We interviewed Angeline Geldhof, the Executive Director at the Hawai’i Montessori Schools, to learn more about the organization and find out how the community can help and participate in the Hawai’i Montessori Schools and its campuses and many programs.

Hawai’i Montessori Schools will be directing funds raised at the Kona Brewer’s Festival towards their tuition assistance program. This will be Hawai’i Montessori’s 6th year of organizing the Kona Brewer’s Festival Golf Tournament at the Big Island Country Club.

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When was Hawai’i Montessori Schools founded?

Hawai’i Montessori Schools first opened August 1980 in Kamuela. We started out as a preschool program offering early childhood education using the Montessori Methodology and Philosophy for children ages 3-6 years old. In 1992 HMS opened a second campus in Kailua-Kona at the current Manawale’a location. Over the years we opened a Toddler programs at both campuses providing E.C.E. to children ages 15 months to three years old.

What are some of Hawai’i Montessori Schools’s proudest moments and biggest successes?

Our proudest moments is the success of our students after they have left us. We see many of our students as young adults now and many have been successful in their academic career. We also have parents of former students who attribute the success of their children to their time at Montessori.

In the Kona Campus Garden

What are some of the biggest/most exciting challenges ahead?

Currently, we see the need to be able to reach out to families of young children. In West Hawai’i 52% of children entering Kindergarten have never had any early childhood education experience, this includes home and center care, because their families can not afford the full cost of quality care. Now with Hawai’i being one of the Race to the Top schools for K-12, these young children will be starting at a disadvantage compared to their peers who have had early childhood education experience.

And how do you plan to face those challenges?

We are doing our best to meet this challenge by writing grants and putting on fundraising events, such as the Bill Healy Foundation’s KBF Golf Tournament to raise funds for our Financial Aid program. Each year we have been fortunate to have received funds from foundations as McInerny, G. N. Wilcox, Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation as well as funds from the Bill Healy Foundation. We also do other fundraisers, such as the Keiki WinterFest at the Keauhou Shopping Center and the Annual Benefit Luau in Kamuela. With these funds, and in some part through our operating budget, we do our best to provide as much financial aid as we can. We accept children who are receiving child care subsidies through the Department of Human Services. Hawai’i Montessori Schools is also on Kamehameha Schools list of participating school for the Pauahi Keiki Scholars scholarship.

Learning in the Kamuela Campus classroom.

How can the community help/get involved?

It is very important for the community at large to become very aware of how important early childhood education is for the young child. These children are our youngest constituents of our community and the only have us to be their voice. The Good Beginnings Alliance has a Be My Voice campaign which is meant to bring to the awareness of the importance of ECE (early childhood education) to the community and political forefront.

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Links

• Hawai’i Montessori Schools
• Hawai’i Montessori Schools on Facebook
• Hawai’i Montessori Programs
• Hawai’i Montessori Admissions
• Hawai’i Montessori Schools Photos