1962

The first Montessori school in the United States was founded by Nancy Rambusch in Greenwich, Connecticut in 1958. She came to Philadelphia in 1962 and helped a group of 7 parents found The Children's House, the Gladwyne Montessori school, which was incorporated as a non- profit organization on August 2, 1962. These dedicated and involved founding parents were Nora Leibold, Vivian Piasecki, Joan Kirk, Pat Dempsey, Josie Sorlien, Darcy Hall and Grace Sharples Wheeler.

That fall the school opened its doors to 30 pre-schoolers in a large rented room at the Mildred Sullivan School building in Rosemont, now 100 Chetwynd Dr. The parent board hoped to purchase this whole carriage house but that did not materialize.

 During that time, the parent board explored the possibilities of purchasing the abandoned and run-down Merion Square School. This historic building had started as a six-room schoolhouse in 1881. The board and parents raised $107,120 to purchase and fix up the 2-acre property in 1967. The entire building had to be renovated including all new wiring, windows, plumbing, paint and plaster. The old gym area was walled off. Parents contributed both time and money in order to get the building ready to start classes in the Fall of 1968.

The next year the Board of Directors decided to renovate the north wing of the upper level of the school and in the Fall of 1970 expanded the curriculum to include an Elementary Unit for older children, grades 1 through 3 (6-8 year olds).

In 1978, the Elementary Unit was further expanded to include 4 th through 6th grades (9-12 year olds). We have been graduating 6th graders since 1981. In 1978, the Board also decided to implement an after-school program, called La Casa, for Primary children.

The Primary Unit was expanded in the fall of 1980 to include the Stepping Stones program for 2 year olds.

To reduce confusion, bowing to common usage, the school changed its name to The Gladwyne Montessori School, keeping the former name as a subtitle for several years.

In 1998, after school Study Hall was implemented for 1st through 6th graders. During the summer of 1988, the parents again undertook an improvement project, the renovation of the kindergym space. The room now serves as a gym for the children with a stage for plays and programs, a multi-purpose meeting room.

An additional Stepping Stones classroom was added in the Fall of 1990, taking up one third of the gym until 2002.

The children's library, above the elementary unit, was expanded and computerized. A parent library was established in 1990. It includes books about and by Maria Montessori as well as on child development and psychology.

During the summer of 1996, following a successful Special Projects Campaign, which raised $290,000, extensive renovations to the interior of the building were made. An admissions/reception office, computer lab, business office, psychologist's office, development office and space for the Parent/Toddler program were created as part of this project.

The playground area and equipment have been continually updated with a major rebuilding in 1986. The separate Stepping Stones playground was established at the time. In 1997, the playground was redesigned into an outdoor education environment that includes two large playstructures for the Primary/Elementary and Stepping Stones age groups, an ampitheater for programs and dramatic play and gardens for the environmental education program. The school raised the money through the sale of bricks for a walkway, 2 auctions, grants from foundations and renovated this environment for $110,000. The two playstructures were "community built" by more than 60 Board, parent and faculty/staff volunteers.

At the Board's behest, additional property at 914 Youngsford Road was purchased in the Fall of 1997, adding 1.2 acres to the school grounds. Plans were devised to incorporate usage of this space with the school's long-range plans. The school's rooms then had double and triple uses. Because of the lack of space, there was a great need to expand the building. The parking lot was too small and there are too few parking spaces.

When a second adjoining property became available, the GMS Board of Trustees and Head of School took action to pave the way for future campus improvement and expansion. In February 2004, GMS settled on the property at 941 Black Rock Road, expanding the GMS property to four acres. This investment in the long-term future and vitality of GMS is the most ambitious project in the school's history.

At the same time alterations and re-arrangements continued in the present buildings. In 2004 an Art classroom was added in the lower level of the Merion Square building, making room for a fourth Lower Elementary classroom in the Rachel Savett building. Then, in 2005, sprinklers and historically-acceptable storm windows were installed in the Merion Square building and a wireless computer network was set up for the Primary classrooms, giving them access to the internet and educational programs.