b'FMA was founded in 1979 by Norwalk residents Peter and Roseann Larrow, and theircolleague, Joseph Geno Genovesi. This team of educators possessed a desire to bringthe Montessori method to Erie County and laid a strong foundation for todays schoolthat hosts toddler through 3rd-grade classrooms. Some local and state scholarships are available for kindergarten and up, while the rest of the FMA students pay tuition. Their current enrollment is 108 kids. Katie Hayden, FMAs Head of School, is passionate about nurturing curiosity and self- reliance in their students to create a lifelong love of learning. We meet children wherethey are and give them the tools to shine and grow, offering freedom within limits and encouraging our students to learn from one another. Katie also appreciates the way FMA engages parents in their childrens education and recognizes how much of the schools success depends upon outside support. Thats one reason were so grateful to be able to establish this endowment fund. It gives us another way to diversify our funding so we can eventually rely less and less on our annual fundraising activities. The Board and staff at FMA have set a goal of growing their fund to at least $50,000 by the time their 50th anniversary rolls around. Theyre off to a good start thanks to everyone who supported their efforts in meeting the Dorn Challenge.'