NORTHAMPTON — Parents, staff and students gathered outside the Upper School building at the Montessori School of Northampton for its official ribbon-cutting Tuesday — and, in line with the sunny day, ice cream sandwiches.

The 7,400-square-foot structure features a glass-paneled entrance that allows a straight view through the building onto 2 acres of grass to be used for outdoor instruction and a rain garden. High ceilings characterize the ground floor of the building, home to the school’s older students, ranging from fourth to eighth grade.

“I like the sense that the spaces are soaring and bespeak possibility, and yet when you’re inside they’re still quiet and hushed and feel, you know, like the kids can achieve meaningful work,” said Jordi Herold, a parent and project manager, who said the project’s construction took eight months from start to finish.

Construction on the new wing, which topped $1 million and was built by Renaissance Builders, started in June and was financed by the Greenfield Savings Bank. Joseph Krupczynski, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and director of The Center for Design Engagement, and architect Jody Barker were instrumental in the design and construction of the building, Herold said.

Only half of the building is filled right now; the lower-level basement is empty, which offers the 40-year-old school a range of possibilities for the future, Head of School Susan Swift said.

“It provides opportunities, whether it is growth, whether it is the arts,” Swift said. “One of the things we don’t have, which we have now, is a multi-purpose room.

“Schools so rarely get the opportunity to think about what they’re going to do next,” she said.

Younger students up to third grade will remain at the school’s wood-paneled building across Bates Street, while Grades 4 through 8 will have class across the street, in the Upper School.

“That’s a really wonderful, comfortable building, and it works well for our toddlers through third-graders,” Swift said of the older building.

Herold said the school across the street was “bursting at the seams,” particularly after a recent expansion to serve middle schoolers.

The Montessori Method, developed in the early 20th century by Italian educator Maria Montessori, encourages freedom of movement, pursuit of personal interests, promotion of learning through discovery and an overall student-centered approach, among other tenets.

Before the ribbon-cutting, Elizabeth Dunaway, president of the school’s board, read a quote from Montessori:

“Growth is not merely a harmonious increase in size, but a transformation.”

Jack Suntrup can be reached at jsuntrup@gazettenet.com.

]]>