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Snowdrop Montessori School, serving toddlers ages 15 months to 33 months, plans a formal opening next Tuesday in Haverhill after relocating from Cambridge.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place Tuesday, Sept. 21, 5 p.m., at the school in the new Gerson Building, 181 Washington St.
Snowdrop’s Head of School Nicole Randall, a Haverhill native, said children are able to thrive when provided with a thoughtful, inclusive and harmonious environment.
“Thanks to the support of (Coalition for a Better Acre) and Eastern Bank Foundation, we are collectively modeling a supportive environment for the children, and therefore making a bigger overall impact on the community at large,” Randall said.
Snowdrop Montessori is initially opening its shopfront school to 10 children this fall and will remain small, growing to a two-room school, serving up to 18 children. It is Haverhill’s third school in the Wildflower network of teacher-led, micro, Montessori schools, joining Wisteria Montessori, founded 2019, and Marigold Montessori, founded 2015.
Organizers say it will serve as a neighborhood anchor and provide a lasting benefit to the city. They credit Rep. Andy X. Vargas for bringing Wildflower Schools and Eastern Bank Foundation together.
“Early childhood education continues to be one of the most important areas of focus for an equitable and sustainable economic recovery. For a long time, the early childcare sector has been in dire need of resources and expansion efforts to serve kids and families in the most critical point of child development. Embedding Snowdrop Montessori in this affordable housing building means we can tackle multiple issues—housing, childcare and workforce,” Vargas said.
The Bridge Forward Fund, a new organization dedicated to helping address problems of social and financial inequality, was an early supporter of the project when Vargas shared how this project aligns with its mission.
“As a Merrimack Valley native and daughter of immigrant parents, it was clear to me that having access to quality early-education in a community such as this one was key to long-term positive outcomes not only for the children who will attend Snowdrop but also for the City of Haverhill as a whole,” said Chief Executive Officer Luisa Peña Lyons.
The early care partnership with Coalition for a Better Acre gave Snowdrop Montessori the opportunity to move into one of Haverhill’s newest buildings, the Gerson Building, while giving the building’s family residents preference for attendance.
Snowdrop Montessori is accepting applications on a rolling basis. Snowdrop accepts state education vouchers and offers need-based scholarships. For more information, or to fill out an enrollment application, email [email protected] or visit snowdropmontessori.org.