Framingham's Summit Montessori School Announces New Head of School

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Summit Montessori School has a new head of school after more than a decade.

Kira Donnelly has been appointed as the new Head of School at Summit Montessori, effective July 1. With more than 30 years of experience in education and a strong commitment to fostering a nurturing and innovative learning environment, Kira brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to Summit Montessori, officials said.

Donnelly takes the reins of Summit’s leadership from Martha Torrence, who will retire in June.

As head of school, Torrence oversaw "growth and stabilization" of the school, which included the addition of a toddler Beginners program, the expansion of its physical campus and a fiscally healthy enrollment with high faculty and student retention, officials said.

She orchestrated and oversaw the achievement of accreditations from two highly esteemed organizations, the American Montessori Society and the Association of Independent Schools of New England.

"It has been wonderful working with Summit’s staff, parents, board, and children over the past 13 years," Torrence said. "Summit is an exceptional learning community that consistently offers a transformative experience for its students. We have pursued and achieved excellence in all aspects of delivering high fidelity Montessori education to our families, and I am very confident that this trend will continue under Kira’s leadership."

Donnelly said she fully aligns with the vision of the school, motivating her to take the new role.

"Summit Montessori’s mission and values spoke to me before I even arrived on campus and more importantly, I felt them lived out in the actions and spirit of the Summit community while I was there," she said. "Summit is a school that is welcoming, that is thinking critically about its place in the world, and that supports the innate potential in each child. I look forward to continuing to support the incredible work already happening at Summit."

Summit currently enrolls 126 students between the ages of 18 months to 12.