IMS Giving - The International Montessori School

Make a Gift Towards IMS’ Future

IMS Annual Fund 2022-23 Goal: $1 million

IMS’ journey from Big Idea to start a school for our own children over 20 years ago, to today’s reality of serving a community of almost 1,000 children has been one which would not have been possible without the support of our families! We are seeking your continued support to meet the annual fund goal of raising $1 million this year.

From our inception in 2002, IMS has always balanced an annual budget from tuition and Capital Plan contributions without any financial government support – through SARS in our first year, floods, campus moves and many other challenges – while providing the highest quality Montessori education to our children over many years. It was only in 2013 that IMS was awarded the Stanley Campus by the government, which then required our entire capital reserve to renovate!

Why We Established the IMS Annual Fund

The Annual Fund formalises the giving that has become traditional in each year since our inception over 20 years ago. Our families have rallied around the needs of IMS, from establishing our first library collection, to sponsoring development of the Arts and Sport at IMS, to supporting teachers’ and faculty leaders’ Wish List & Wishing Well items which enable each teacher to truly personalise the IMS experience of your child to bring out their unique gifts and talents – supporting each child’s exploration of the universe from in-class tailored materials to sports, or music, or the Arts, and so much more.

Our target is to raise $1 million this year to give every IMS child their own unique IMS experience and assure the future of IMS. Your gifts also support annual operations in unforeseen times of need – which we experienced in our first year with SARS, and our last three years with COVID-19 – and ensure future years continue to be full of opportunity for the children of IMS!

The original IMS Library collection was donated by the PTA, and has been supported by the Annual Giving Gala ever since. Ms Coco, supported by Curriculum leaders, orders books and periodicals for the children to enjoy, and we need to raise $125,000 every year to keep the books in the Library and classroom collections up to date and in good condition. This is an area the children particularly love, and where parents love to volunteer, so please support us!

Tuition covers most of the basic needs of any school, but there are always many items in the Wishing Well & Teachers’ Wish Lists to supplement academic and co-curricular programme development (HK$630,000 annually). Help enhance the Elementary class Music areas, extend the Libraries, make enrichment programmes in the Maker-Space, science, and Sport possible for our children to allow our Faculty to create a unique experience with your child in mind. 2019 was the last Fundraiser Gala, and parents funded 30 of the 32 items!

Learning doesn’t end in the Montessori Classroom! Exploration of the Arts, Music, Movement, Sport and Technology enriches the experiential learning approaches throughout the elementary program. Subject experts act as key consultants in project based learning. This year students are exploring creating digital art and NFTs and our teachers have identified how additional tech resources can enhance learning in Art and Music, and extend the Robotics learning into the Lower Elementary. Gifts of HK$150,000 will bring the Arts more alive at IMS!

Chinese at IMS is an important part of the development team’s consideration, and this year, with a Chinese Curriculum Coordinator at both the Casa and Elementary levels, we plan to enhance materials in each class. Last year, parents funded production of a bespoke series of readers in Chinese and English for our young learners! Written by our own teachers, with illustrations depicting daily IMS student life, these books are designed to elevate each child’s reading experience. Your donations of HK$120,000 will fund these meaningful language initiatives!

It is our dream to inspire some of our IMS alumni who are graduating from uni to pursue a career in Montessori education! We are looking for HK$100,000 to kick start this initiative, and allow us to support the first qualified IMS alumni candidate to gain their AMI teaching credential, and then return to teach the next generation of IMS children! The goal is to raise ongoing funds to sponsor future IMS alumni toward this pursuit.

Entrepreneurship and real-life Business operations including micro-loans are integral and unique elements of the Montessori Upper Elementary experience, and as our students look towards expanding beyond their existing paper-making, craft and gardening businesses, we wish to raise HK$100,000 annually to propel and support these initiatives. These funds will be complemented with real life guidance and sharing by entrepreneurs from our own parent community and beyond!

To plan for our greener future, we announced our IMS Sustainability Initiative, which funds continuing environmental work for the students, including composting & recycling projects, an energy audit, and allows for green upgrades at each campus over the coming years. We target raising HK$900,000+ for these initiatives, and seek your support to help us make each IMS child a Steward for Sustainability.

How Can You Participate?

Any amount you can share will bring us closer to our goal of HK$1 million.
We will have multiple opportunities this year to participate and plenty of fun ways to contribute!

Thank You IMS Community!

The Tradition of Giving at IMS

Our very first Fundraiser dinner was held in the Viceroy Restaurant in Wan Chai in October 2003, when we returned for the 2003-4 school year after SARS.

There was a break of a few years, and then the annual Fundraiser Gala began in one of our PTA Board member’s homes. One of our Founding Parents was the Emcee, and the school sold lovely artwork done by the children, as well as photos of the children at work taken by another talented IMS parent! The IMS community has been involved in giving each year since: donations towards the special items that make each child’s Montessori experience unique have grown to over HK$1 million raised in our annual gala!

Last year, the Annual Fund was created to help IMS better plan for the future, with the lofty giving goal of $3.0 million in the inaugural, 20th Anniversary year, and a target of raising $1 million each year in donations thereafter. We were deeply touched that a group of IMS parents created a matching fund, which allowed the inaugural 20th Anniversary Annual Fund to almost reach the giving goal last year!

This year, after three years of cancelled Galas due to COVID-19, we are looking forward to celebrating the IMS community being together again at the April 29, 2023 Speakeasy Gala Dinner! Join us for an evening of wonderful company, good food and wine, dancing and magical fun!

Our Annual Fund goal of HK$1 million this year will help ensure IMS can continue to provide every child the same quality Montessori experience with the highest qualified staff in a safe and beautiful environment for many years to come. Thank you to our sponsors.