Every year, I wrap up my summer break with a long hike. The subtle change in the late summer air prepares me to welcome back our students and forge our path through the new school year together. Some hikes bring clear views and an unobstructed trail. This year’s end-of-summer hike was not like that at all. My view was hindered by rain, the path was blocked by a fallen tree, and at times it was hard to find the trail at all. A hike that was supposed to take two hours took four. But I pushed on and was rewarded with a breathtaking view.
As I made my way down the trail, I thought about what a perfect metaphor it was for this school year. This month, we’ve had much to celebrate. We moved into our new school home, and we welcomed our first class of 8th graders. These two milestones are momentous, and we could not be more thrilled. The view from up here is beautiful.
But the path to get here was similar to the trail on my hike, full of redirects, blocked paths, and time constraints. At the end of last school year, we lost the space we had called home for 12 years. The entire staff spent weeks after school let out packing our furniture, materials, and supplies into trailers, where they were inaccessible for two months.
After a summer break shortened by the move, staff had to work remotely because we were unable to access the new building before August 10. Construction began on new floors and cabinetry, but as is typical, it took much longer than expected. Some materials that were supposed to be installed in late July didn’t arrive until August 9. Despite the delays, miraculously, construction was completed in time for an August 10 move-in.
We had one week to settle in and prepare for our start date on August 17. We unpacked 10 semi-trailers of belongings, set up our classrooms and administrative areas, and held an open house to welcome families into our new space. We could see the summit, and we were ready.
But, as it turned out, our grueling journey wasn’t over yet. Monsoon rains came on Saturday, August 15, and destroyed the new middle school as well as classrooms and offices throughout the building. Leadership worked quickly with the landlord to find the right contractors to fix the space. Ultimately, their fast and thorough work allowed us to open just a week later than we had planned.
When a long hike takes an unexpected turn, you can choose to turn back, or you can choose to keep going. You can find the next step, and the one after that, until you’re standing where you were meant to be all along.
At each of these detours, we chose to find the next foothold. Teachers and administrators gave up most of their summer break to make this opening happen. They packed, planned, communicated with families, and brought us to our new home on an incredibly tight timeline. Their dedication is the reason we are standing in finished classrooms today instead of still unpacking boxes.
They weren’t alone on the path. Our PTO helped make this move possible, packing up boxes in May and June and setting up our new library in August. Board members showed up to help pack, brought food during long days, and volunteered their time when things got hard. Behind the scenes, the board also moved carefully and intentionally for months before the move, vetting this location, asking the right questions, and making sure this would be the right permanent home for our school.
Everyone gave something to get us here. Our whole community chose, again and again, to keep moving forward on our adventure.
Now, we are here. We are open and thriving in our new building. Our first-ever 8th-grade class is walking the hallways. It’s a milestone we get to celebrate because so many people decided not to let a hard summer become a reason to stop moving forward.
Thank you to every teacher, administrator, PTO member, board member, and family member who packed a box, brought a meal, or stayed late to pitch in. This building is ours because you made it so.
Welcome home, Montessori del Mundo. We’re glad we get to enjoy this view together.
Wendy Renee