For nearly 50 years, generations of families have helped build Chesapeake Montessori School into the thriving school it is today. If you’re reading this, you’re already part of the CMS story – as a current or former parent, grandparent, alumnus, or friend of our school. We know CMS has made a difference in your life or the life of someone you love, and we invite you to help make that same lasting impact possible for future generations of students.
As we approach our 50th anniversary, we’re asking our community to help ensure that the next 50 years are just as strong. CMS’s 50th Anniversary Campaign: Anchoring Our Future is our Annual Fund for 2026–2028 – a special two-year campaign celebrating where we’ve been, while investing in where we’re going.
Our goal is to raise $250,000 over two years to strengthen the foundation of CMS and support the people, programs, and spaces that make a Montessori education possible.
This is a two-year Annual Fund campaign, which means we will be inviting our community to participate during both the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years. Your support during either year – or both – helps CMS continue to grow, thrive, and provide an exceptional Montessori education to children and adolescents for generations to come.
Every gift helps us anchor our future.
Why Give?
A strong school is built over time – and it is built by a community.
Annual Fund gifts provide CMS with flexible resources that can be directed where they are needed most. During this campaign, your support will help strengthen the foundation of our school and prepare CMS for the next chapter of its history.
Your gift helps support:
- Our students through tuition assistance and enriching educational experiences
- Our teachers and staff through professional development and AMI training
- Our campus through facility improvements, maintenance, and infrastructure
- Our future by strengthening reserves and helping CMS plan confidently for what comes next
As a small independent school, every gift makes a meaningful difference. When our community gives together, we create the resources needed to sustain the Montessori experience that families have valued for nearly five decades.
Leadership Giving at CMS
Leadership donors are an important part of making our $250,000 campaign goal possible. These donors provide sustained support that allows CMS to look beyond the immediate needs of today and plan thoughtfully for the future.
Leadership giving is a two-year campaign commitment, with the flexibility to fulfill your gift with a one-time or recurring payment over the course of the campaign.
Leadership giving begins at just $42/month.
Giving Levels
1977 Circle | $10,000 and above
Named for the year CMS was founded, the 1977 Circle recognizes donors making an especially significant investment in the future of Chesapeake Montessori School.
Anchor Circle | $5,000-9,999
Anchor Circle members help provide the stability and strength CMS needs to continue moving forward with confidence.
Legacy Circle | $1,000-4,999
Legacy Circle members help carry the CMS story forward as we celebrate 50 years and look toward the next generation of Montessori students.
For donors interested in transformational giving, please contact Emily Scillieri at e.scillieri@chesapeake-montessori.com to explore an opportunity.
Leadership Benefits
A Personalized 50th Anniversary Brick
A personalized brick on the CMS campus as part of our 50th anniversary celebration.
Permanent Campus Recognition
Recognition on a permanent donor plaque at the CMS Main Campus.
Annual Report Recognition
Recognition in the CMS Annual Report as a member of our leadership giving community.
Exclusive 50th Anniversary Keepsake
A special keepsake created exclusively for members of our leadership giving community
