Prospective Parents: Applications are due January 15, 2025. Click here to learn how to apply!
Giving Opportunities
When you make a gift to Montessori Community School (MCS), you are investing in our students and providing them with the opportunity to receive an "education for life." At MCS, we foster a lifelong enthusiasm for learning, a commitment to the community, and a stewardship of the natural world.
There are several ways that you can make a difference, and it's important to us that your gifts bring you joy and go toward a cause and purpose you believe in.
Support MCS
Help grow MCS for the next 50 years
Donating to the MCS Annual Fund allows us the flexibility to address our school’s greatest needs. Your generosity is instrumental in creating an environment where young minds blossom. Your contribution helps ensure the following:
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Students are equipped with authentic Montessori materials made of natural elements such as wood, metal, and glass, engaging all their senses.
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Families receive much-needed tuition assistance.
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Teachers keep their skills sharp and learn the latest teaching methods through professional development opportunities.
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The MCS campus receives loving care and regular improvements to provide our students with a safe and fun environment.
Set it and forget it! Joining the Pink Tower Society, our monthly giving program, makes supporting MCS easy and convenient. While making a significant annual gift can be intimidating, smaller monthly gifts are much more manageable and can add up quickly. For example, for the price of a cappuccino, a $5 monthly gift becomes a $60 annual gift, and a $25 monthly gift becomes a $300 annual donation. By becoming a member, you’ll help us plan for essential projects, knowing we can rely on steady, dedicated support from donors like you. All Pink Tower Society members are recognized in our Annual Report with a pink tower icon next to their names.
In 1972, Marilyn and Wayne Weber founded the Katrice Montessori School (now Montessori Community School) to meet the unique needs of their daughter, Patricia, who had Down Syndrome. Patricia achieved much in her lifetime, including learning American Sign Language and Hula. She became a teacher’s assistant and helped preschool children learn to read. After the passing of Marilyn and Patricia in 2022, Marilyn's son Mark Weberand his wife Karen established the Patricia Weber Family Fund to support students with a wide range of unique learning needs. Your contribution to this fund honors the legacy of our first student and the family that supported her.
Jerry Mueller was the quintessential Montessori man. He spent his 43-year career as a teacher at Montessori Community School, helping hundreds of children develop a lifelong enthusiasm for learning and a commitment to bettering our world. In 2018, the Jerry Mueller Teacher Training Fund was established to honor his retirement. The fund aims to assist aspiring MCS teachers in completing their Montessori certification and provide them with professional development opportunities. Jerry Mueller, who passed away in December 2020, left a lasting impact on the MCS community through his teaching. When you support Jerry's fund, you help ensure that every classroom has a certified Montessori teacher trained with the latest Montessori teaching methods.
Recent teachers who received scholarships from the Jerry Mueller Teacher Training Fund include Sheryl Lomongo, Michelle Ly, & Thuy Nga Tran.
The Children’s Education Endowment Fund was established in 2015, with the support of the following funds:
By contributing to this fund, you help make Montessori education accessible to families needing tuition assistance. This fund aims to diversify the student body and broaden access to the Montessori education model across the community. This year, MCS awarded $49,700 in tuition assistance to 14 families, benefiting 7.5% of our student enrollment.
Other Ways To Give
Aloha
United Way
Gifts made through Aloha United Way’s Donor Choice program benefit the Children's Education Endowment Fund. Contact your company’s AUW campaign coordinator for details on designating MCS as an Aloha United Way recipient.
Matching
Gifts
Many companies offer to match charitable gifts made by an employee. Matching gifts are credited to the donor and can double or even triple the size of your gift.
Interested in doing even more?
If you are interested in making a significant donation, a named endowment fund is a great way to have a lasting impact. You can establish the endowment in your name or honor the memory of a loved one. You can support an existing cause or create a new one by selecting a program or activity you are passionate about. Named endowments require a gift of $25,000 or more. For more information, please contact James Kia, Director of Development.