Montessori Community Association
The Montessori Community Association (MCA) is a strong and active parent-led organization at Montessori Community School that provides a wide variety of community-building and service efforts to improve the overall experience of families at our school. The MCA is made up of parents who serve as officers and chairpersons for MCA sponsored events and staff members who regularly attend meetings.
The MCA serves the community in several ways: fundraising for specific projects and programs such as new outdoor learning environments, playground improvements, a new school bus, and a sprung floor for the gym. Fundraising is achieved through large, planned events including the annual auction and gear sales and through sponsored fundraising activities such as Innisbrook sales, Scholastic Book Fair and more.
MCA also coordinates social and community-building events including ice cream socials, meet-n-greets and pancake breakfasts. Community serving projects are an important service provided by the MCA. This year, the MCA worked with a local Community in Schools Backpack Program to collect food and funds that fed 50 area children for month’s worth of weekends. The MCA also supported “Project Linus” by providing numerous blankets to children in need. Finally, the MCA collected and delivered hundreds of books to “Read Seed,” during the Fall Scholastic Book Fair and will donate unsold Gear Sale items to organizations such as Welcome Baby, public libraries in Durham and Chapel Hill, women’s shelters, and local animal shelters.
Finally, the MCA provides critical support for families on campus through several key programs including the Family Support Network the New Family Mentor Program. The Family Support Network provides assistance in the form of meals, transportation, child care and help with other tasks in times of personal adversity. The New Family Mentor Program matches veteran MCS families with families new to the school so they have additional contacts before and during the new school year. Volunteers reach out to ensure that new families feel welcome at MCS.
