New school is now enrolling students ages 2.9 through 6 in Westborough
McGRATHPR.com – … Meadows Montessori School (MMS), Westborough’s new Montessori-method educational preschool opening in January 2027, presents two “Open House” events for families to explore. On Saturday, October 24, from 3 to 4:30 pm, families are invited to a ‘Meadows Nature Day’ themed event, featuring outdoor gross motor and nature activities in celebration of fall. On Saturday, November 7, 9:30 to 11 am, the school welcomes families to a second “Open House” featuring a Bracken Hill Farms’ petting zoo, with small goats, alpacas and bunnies on site. Both events take place at the school’s new location, situated at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 183 West Main Street, Westborough. Admission is free, families are welcome, and refreshments will be served.
“We created Meadows Montessori to be a small, community school where every child is known,” shares MMS Cofounder and Lead Teacher Heather Vinci. “Children learn best through meaningful, hands-on experiences, time outdoors in nature, and the freedom to follow their own curiosity. Our open houses are a wonderful opportunity for families to explore Montessori materials, and see firsthand how joyful learning can be. We can’t wait to welcome our new neighbors this fall and officially open our doors on January 4.”
MMS embraces a mixed-age model educating children ages 2.9 through 6. Vinci and fellow cofounder Janet Gelgich, who also serve as the school’s lead teachers, have developed a rich learning environment combining Montessori materials in a warm, home-like classroom where older children take on leadership roles among their peers. Students engage in gross motor development through yoga and mindfulness, weekly enrichment in nature and music, and ample outdoor time for students to connect and explore the world around them.
Vinci brings more than 14 years of experience as a lead primary teacher, forest educator and summer camp director at The Riverbend School in South Natick, where she created the school’s popular Forest Friday program, and cofounded South Shore Montessori School in Cohasset in 2023. She holds an AMS Montessori credential from Northeast Montessori Institute and a master’s degree in leadership and policy in early education from Wheelock College at Boston University.
Gelgich and Vinci met in 2010 as Montessori lead primary teachers at Riverbend. Gelgich went on to serve there as level leader, kindergarten teacher and summer camp director, and most recently as Director of Children’s House, before returning to the classroom to cofound MMS. She holds American Montessori Society teaching credentials from West Side Montessori School in New York City, and a bachelor’s degree in human development and a master’s degree in early childhood and elementary education from Virginia Tech.
MMS offers a full day program from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm on weekdays, a half day program from 8:30 to 11:30 am, with morning care beginning at 7:30 am, and extended day until 5 pm, giving working families flexible options.
Montessori-style learning was the innovation of Dr. Maria Montessori – physician, educator, advocate for world peace – and founder of the Montessori education method. Dr. Montessori developed her unique teaching model and materials in the early 1900’s, still thriving today. Montessori educator certification is a two-year program, incorporating the many facets of a Montessori environment, from language, math, geography, science, nature, sensorial and practical life – the cornerstone of the Montessori education.
Montessori educators cultivate the naturally eager and capable qualities in children, inspiring them to self-explore the initiation and pursuit of learning, guided by their own interests. Educators deliver guidance through thoughtfully prepared, age-appropriate activities and environment, nurturing children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Students embrace the agency to self-select work, leading to intrinsic motivation and sustained attention.
To register to attend an “Open House” (registration form TBA), visit meadowsmontessoriwestboro.com.
About Meadows Montessori School
Meadows Montessori School (MMS) is a small, community Montessori preschool at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Westborough. It educates children ages 2.9 through 6 in a mixed-age model where older children take on leadership roles among their peers. Cofounders and lead teachers Heather Vinci and Janet Gelgich met in 2010 as Montessori lead primary teachers at The Riverbend School in South Natick, and both hold American Montessori Society credentials and EEC Lead Teacher and Director II certifications. Vinci cofounded South Shore Montessori School in Cohasset in 2023. She spent more than 14 years at Riverbend as a lead primary teacher, forest educator and summer camp director, where she created its Forest Friday program. She holds a master’s in Leadership and Policy in Early Education from Wheelock College at Boston University. Gelgich most recently served as Riverbend’s Director of Children’s House after holding roles there that included level leader, kindergarten teacher and summer camp director. She holds a bachelor’s in Human Development and a master’s in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Virginia Tech. Students engage in gross motor development through yoga and mindfulness, weekly enrichment in nature and music, and ample outdoor time to connect and explore the world around them. MMS offers a full day program from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm on weekdays, a half day program from 8:30 to 11:30 am, morning care beginning at 7:30 am, and extended day until 5 pm. To learn more, visit meadowsmontessoriwestboro.com, call 508-296-0365, or follow Meadows Montessori School on Facebook and Instagram.
