $5 or $50,000. When we look to foundations and other external institutions to support us financially, our current community participation rate matters the most. The loudest message we can send is 100% participation from our entire community – trustees, staff, and current families.
Tuition – 84%
Auxiliary Income – 11%
Advancement – 4%
Other – 1%
EXPENSES
Salaries and Benefits – 71%
Property Expenses – 9%
General School Expenses, Program Development, Professional Fees – 12%
Administrative Expenses – 2%
This year’s Party with a Purpose was a huge success, significantly benefiting our annual fund and bridging the gap between operational expenses and tuition revenue.
Our deep appreciation goes out to our sponsors, committee members, parent volunteers who helped our students create classroom masterpieces, auction item donors, and enthusiastic bidders.
It is your unwavering support and commitment to CMS that brought the energy and made this evening both successful and so much fun!
Auction Chair: Sara Ontiveros
Auction Committee: Sue Angelides
Sophia Emperador
Leigh Flannery
Tara Gearhart
Mia Gore
Casey Sweeney
Saira Yunus
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:
Sponsors:
Innovative Healthcare Partners
Giorgios Hospitality & Lifestyle Group
Monkey Jones
Ounce I.T.
Prime Building and Development, Inc.
T Media Consulting
Auction Item Donors:
Nathan Abramson & Sara Ontiveros
Sue Angelides
Backyard Again
Zlatka Bascandzieva
Black Fish Restaurant
Alison Boreiko
Boda Borg Boston
Boston University
CMS Passport
Krissy Canastar
Davis Square Donuts & Bagels
Davis Square Martial Arts
Douzo Sushi
Einstein’s Workshop
Sophia & Eric Emperado-Schrauwen
Enzo Guesthouse
Sophia Emperador & Eric
Fastert Family
Formaggio Kitchen
Kari Frentzel
Todd Goulet & Constantine Linnik
Hi-Rise Bread Company
Marcia Hubelbank
Huntington Theater
Nicole Iannucci
Iggy’s Bread
Yas Ishibashi
Jessie Klein
Knucklebones
Launch Woburn
Life is Good
Allison Lynch
Lyric Stage Company
Made-By-Me
Mass Audubon Society
Ariel Moon
Maggie Moyers
Amy Neal
Patricia Saxler Photography
Penguin Coding
Pyara Aveda Salon
Katrin Peterson
Semolina Restaurant
Spindler’s Confection
Nora Stephens
Thistle and Shamrock
Trader Joe’s
Truro Vineyards
Elka Walter
Webster O’Brien was a beloved member of the CMS community. He is the father of two CMS alums, husband of a former CMS teacher, and served as chairman of the Board for four years. Webster believed strongly in Montessori education and our school would not be what it is today without his leadership and guiding hand. The Webster O’Brien 5k was started to honor Webster and build on his legacy. Proceeds from the 5K go toward the Webster O’Brien Travel Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund is a travel stipend that is awarded annually to a CMS alum that has graduated from our middle school program. The award supports an alum who will be furthering their education through travel and service.
Grandparents and Special Person’s Day is a treasured tradition at Cambridge Montessori School. It is a tribute to the importance of special people in our students’ lives.
On May 24th, on a picture perfect blue skied spring day, CMS was pleased to welcome the grandparents and special guests and friends of our students to visit our campus and get an inside peek into the students’ school life.
Our students were so excited to share their work and their school experiences with their special guests.
The day started with breakfast and a welcome from Sue Angelides, our Head of School. Our guests then spent the morning visiting in classrooms, talking with teachers and staff, learning more about the Montessori pedagogy, and mingling with fellow grandparents and special people.
Each year, the night before Grandparents and Special Person’s Day, is the annual Elementary and Middle School Celebration of the Arts. This event showcases CMS’s incredible art program, complete with visual arts, music and theater. Dr. Montessori scientifically observed the importance of art and music in the development of the whole child. The Montessori arts and music program is designed as a language of communication and an essential tool for students. As students move towards adulthood, they use art and musical expression as a way to better understand themselves and the world around them.
DAY · CLUBS · FUN DAYS · VACATION CAMPS · SUMMER CAMP
The CMS Passport program encompasses all the auxiliary programs that occur outside of the academic day. Passport provides childcare and education to CMS students and members of the surrounding community.
What an exciting year it was for our Passport programs. In addition to our extended day programs, our after-school offerings increased, with an average twenty club offerings per season – woodworking, sports, arts, film making, baking, puppeteering, video game designing and so much more!
Fun Days and Vacation Camps included incredible field trips and unique experiences for the students.
· PIONEERS · NAVIGATORS · EXPLORERS · SCOUTS
CMS Passport Summer Camp hosted over 130 campers over the eight weeks of camp. Led by 22 fully trained summer counselors and our Passport administrative team, it was a fun packed, albeit hot, summer of exploration and adventure.
Moving Up and Moving On Day is the culmination of a CMS education for our 8th graders and the recognition of the completion of a program level for our 6th graders, our 3rd graders and our Kindergarteners.
On the beautiful spring day of June 10, 2024, classmates, families, staff, and friends gathered to honor the class of 2024 and the students moving up to the next level.
Head of School, Sue Angelides opened the ceremony with words to our graduates: “Today is your day. As you sit here, surrounded by those who have supported and believed in you, take a moment to soak in all that you have accomplished. Each of you has grown in unique ways. As you move forward to new challenges and opportunities, remember the lessons you’ve learned here.
Embrace curiosity, cherish kindness, and always strive for excellence. The world is a vast and wondrous place, full of possibilities waiting to be explored. Carry with you the values of independence, respect, and curiosity that have been instilled in you during your time here at CMS.”
Moving Up and Moving On ceremony is a special day for our entire community filled with tears and laughter. It is a day we all cherish and are reminded of just how special the CMS experience is.
To give, scan the QR code OR visit: cambridgemontessori.org/giving/make-a-gift/
Thank you to everyone who helped make 2023-2024 a successful year at CMS.
This Annual Report gratefully acknowledges gifts received between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. We have made every attempt to ensure its accuracy. If there are any omissions or errors, please contact the Business Office.