Dear Thacher Families,

I hope you are planning for a relaxing, long weekend of beautiful weather. For those of you who garden, this will be a perfect weekend to get your hands dirty in the warm earth. 

With Governor Baker’s announcement of the phased re-opening of the State, I wanted to share with you our initial plan impacting tuition and emergency aid, should we begin the year remotely or if there is a resurgence of COVID-19 later in the Autumn. This plan was submitted by administration to the Thacher Board of Trustees, who gave their unanimous approval. 

  • Tuition Credits - Thacher will provide full-time students partial-tuition credits (up to 8- weeks) for each week during a State-mandated school closure due to COVID-19. Credits may begin as early as September 8, 2020:

  • Toddler students - 40% tuition credit for up to 8 weeks
  • Children’s House students - 30% tuition credit for up to 8 weeks
  • Lower Elementary students - 15% tuition credit for up to 8 weeks

These credits will be added to your Smart Tuition account, lowering future monthly payments .

  • Due to numerous requests from parents for a full-year, online learning option to continue their child’s learning from home, our task force is working to offer this virtual platform for the 2020-2021 school year. Tuition for this online program will be less than the full-year, on-campus option. Details to follow. The above credits do not apply to this online option.

  • Emergency Financial Aid - a few families have spoken to Peter or me about the financial uncertainty they face or may face later in the year. To reassure our families, Thacher will be accepting applications for emergency financial aid throughout the year, and we are dedicating the 2020-2021 annual fund proceeds to this effort. As a community, we can all support this effort with a donation to the fund – click here.

  • We may choose to extend the school year by remaining in session an additional week in June, making the last day of school for 2021, June 18.

As a further benefit to families, we have implemented the following changes effective September 8, 2020 .

  • The December break has been shortened by three days, offering more learning time for students.

  • The Parent Conferences held in October and March that usually require the school to be closed for six days have changed. Guides will now have two weeks during that same timeframe to conduct parent conferences during after school hours, evenings, or weekends through Zoom, conference call, or in person. This will allow six more days of student learning.

  • The Thursday in February when the school is usually closed for Interview Day will now be open for student learning. 

Although we do not know what COVID-19 has in store for us in the future, one thing is certain-- Thacher Montessori will always be in school, whether on campus or virtually . As quoted by Madlena Ulrich and Carla Foster, lecturers in Further Education in Montessori Pedagogy at the University of South-Eastern Norway, “The basis of Montessori pedagogy is not necessarily the use of our teaching materials, but is first and foremost a vision of children, of learning and of the role of the teacher that we should and can maintain, whether we find ourselves indoors or outside; with Montessori materials or without them.”

I look forward to our continued partnership next year and beyond. 

Deba Dunn Palma
Head of School
Thacher Montessori School