Board of Directors
- Board’s Mission: Committed to upholding the school’s mission, goals, and guiding principles.
- Accountability: Accountable to the school’s members and ensures alignment with the school’s guiding principles.
- Policy-Based: Uses established policies to guide decision-making and create a conducive learning environment.
- Roles and Diversity: Includes Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary, plus Directors with various expertise. This diversity helps in making informed decisions.
- Member Representation: Serves as a bridge between the school’s operations and its membership, representing the interests of the members.
- Education Goals: Works to provide a high-quality education for students, focusing on academic prowess, social responsibility, and personal development.
Mandate
- Community Engagement: Proactively engages with the community and stakeholders, considers their needs and feedback in school operations.
- Resource Management: Responsible for judicious use of school resources to provide high-quality education, including budget oversight and fundraising.
- Compliance: Ensures operations align with the school’s purpose and maintains its tax-exempt status by adhering to all relevant laws and regulations.
- Transparency: Commits to maintaining transparent financial records to secure the school’s financial stability.
- Mission Fidelity: Aims to keep the non-profit school true to its principles and mission while providing the best education sustainably.
Board Members
The Kawartha Montessori Board is made up of respected community members who are elected every year. The board has a Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary, as well as other Directors who bring a variety of skills and viewpoints.
Annual General Meeting
- The school board has a yearly meeting called the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
- It’s a time for families to learn about the school, ask questions, and give their thoughts.
- We hope one person from each family comes to the AGM.
Becoming a Member of the Board
- If you want to be on the school board, it’s important to know what the job involves.
- Board members help the school stick to its goals and make important money and rule decisions.
- To get involved, talk to a current board member or the principal. New members are chosen at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Meghan Campbell
Chair
We relocated from the GTA to the Peterborough area to raise our kids in the Kawartha and are thrilled to have found an Accredited and amazing Montessori school so close to our home. I have two boys at KMS. My eldest joined KMS at the former location on Cameron street before trying out French Immersion for a short time. He was happy to return in grade 1 and is now thriving in Upper Elementary. He is looking forward to attending the next level of KMS in Middle School. My youngest joined KMS when he was 3 and is now in Lower Elementary. He has really enjoyed the consistency and supports offered by his teaching teams and has gotten to practice his leadership and mentoring skills as he partners with the three age groups in his class.
My husband and I were drawn to the Montessori method early on with having such independent and curious children. Their interest in an object or topic would hold their attention and they would want to know everything about it. They would ask lots of questions and try to connect the new pieces of information into the framework of things they were already aware. Seeing the world from a Montessori lens, which shows the macro down to the micro and how things are interconnected, has feed their curiosity and inspires them to learn even more about the wide world around them.
I truly believe in KMS and the phenomenal teachers and families that make up our friendly and supportive KMS community. With KMS being a not for profit school, I was happy when I was asked to volunteer as the Chair of the KMS Board of Directors. I have an HBA in English and History and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management. I hold my Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and have practiced HR for my entire professional career.
My favourite Montessori material is the Binomial Cube. This was the first material that made its way into our home as inspired from the carefully prepared KMS Casa classroom. My sons’ so enjoyed playing with the Binomial Cube at school that over the summer we needed to buy one of our own. I thought it was a colourful puzzle, little did I know the amazing building blocks that it’s simple wooden shape held for advanced mathematical concepts of algebra! The Binomial Cube was my first introduction of how KMS shapes a love of learning at every developmental stage!
Catia Skinner
Vice Chair
I joined the KMS Board of Directors in 2019 and I currently serve as the Vice Chair.
Both of my children are currently enrolled at KMS. My oldest son William is in grade 5 and my youngest son Miguel is in grade 2. I remember my first visit to KMS as if it were yesterday. When we entered Casa, a little girl explained her project on Dolphins to me. Her beautiful handwriting, attention to detail, and her communication skills impressed me so much which ultimately became the deciding factor to choose KMS for our boys. My husband and I love to watch the development and growth of independence in our kids through the Montessori pedagogy. We are constantly in awe of their love of learning, how much they care about KMS, and the friends they have made.
I am a graduate of Brazil’s Instituto Nacional de Pós Graduaçāo, Castelo Branco University, with a degree in Marketing Management. I also hold a degree from Mackenzie University majoring in Economics. I have over 15 years of expertise in strategic planning, marketing intelligence, brand management and product marketing.
I am also passionate and dedicated to giving back to our community. I am a co-founder of 100 Women Peterborough, a board member of Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services, and I have also served on the boards of the New Canadians Centre and Women’s Business Network.
I love all materials used in math lessons and fascinated how the Montessori pedagogy approaches kids’ learning of the subject.
Wendy Thompson
Treasurer
Our family started at KMS when our son was in Casa. He is now in grade 6 and we have been at KMS for nearly 8 years.
We knew that we wanted an alternative to the public education system. Our son is an energetic and independent spirit, and we wanted an educational alternative that fosters that independence, and gives him choice and flexibility around his academics. We wanted an experience that embraces the whole child and that is what KMS offers our family.
I started on the Board in 2019 and I am currently the Treasurer. I have a variety of business/management experience in the private and public sector.
My favourite Montessori material is KMS specific. It is the beautiful 10-acre campus, that allows our children to have lots of outdoor time, connecting with their classmates through unstructured play.
Christine Grigg
Secretary
I have been a board member for four years and have one Casa student and a Lower Elementary student. We chose KMS for our family for the sense of community, outdoor learning opportunities and connection to nature.
I have been a Physiotherapist for over 10 years in the Peterborough area. I was a Director on the Board for the Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough for three terms before joining the KMS board. I have really enjoyed my time volunteering with the board so far and am excited for the future possibilities in the KMS community.
My favorite Montessori philosophy, is fostering independence, respecting and embracing the child as the tiny human that they are.
Michael Skinner
Director
Nicole Christie
Director
We came to KMS three years ago for the small class sizes, child-centred instruction & focus on outdoor learning activities. Ethan is now in the Middle School Program in grade 7.
When not in school or working we love to travel and enjoy being outside swimming, kayaking, fishing, skiing and skating.
My favourite Montessori materials are the manipulative materials that are designed to teach an abstract concept in a concrete way. For example, the sandpaper letters. The child can trace the shape of the letter, reinforcing letter recognition while practicing the corresponding sound. We also really enjoy the practical life materials that help children build confidence in completing everyday activities such as cleaning and self-care.
Joe McRae
Director
Hello, KMS families! I’m Joe McRae, parent to Eliza in Lower Elementary. Our family chose KMS for its commitment to fostering independent and critical thinkers through the Montessori approach. The warm, nurturing environment, the space for outdoor exploration, and the school’s philosophy of encouraging children to learn at their own pace resonated with us deeply, promising not just an education but a holistic development for Eliza.
As a high school math teacher, the Golden Beads capture my admiration. They provide a hands-on, visual introduction to crucial mathematical concepts and overall number sense seamlessly blending learning and play in the classroom and laying a solid foundation for understanding more complex mathematical concepts in the future.
Joining the KMS Board of Directors for me is a way of actively participating in shaping an environment and community that continues to nurture our children’s love for learning. I’m here to bring my background in education to the table, help where I’m able, and contribute to a community where every child is celebrated, every teacher is appreciated, and every day is a new adventure!
Kaitlyn MacPherson
Director
I happily joined the KMS board of directors in 2023 after being a part of the community for 2 years prior. Currently my two older children are enrolled at KMS, my oldest was excited to begin in Lower Elementary this year, and my middle child started in the Casa program. There are many reasons we decided on KMS, but the importance placed on individualized learning and encouraging their independence are at the top of the list.
I am a Nurse by trade, but have spent the last few years at home with my children. After sending two of them off to school, I found myself wanting to be more involved with the KMS community, and joining the board of directors was a great way for me to be able to do that.
It’s impossible to choose just one, but one piece of Montessori material I love is the globe. I love that the children are taught that they are a very important part of the very big world around them!