Caboolture Montessori School celebrates 25 years
Caboolture Montessori School was opened in 1998 operating out of the Caboolture Historical Village with just 8 students. In 1999, the school moved to its current location at 200 Old Gympie Road with 23 students and worked out of what we now call the Administration building. The current Cycle 1 buildings were constructed in 2002 and due to continuous expansion, the Cycle 2 buildings were added in 2010. Our Library was finalised in 2011 and the upper part of the current two-storey building opened for classes in 2016. In 2018, the 20th anniversary was celebrated and in 2022 the lower part of the two storey ‘New Building’ was concluded. Now with 240 students CMS is 25 years old! What an amazing time of growth and learning we have had in the last twenty five years.
On 31st August, the birthday of Dr. Maria Montessori, with families, friends and community, we celebrated this milestone!
To commemorate this milestone anniversary, Caboolture Montessori School planned series of special events and activities. These celebrations showcased the talents, achievements and creativity of the students, teachers and the growing school community. Some highlights included:
- Formal opening of the Hard Court building officiated by Ali King MP with entertainment from Gubbi Gubbi Dance Troupe.
- CMS25 – CMS worked with Hive Mind artist Amelia Kalifa to create a collaborative art exhibition telling the stories of what makes the school so special
- Big Blue Beads Project – The staff of CMS came together in a spirit of unity to create a Montessori themed art installation which was installed permanently outside the school’s library.
- Time Capsule Burial – having exhumed the school’s Time Capsule in 2021, the capsule was reburied to celebrate the occasion of the 25th
- A commemorative table cloth was designed by a community member. Families were invited to sign the table cloth for the cost of a donation to the school’s 2023 nominated charity, The Common Good.
- A gathering and celebration in the library reminiscing the challenges and achievements of the past and visualizing the bright future of the school.
Celebrations during 2023
Acknowledgement of Parents and Staff
News students, parents and existing families were welcomed to the school with a CMS designed celebratory card as they walked to their classrooms on the first day of term. Later in the week, during the first staff-meeting of the year, an internal celebration of CMS’ 25 years was marked. Principal Yvonne thanked and acknowledged staff individually, sharing delicious food and gifting each one; Montessori ‘Bead Bar’ earrings were given to the ladies, and ‘Bead Bar’ tie pins to the gentlemen. Certificates of Service were also distributed to staff who have worked with the school for 5, 10, 20 and…. believe it or not, 25 years! We look forward to a great year ahead with an exceptional Montessori team on board!
New Parents Meet & Greet
On February 9th, the official welcome of our new parents was held. Each parent received a gift pack including a Montessori book, as well as a list of 25 Facts about Montessori, as seen below. To celebrate our 25th year, we are also sharing these facts with the broader community via our social media. If you have are active on Linkedin, please follow the school’s page, which now also has an Alumni tab.
CMS25 Workshops
A number of our stakeholders were invited to participate in the CMS25 Art Project workshops held in February and March. The final outcome of this art project will be launched during our anniversary signature event on 31st August.
Clean Up Australia Day
Because the environment plays such an essential role in the Montessori philosophy, we were determined that our school would support Clean Up Australia Day 2023 particularly having received our Mayor Peter Flannery‘s reminder to participate. We also wanted this event to be part of our 25th-anniversary celebrations. Today, our 2B Dolphins class participated in Clean Up Australia for schools. The Dolphins were surprised to collect five lots of 25 pieces of rubbish plus an additional nine pieces, totalling 134 pieces of rubbish. Most of it was tiny bits of plastic and paper, which our environment certainly doesn’t want. In addition, almost 20 CMS volunteers attended another Clean Up Australia event in Caboolture on Sunday. Well done all!
Candle Ceremony
Each year, our first of the CMS events is The Caboolture Montessori Candle Ceremony. The significance of the School Candle is in the welcoming of a new scholastic year and the acknowledgement of our student leaders, witnessed by our community, as they accept their role of modelling CMS Montessori. This year a special 25th anniversary candle was added to the ceremony.
Journey & Discovery
This unique event is indelible on the minds of many of our parents. It is a must-do for our new parents who co-create their own Montessori journey by discovering answers to their own Montessori Questions. This workshop takes place over a weekend and is guided by our Principal.
Harmony Day
The much-loved CMS Multicultural day (now called Harmony Day) took place on 31st March with parents/carers and families from our entire Montessori community attending. Our theme in 2023 was #everyonebelongs. This special event shares a core Montessori message which is Peace. As Montessorians, we not only accept cultural diversity, but embrace it willingly and rejoice particularly to experience a variety of cultures, peacefully, within our school community. The morning brought moments of discovery and learning from many cultures. Many members of our community shared the spirit of the event, dressed-up in your favourite cultural costume and joined in our parade. #everyonebelongs