Montessori East Bondi Alumni

We made it! What an amazing effort! We beat our target and raised over $115,000. Thank you to everyone! What a wonderful community we have!

Donate today only! https://uniteme.raiselysite.com

Amazing!!! We haven't even gone live yet and we're already half-way there. This may well be a record! Donate now! https://uniteme.raiselysite.com/

In memory of Bill. Let's give a little tomorrow UniteME2025 Giving Day!

Book Week 2011.

Look out for the Montessori East Giving Day on 18 June. In honour of Bill Conway we are raising money for the school's Scholarship Fund. Join us to preserve Bill's dream. You can donate early.

Tomorrow we celebrate ionofficial our amazing young teenagers who are stepping into their new adventures. We are confident that all the values and virtues they have imbued in their daily lives at Montessori East over the 9 years will set them up for a bright future in high school and a big welcome to our new Montessori East alumni of 2025. If any alumni would like to attend the event, please contact the office

We are so deeply saddened by the passing of Bill Conway who was the Principal at Montessori East from 2007 to 2020. We remember the impact Bill had on the Montessori East community. Much of what our school is today is due to his deep commitment to the children and the love he had for this community. He inspired us with his integrity, humility and wisdom. We will have a celebration of Bill's life and further details will be shared in due course. Our thoughts are with his partner Kei, his children and grandchildren.

𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗪𝗔𝗬 💔

It is with a very heavy heart that we inform the community that Bill Conway, director of Montessori Schools and Centres (MSCA) and beloved Montessori educator and leader, passed away on Saturday, November 23rd, 2024. Bill was travelling in the USA at the time to see family and was in the company of his daughter in his final moments.

We know this news will greatly impact our national Montessori community here in Australia, and also abroad. Raised in the US and Kampala, Uganda, Bill spent more than 25 years of his career as a head of school, 10 years teaching in the classroom and three years as a school counsellor. Bill’s reach as a passionate Montessorian was extensive. As the former Principal of Montessori East in Sydney from 2007 – 2020, Education Consultant and international facilitator of Association Montessori Internationale’s (AMI) Administrator Training Course through Sydney Montessori Training Centre (SMTC), Bill has left a legacy of championing genuine Montessori practice. Bill also served on the board of the Montessori East Foundation, Rockingham and Forestville Montessori Schools and consulted with schools in Australia and Thailand.

Bill acted as a mentor to many Australian Montessori School Principals, and modelled the Montessori principles and philosophy in the way he interacted with others, and the way he lived his life. Bill was a founding board member of MSCA, played an integral role in establishing the organisation and his input and contribution over the past five years has been immense. As the Chair of our Education Committee, Bill championed our Genuine Montessori Pathway and other initiatives. Bill’s commitment and sense of service to the Montessori community both in Australia and internationally has been profound.

Bill is survived by his beloved partner and fellow Montessorian, Kei Ikeda, and his four children living around the globe and two beautiful granddaughters living in Kodiak, Alaska.

We will miss his intellect, his wisdom, thoughtful approach, his gentle manner, his warmth, light-heartedness, care, and humour. He was our colleague, our anchor, our mentor and much-loved friend.

Further information regarding a service to commemorate Bill’s life will be made available to the community at a later date.

Rest in peace, Bill. You will be missed.