This year Bay Farm Montessori Academy is celebrating 50 years of providing Montessori education to students and families in Duxbury and across Massachusetts' South Shore.
In 1972, Pam and Leo Malboeuf founded a small 8-student preschool called Munchkin Montessori, located in what is now the school’s main office. In 1982, a group of parents who wished their children could continue their Montessori education beyond kindergarten formed a Board of Trustees to create Bay Farm Academy, a Montessori elementary program. The two schools eventually merged to create Bay Farm Montessori Academy, serving children from 12 months to 6th Grade. In 2009, Bay Farm expanded its excellent educational programming to include 7th and 8th-grade students with its middle school's opening. In 2019 Bay Farm was officially accredited by the American Montessori Society, an honor that positions the school among less than 15% of other Montessori schools across the country.
Throughout the years, the school has undergone many changes while remaining true to its mission of providing a vibrant Montessori learning community where children and adolescents are inspired to grow with joy, purpose, and compassion. Bay Farm provides much more than academics with a challenging curriculum supported by integrated specialist programs such as STEM education, agriculture, music, drama, Spanish, and art. With a large focus on child and adolescent social and emotional development, Bay Farm prepares students by providing the necessary skills and sense of responsibility to be confident learners eager to understand themselves and their world.
“The often somber news being reported from around the world and within our own country often feels overwhelmingly sad, scary, and confusing. Bay Farm is filled with everything this world needs to be a better place. We have kind, respectful, bright, motivated global thinkers of all ages. We have a dedicated staff who cares deeply for each individual and expects the best academically and communally. We have a rich Specialist program that encourages reading, singing, acting, building, creating, and caring for all living things. My joy comes from knowing that each Bay Farm student brings their own sharp mind, quiet confidence, and unwavering grace to every situation they encounter.” - Britta Moran, Director of Enrollment.
This academic year, Bay Farm Montessori will celebrate its milestone in a handful of ways.
- “50” Art Installation: Bay Farm will honor and recognize previous students, families, and staff by installing a 6-foot 3D “50” adorned with photographs from over the last five decades. Alumni, current students, and past and present staff and faculty are invited to visit to sign their names on the art installation.
- Student-Led T-Shirt Design Contest: Students have been tasked with designing a special 50th Anniversary T-Shirt, voted on by staff.
- Bay Farm Timeline: A photographic timeline of Bay Farm from 1972 will be displayed on campus, representing where the school has been and where the school is headed in the future.
- Founders Party: Bay Farm is hosting a VIP dinner for friends and supporters of Bay Farm at the Duxbury Art Complex Museum in May of 2023.
- Festival on the Farm 50th Celebration: Bay Farm’s second-annual Festival on the Farm will be themed around the 50th Anniversary featuring live music, carnival games, dedications, family activities, and more. This year’s Festival on the Farm will take place on Sunday, June 4, 2023.
If you haven't yet, we invite you to leave your mark on our celebratory 50 sign!
Check-in at the main office to grab a marker and leave your mark!