Nos Fortalesa Montessori Aruba Elementary

🌱 Closing a Chapter, Celebrating a Legacy 🌱

As we enter the final month of the 2025–2026 school year, I would like to share publicly a transition that has been known within our school community since November 2025.

After much reflection, I made the decision that this school year would be my final year as Director of Nos Fortalesa Montessori School Aruba and that, at the conclusion of this academic year, the school will officially close its doors.

Our families, students, and staff have been aware of this decision since November 2025. Since then, we have spent the past several months working diligently to ensure a thoughtful and responsible transition for every child and every team member in our community. From the moment this decision was made, my priority has been continuity and stability. I am grateful to share that we have successfully secured placements for all of our students and staff members for the upcoming school year, ensuring that every child and educator has a place to continue their journey.

This decision was not easy, however this announcement is not made with sadness, but with immense gratitude and pride for everything we have accomplished together over the past twelve years.

My Montessori journey began in 2008 as an assistant and Dutch Guide at Beautiful Sun Montessori School. During those years, I completed my Montessori certifications and dreamed of creating the first Montessori Elementary program on Aruba.

That dream became a reality in August 2014 when Nos Fortalesa Montessori School Aruba opened its first Lower Elementary classroom with just 13 students. In the years that followed, we expanded our programs, supported the growth of Montessori education across the island, helped train Montessori educators, and created opportunities for hundreds of children to experience an education rooted in independence, curiosity, respect, and purpose.

Along the way, I have had the privilege of contributing to initiatives that extend far beyond our own school. Through Stichting Montessori School Aruba, we supported Montessori teacher training on the island, contributed to the development of Montessori programs within Aruba's educational landscape, and helped strengthen a growing Montessori community that continues to thrive today.

One of my greatest joys has been witnessing the growth of our students—not only academically, but as confident, compassionate, and capable young people.

I am especially grateful to the Montessori schools on Aruba that have welcomed our students and staff with open arms. Their willingness to collaborate and support our community during this transition reflects the strength and unity of Montessori education on our island. Because of these collective efforts, every child and educator from Nos Fortalesa will be able to continue their journey in a nurturing Montessori environment next school year.

While Nos Fortalesa Montessori School Aruba will conclude its journey at the end of this month, Stichting Montessori School Aruba will remain active and available to support future Montessori-related initiatives, projects, and educational opportunities that may arise in the years ahead.

To every child who walked through our doors, every family who placed their trust in us, every educator who dedicated themselves to this work, and every friend and supporter who believed in our vision: thank you.

Nos Fortalesa was never simply a school. It was a community, a shared dream, and a place where children were encouraged to become the very best version of themselves.

As this chapter comes to a close, I do so with a full heart, knowing that the seeds planted over the past twelve years will continue to grow throughout Aruba for generations to come. I will be sharing some memories with you during these coming weeks.

These first ones are when the first Open House was held, at the beginning of 2014 with just a few materials. Enjoy!

With heartfelt gratitude,

Jessica Piña

Founder & Director
Nos Fortalesa Montessori School Aruba

Brighter Future Academy cu nan evento anual Bike & Walk/Run riba diadomingo 31 di mei

Pa di 4 aña consecutivo, Brighter Future Academy ta invita tur hende cu hopi emocion pa participa den nos evento anual di Bike & Walk/Run riba 31 di mei — un evento construi riba amor, inclusion, speransa y sentido di comunidad. ❤️

Loke a cuminsa como un iniciativa chikito, awo a bira un movimiento di hende cu ta kere cu tur mucha merece tin oportunidadnan, apoyo y e posibilidad pa biba un bida digno y valioso.

Tur aña, e evento aki ta yuda nos continua cu nos mision di brinda apoyo na muchanan cu necesidadnan special na tur nivel di nan desaroyo. Danki na e sosten di nos comunidad, nos a logra crece, yega na mas famia y ofrece oportunidadnan cu ta haci un diferencia berdadero.

E aña aki, nos meta ta mas grandi ainda.

Debi na e lista di espera cu ta sigui crece, nos ta trahando pa habri klasnan nobo pa mas mucha por ricibi e cuido, educacion y apoyo cu nan merece. E necesidad ta real y cu bo ayudo nos por sigui expande nos impacto y duna mas famia speransa pa futuro.

Participando den nos Bike Run Event — sea cu bo ta core bais, cana of core — y buscando sponsor pa cada kilometer, bo ta bira parti di e mision aki. Cada kilometer completa ta yuda nos move un stap mas cerca pa crea un futuro miho pa nos muchanan y personanan cu limitacion.

Nos meta final ta sigui duna sosten na muchanan cu limitacion y nan famia den tur fase di nan bida, garantisando dignidad, inclusion, oportunidadnan y un bida digno pa tur hende.

Hunto nos por haci cada kilometer conta.
Hunto nos por cambia bida.

📅 31 di mei. Na final di e evento lo tin Subway, sopi, fruta, refresco y Powerade.
🚴‍♂️ Bike • 🚶 Walk • 🏃 Run
❤️ Move pa un proposito. Move pa inclusion. Apoya un bida digno.

💥 HOW YOU CAN BE PART OF IT:

🚴‍♂️ Register here to join the movement:
👉 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5MNBpKx2zdge4NDlA05EpieK_1Xn5WirExqxBOMZd0nilyg/viewform

💙 Sponsor a participant:
👉 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdnYUfLRKgsy2oaLnUEdTIDV7X8ztlREFN-jAYpEQIZH8FUIw/viewform

👕 Get your official event jersey:
👉 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeV3BPbAwbwIItV4pSMMmQdwA9FFgBoaID30RykCEiZbskPDA/viewform

🤝 CAN’T JOIN? YOU CAN STILL MAKE AN IMPACT:

✅ Donate:
Brighter Future Academy Foundation
(Kvk .0 | Tax ID 10035136)
🏦 Aruba Bank: 6031070190
📌 Reference: Participant’s name

✅ Spread the Word:
Share this post and invite others to join this meaningful cause 🌈🚴‍♂️🏃‍♀️🚶‍♂️

There is something quietly disarming about being with children.

They are not thinking ahead. Not managing time. Not splitting their attention between now and later.

They are here. Completely.

And without trying to teach us anything, they show us something we tend to forget. That presence is not a skill to master, but a way of returning. That a moment does not need to be optimized to be meaningful. That life is not always somewhere ahead of us. In their presence, we are reminded what it feels like to actually stay. Not to rush past. Not to perform. Not to anticipate the next thing while missing this one.

Just to belong to the moment we are already in.

A Letter to My Island From a Mother Who Is Afraid We have crossed that line. We crossed it quietly, while we were all busy working, and now we look up and the island looks different. It feels different. It smells like sunscreen and profit and the kind of development that has no memory and no soul.

Casa dei Bambini Montessori Primary school

Grupo di Sosten 9 di Februari 2026 Grupo di sosten ta enfoca riba un rato pa mayornan por haña informashon y por comparti sentimentonan sin wordo husga y den tur confiansa. Esei nifica cu nan lo por expresa cierto descontento cu por wordo dirigi na otro profesional y instancianan. En caso un profesional of instancia ta presente, nos...

January 6, 2026, marks the 119th anniversary of the opening of the first Casa dei Bambini (Children's House) in the San Lorenzo district of Rome, Italy, in 1907.

For the 2026 anniversary, many Montessori organizations focus on the global expansion of her vision, which has grown to over 20,000 schools worldwide. New initiatives in 2026 also explore applying these principles to dementia and aged care through a "dignity-centered approach”.

📚♥️📚 We are so honored and proud to have been a part of the successful growth of the Montessori Method of Education on the island 🇦🇼

We are confident that it will keep growing in the coming years!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 🎊 FROM OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY ♥️