Fleur-de-lis Montessori School is offering an opportunity for families from all different backgrounds an affordable, diverse and rich curriculum to meet the needs of children between the ages of 2 to 12 years old.

Fleur-de-lis Montessori School, founded in 2008 in the historic district of Middleburg, VA, is building on its own unique approach to education with the addition of an elementary program starting in the fall of 2013. Our mission is to provide an affordable, economically diverse, safe and loving bilingual Montessori school, offering children a balance of structure and freedom in their academic development while also fostering an understanding of life beyond their native context.

It is becoming increasingly important for children to be prepared to engage with the world. For the children of today, the opportunities that will be available to them as adults will increasingly be influenced by their ability to interact with the world. As such, Fleur-de-lis Montessori School includes language and global studies as part of their core program.

Upon entering the school, you may see a small group of children sitting on the floor, with an adult facilitating a lesson.

Other children will be working in groups or individually on lessons they have already been assigned. There are child-sized shelves full of Montessori materials for hands-on learning. Classical music plays in the background, and the air is full of pleasant chatter in French and English reflective of the cheerful buzz of meaningful and interesting work.

The property that houses all of this, the Emmanuel Parish House, is modest and simple, yet beautiful. Outdoors, there is a spacious playground where children participate in science lessons, physical education and, of course, free play.

The French immersion programming is embedded in their daily activities. But since this is a bilingual school, it is done in such a way that the children's ability to progress in English is not sacrificed.

Children begin learning French by ear and through lessons designed to build vocabulary and basic verbal expression. Significant periods of each day are devoted to this. In the elementary program they will continue with vocabulary enrichment but progress into more intermediate lessons and exercises involving reading, writing and basic conversation.

As their skills improve, they will also progress through increasingly advanced lessons covering grammar and basic literature, like Le Petit Prince. The ultimate goal is to give children not only the ability to function in a major world language, but also the mindset to appreciate and more productively engage with all of the different ways of life they will encounter.

It is a private school that is affordable but also provides a culture of balance where the give-and-take is the same for everyone, regardless of background. The financial model proposed here helps to achieve this through financial leveling and the total financial commitment of each family must be modest and based on a proportionate share of their overall financial capacity.

Given this funding model, our school footprint is kept modest. Maintaining a small environment cultivates a greater sense of ownership among teachers and a more authentic connection among students, teachers and parents. Keeping it small means keeping it simple, which in turn means maximum focus on the children's experience.

Foxcroft's Junior Class has a goal of raising $5,000 – enough to create an entire school library – and a deadline of May 1. Individuals who want to support the effort can make tax-deductible contributions of any size. Checks payable to Room to Read may be mailed to: Class of 2014 Walkathon; Foxcroft School; P.O. Box 5555; Middleburg, VA 20118 or given to members of the Class.