Page 3 - Demo

2020-21
Becca Groothuis
President
George DeMet
Vice President
Sara O’Mara
Secretary
Carrie Charles
Treasurer
Elizabeth al-Dajani Adrian Mitchell Brenda Mizel Mike Muriel Rev. Michael Nabors Renee Ruffing Suzanne Shumaker Rebecca Silton Evan Terry Melanie Wright
CHIARAVALLE MONTESSORI
Dear Friends,
We began the 2020-21 school year with two primary goals: keep our community healthy and deliver quality modern Montessori education. Amid the challenges of COVID-19, Chiaravalle adapted successfully, navigating financial challenges while upholding our mission and highlighting our school as a place of community. We are proud to report on our 2020-21 school year.
Chiaravalle made significant investments in our learning environments to keep us healthy and on-campus. Thanks to long-term strategic planning, as well as past and present philanthropic giving, the summer of 2020 saw a $3.3 million renovation of the toddler floor and upgrades in building-wide mechanical systems. The pandemic prompted strategically modified staffing, limited enrollment capacity, and the investment of more than $230,000 in additional facilities enhancements and safety equipment, which included saliva testing and targeted augmentation to ventilation systems.
Chiaravalle embraced the opportunity for innovation. We designed three distinct Montessori-based programs (in-person, hybrid, and remote) to meet the range of complex needs facing our families. Students enjoyed personal sets of hands-on Montessori materials, volunteered at the forest preserves, recorded radio plays, and brought gamification to a virtual Interest Fair. The opportunity to experience a sense of normalcy and connectedness supported student wellbeing.
While we always focus on creating an open and welcoming community, COVID required us to be creative in how we fostered that connectivity. Through virtual community meetings, two virtual Cultural Fests, and many planned and spontaneous acts of thoughtfulness, we cared for each other.
Authentic connections have inspired our community to stay intact. After the mandated closure in spring 2020, 94% of all head teachers and administrators returned. Chiaravalle was able to leverage the federal Paycheck Protection Program to retain faculty, and despite reduced revenue and increased costs, enacted significant expense mitigation in every part of the school. As a result, demand for 21-22 enrollment was strong, with most programs reaching COVID-adjusted capacity. Notably, we welcomed our school’s largest first-grade cohort when 73% of Kindergarten students continued to Lower Elementary for fall 2021.
Chiaravalle’s long-standing commitment to equity and inclusion is integral to our mission. As we grappled with racial inequality and political unrest unfolding across the nation, we offered developmentally appropriate resources for students and families. In spring 2021, we entered into a three-year partnership with A Single Story Equity Consulting, who will help our school evolve as an even more inclusive and diverse community.
The Chiaravalle community’s response to the year’s financial challenges was to generously support our efforts through giving; family participation in our philanthropic efforts increased from 47% to 77%. For that, we are extremely grateful! These charitable dollars helped us cover some COVID expenses, maintain program quality, provide tuition assistance to enhance socioeconomic diversity, and retain families economically impacted by the pandemic. In 2020-21 37% of our students were awarded tuition assistance.
The pandemic is not over yet. The transition to a new normal continues to impact revenue and operations. We continue to prioritize delivering our mission and fostering the individual, community, and fiscal health of the school. THANK YOU for supporting our important work and being part of our incredibly vibrant community.
Robyn McCloud-Springer Becca Groothuis Head of School Board President