Dear Supporters and Friends of Hilltop Montessori School,
Thank you!
2023 has been another year of tremendous growth at Hilltop Montessori School. It has only been possible because of your support.
Every organization looking for support says that, but none means it more than we do. Each year we set a modest budget and make plans for responsible operations and growth, and then we look to God to bring generous donors to us.
And each year, through donors like you, we have been blessed. Your support, no matter how large or small, is humbling, and a sign of hope.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
Noelle and I founded this organization as an expression of hope for the future of our troubled neighborhood and town. But hope alone will not change anything.
Action and support must follow.
Your continued support for our actions at Hilltop Montessori School means this hope is shared. It means this hope has the opportunity to bear fruit. Our growth here in 2023 is case-in-point.
Some highlights of 2023:
- Our Primary building underwent long-dreamed-of renovations. Walls came down to increase the space available for programs. A child-height countertop and sink went in to make water works more readily available.
- We replaced the century-old colored windows in Primary. These both let in much more natural light and greatly improve our heating efficiency.
- Our Primary expanded to 24 students. With the added space, we now have a maximum capacity of 28. We likely will reach that number next year.
- Our Elementary expanded from nine students to 14 in its second year.
- We acquired a significant number of new materials for our Elementary, giving our students even more learning opportunities.
- We changed our name from Hilltop Children’s House to Hilltop Montessori School to reflect the addition of the Elementary Program.
- We acquired an abandoned and overgrown lot across the street for future gardening opportunities.
We’ve accomplished all of this while staying true to our Mission to keep tuition affordable for all families. In fact, two thirds of our students qualify for and receive reduced tuition due to their family income. Six out of 38 students attend for $528 or less for the entire year.
In our Elementary program, students ages six to twelve are:
- knitting and crocheting scarves, hats, and mittens for the homeless of Steubenville;
- learning about the scientific method through experiments of their own choosing;
- planning a camping trip for the end of the year;
- working through the binomial equation and learning how to multiply large numbers, with multipliers of four digits;
- doing research on medieval history, butterflies, spotted salamanders, quarterhorses, and the history of Pangaea
- learning cooking and food preparation techniques;
- perfecting their cursive writing and advancing their reading skills;
- learning how to work together, to help one another, to resolve conflicts, to think through problems and come up with creative solutions, and to respect one another;
- and lots, lots more.
In Primary, students ages three to six are learning:
- how to tie their own shoes;
- how to work in teams to set the table and clean up after lunch;
- to recognize and differentiate among letter sounds, colors, numbers, quantities, pitches, and textures;
- how to form letters and numbers;
- how to add, multiply, subtract, and divide and work through word problems;
- how to function in a society that is not just their immediate family;
- how to make coffee or tea for guides and guests;
- and lots more.
Perhaps the most important lesson in both classrooms is the development of executive functioning. Each child comes to understand that they are capable of making their own choices, and they are responsible for their own learning. The environment is arranged to help the child succeed, and the guide facilitates learning through presentations and guidance, but the child, ultimately, must choose to learn. When they realize this, and embrace it, there is little that remains inaccessible to them.
This is what a true Montessori school provides.
We are pleased and blessed to be able to make this possible. A true Montessori education gives children the best possible opportunity for future success — an opportunity especially important for children from lower-income families.
But keeping this promise of affordability means we do not cover our budget through tuition; we must fill our budget through the generosity of our supporters.
This, of course, is where you come in.
You sustain this Mission. You are the fuel that keeps the engine running. Without your consistent support we simply cannot keep going.
As you make your end-of-year decisions, please keep the children of Steubenville in your heart. We have a good thing going here, and we need your support to keep it going.
Whether through a generous one-time contribution here at the end of the year, or through a monthly pledge, your support keeps the lights on, our faculty paid, and our programs growing.
Can you make a gift of $50, $500, or even $5,000? Any contribution of any size will help, but your generosity at this time will help us plan for future purchases of needed materials, set a schedule for needed improvements to our physical plant, and give us a firm foundation for future growth.
Whatever your best and most generous gift may be, you can give online via PayPal Giving Fund, here, or give a direct donation via Zelle using “[email protected].”
You can mail a check made payable to Hilltop Montessori School to:
Hilltop Montessori School
117 S. Hollywood Blvd. #133
Steubenville, Ohio 43952
If you’d like to become a monthly donor, a Hilltop Montessori Champion, you can set up recurring donations at Continue to Give, here, or, depending on your financial institution, fee-free through Zelle. Check with your financial institution to find out if they do this through Zelle.
However you choose to renew your support of Hilltop Montessori School, we thank you most sincerely for your support of excellent, true Montessori in Steubenville, Ohio. Your gift will have an impact immediately in our programs, and, as our students grown and learn, long into the future.
God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas season.
Sincerely,
Tom Crowe
President, Hilltop Montessori School
