08/31/2026
We couldn't start a new school year without celebrating our Executive Director and mentor, Grace Pena!
There truly aren’t enough words to express how grateful we are for Grace, and everything she does for Canandaigua Montessori School.
For the past four years, Grace has poured her heart, time, energy, and endless dedication into this little school — helping it grow, evolve, and become an even stronger place for children, families, and teachers. Her drive and commitment are evident in everything she does, both in the spotlight and behind the scenes.
Since taking the helm, Grace has expanded CMS in so many meaningful ways. Under her leadership, we have added morning care and aftercare, full-day Fridays, a sensory room and an additional classroom that has allowed approximately 20 new families to become part of our CMS community. These changes have not only helped our school grow, but have given more children the opportunity to experience the beauty of a Montessori education.
And the work doesn’t stop there. Grace spends countless hours behind the scenes making sure our school continues to thrive. She is constantly looking for ways to improve our playgrounds and learning environments, researching current Early Childhood Education practices and information to share during staff training, and working closely with New York State OCFS and the Department of Education to ensure that CMS remains in compliance with ever-changing policies, regulations, and requirements.
She is also a tireless advocate for our teachers. Grace supports, listens to, encourages, and works alongside our staff to help them feel valued and equipped to provide the very best care and education for our children. She is there for our families, too — helping answer questions, navigate challenges, celebrate milestones, and foster the strong sense of community that makes CMS feel like so much more than a school.
Grace continually finds ways to enrich the children's experiences beyond the classroom. She plans parent education nights, special school activities, community partnerships, and hands-on educational extensions that bring learning to life. Through connections with organizations such as RMSC and the 4-H community, our children have opportunities to explore the world around them in meaningful, memorable ways — from learning how maple trees are tapped to make syrup, to discovering fascinating facts about insects and the natural world.
She works to create opportunities where children can touch, explore, question, investigate, create, and discover — exactly the kind of hands-on learning that makes childhood education so powerful.
Most importantly, Grace leads with her heart. She is the face of Canandaigua Montessori, but she is also the person behind so many of the details that keep our school happy, safe, organized, compliant, growing, and moving forward. She consistently puts the needs of our children, families, and staff before her own and gives more of herself than most people will ever see.
She celebrates our successes, tackles our challenges, advocates for our school, supports our teachers, welcomes our families, and always looks for the next way to make CMS better.
We truly couldn't do it without her.
Grace, thank you for your vision, your dedication, your perseverance, your compassion, and your unwavering belief in Canandaigua Montessori and the children and families we serve. We are incredibly fortunate to have you leading our school and our CMS family is better because of you.
Here’s to the woman who does a little bit of everything — and somehow keeps us all moving in the right direction.
Thank you, Grace, for everything you do for Canandaigua Montessori! We appreciate you more than words can say.
