Announcement! New Lower School Director!

Our New Lower School Director

We are excited to announce our new Lower School Director. The last time this happened was in 1991. George H. W. Bush was President and Hopson Hall (our main building) was only two years old. Now, after 28 years of service as the Maharishi Lower School Director, Laura Bordow is changing positions to become our Development Director and her successor is being named.

We conducted a nationwide search for the Lower School Director position through the National Association of Independent Schools and to more than 10,000 contacts in the TM organization. It was gratifying to receive inquiries from across the nation—and even internationally—from educators who admired our School’s mission, achievements, and community setting.

After a number of interviews and hours of consideration, we selected the person we feel is most qualified and committed to guiding the Lower School to its next level of excellence and sparkle: Ms. Lynn Shirai.

Lynn is a familiar face to many of you. She earned her teaching license from Iowa Wesleyan and taught 1st and 2nd grades at Maharishi School for five years. She was then tapped to serve as the Dean of Students in the Upper School, where she gained administrative experience.

She built on that skill set in several responsible positions in social service agencies and returned to Maharishi School in 2013 as the Lower School Teaching Resource Specialist. She is currently teaching our 3rd grade Reading and Writing classes and has been offering tutoring in the community.

Lynn also received a Montessori 3-6 Certificate from the North American Montessori Center in 2018. That was an especially important attribute because we want to explore the possibilities of adding Montessori elements to our Lower School following on the successes that we see in our Children’s House Preschool.

Lynn’s comments:

“Understanding the history of Maharishi School, the success and promise that is inherent in Consciousness-Based Education, and the knowledge that the education of a child must begin with the whole child, it is my privilege to honor those leaders that came before and have provided a solid foundation for our Lower School.

Thank you for having the confidence in my ability to move the Lower School forward, make changes where needed, and allow my concern for the overall education and well-being of the children to be my goal as Lower School Director.

Introducing Montessori in grades 1 through 3 is one of my top objectives in the coming years. Also, planning a rich learning environment where students are able to take advantage of before and after school programs and field trips that enrich and broaden their educational experiences are my goals for the near future. Parent and community participation will be sought, in hopes of creating a full and diverse Lower School culture.

The times have changed, and so our school must give our children the tools they need to successfully meet these changes, while remaining established in themselves as happy, mindful, and courageous young people.”

We warmly invite you to a reception to welcome Lynn to the Lower School Director’s position on Thursday, April 11th, at 3:30 pm. She will share more of her thoughts and plans for the coming year and looks forward to your input. If you’d like to send congratulations, comments, or ideas, you can contact Lynn at lshirai@MaharishiSchool.org