Dear Greenspring families –

After years of work and planning, the day has finally come! The trucks have arrived on campus – our Great Foundation, Great Future Project has officially begun! This week Southway Builders will be on campus removing the play structure that is at the top of our campus next to our chicken coop, installing fences that will delineate the construction zone from the accessible and safe areas on campus, and installing the access road that will cross the Falls Road end of the soccer field.

So much work has been done to make this much-awaited day a reality:

• We have worked with architects from GWWO to ensure that every square foot of space serves the child and that every dollar is used toward that end – no bells and whistles, no extras, only what the children need to further their growth – a truly Montessori approach. Our new classrooms and villages will be constructed to meet the developmental qualities of the age group they serve.
• We have received all of the needed permitting and approvals from the state, county, and community organizations. This has been no small task! We have spent a year on the front end of the project working with community groups and the past 17 months working with the county.
• We officially have the funds needed to build and renovate the Multipurpose Building. This building will be demolished and reconstructed to create the Toddler and Children’s House Village East – housing four Children’s House classrooms and three Toddler classrooms. This will be the first building to be complete – hopefully by the end of summer – allowing us to move right in for the start of the new school year.
• We also have the funds needed to fully renovate our historic Main Building, which will become our Toddler and Children’s House Village West and be home to two Children’s House classrooms, two Toddler classrooms, a our Montessori Teacher Training Center, the Library, the nurse’s office, and numerous administrative offices. Our intent is to begin renovations on this village after school lets out for the summer, allowing us to move back into the beautiful new spaces for January 2018.

A heartfelt thank you to those of you who have helped us make these two major phases possible with your leadership donations to our Capital Campaign. Your gifts have made it possible for us to offer two newly updated and appointed buildings for our children. You have made a real difference for our community, our families, and our students!

We aren’t finished our Big Work yet! Our master plan also includes new classrooms to be constructed between Little Barn and Friedberg to serve our Elementary Community. This group of buildings will be our Elementary Village, housing the Lower and Upper Elementary classrooms, a community kitchen, an art studio and maker’s space, and a courtyard designed for outdoor learning. This part of the project, however, is yet to be funded. The Campus Master Plan stemmed from our commitment to serving all our children, and we need our community to help fulfill that commitment. We will be asking for your support to complete it in the upcoming weeks and months.

We are planning a series of classroom dinners to allow every family to learn about the project and to have the opportunity to give. Look for information coming about the date of your classroom’s event in the coming months!

We want you to be informed! Going forward, we will be communicating with you in a few different ways to share our progress:

1. We have a new Capital Project page on our website which we will use to share pictures and updates as well as archived project communications. Visit GreenspringBigWork.org for more information!
2. We will keep you informed through our weekly Connection and Look Aheads which you receive via email on Fridays.
3. We will use social media – Facebook and Instagram – to share pictures and updates on a regular basis.
4. We will continue to send emails when direct communication to you is needed (e.g. carline announcements, big project events).

Without a doubt, this project is a major undertaking for our humble community. Therefore, it will continue to require our community’s strength, flexibility, and love each step of the way. We stand ready and eager, knowing we are doing the absolute best for our children and families. Thank you for your support in this project – and in all we do here at Greenspring Montessori. We could not do it without you.

Warmly,

Tamara Sheesley Balis
Head of School