Dear Montessori Community School Families, Faculty, and Friends,
On behalf of the MCS Board of Trustees, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Holly Hirst, M.Ed. as our next Head of School, effective July 1, 2026. Following a thoughtful and comprehensive search process, the Search Committee and Board were consistent in their enthusiasm and support. We are confident that Holly is the right leader to guide MCS into its next chapter, continuing to nurture children as healthy, empathetic, lifelong learners.
Before sharing more about Holly, we would like to express our deep gratitude to the members of the Search Committee for their dedication, care, and countless hours of work on behalf of our school. We are also grateful to our faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and community members who participated in listening sessions, provided feedback, and engaged thoughtfully throughout the process. Your insights helped shape the leadership profile and informed every step of the committee’s work. This appointment reflects a truly community-driven process.
Holly brings more than two decades of leadership experience in independent schools and mission-driven nonprofit organizations. She has served in senior administrative and advisory roles, partnering closely with boards and leadership teams to guide strategic vision, strengthen operations, and cultivate thriving school communities. Her experience reflects both breadth and depth — spanning organizational leadership, long-range planning, coaching, and faculty development — grounded in a deep understanding of child development and educational best practice.
Throughout every stage of the search process, Holly exemplified the leadership profile developed by our community. She is an authentic, grounded, and values-driven leader whose educational philosophy aligns strongly with Montessori principles and practice. She pairs an inspirational presence with a strategic mindset, demonstrating both innovative thinking and the discipline to translate vision into meaningful action.
Holly is a collaborative team leader who prioritizes faculty growth, autonomy, and accountability. Colleagues consistently describe her as warm and accessible — a leader who builds trust readily and cultivates deep, meaningful relationships across constituencies. She approaches complex challenges as a thoughtful problem-solver, leading with shared purpose, transparency, and clear communication.
Importantly, Holly demonstrates a deep personal and professional commitment to championing diversity, equity, and belonging within school communities. She is a reflective practitioner with strong self-awareness and a demonstrated growth mindset — qualities that will serve MCS well as we continue to evolve and strengthen our impact.
Holly’s appointment brings to a close an intense and worthwhile process to identify Angie Wenger’s successor. From Angie, Holly inherits a remarkable legacy. Under Angie’s leadership, Montessori Community School navigated the challenges of COVID with steadiness and care, successfully completed the American Montessori Society reaccreditation process, implemented the Student Support Program, developed the Academic Leadership Team — including establishing the Level Coordinator model — guided the school through a comprehensive strategic planning process, reinvigorated plans for the Greene property, and strengthened meaningful connections both within and beyond our school community.
Please join me in expressing our deep gratitude to Angie for her dedicated and visionary leadership. She will continue to steer Montessori Community School through the remainder of this academic year and looks forward to partnering closely with Holly to ensure a seamless and thoughtful transition. With Holly’s leadership building upon this strong foundation, we are energized by the opportunities ahead and confident in the continued strength and vitality of our school.
Thank you for your continued trust, partnership, and commitment to Montessori Community School. Holly has already confirmed that she can join us to celebrate our community at the Spring Gala on May 2. We will share additional opportunities for you to meet Holly as we build out the transition schedule.The future of MCS is bright, and we look forward to embarking on this next chapter together.
Dear Montessori Community School Families, Faculty, and Friends,
With a heart full of gratitude for each of you, I share my decision to complete my time as MCS Head of School at the end of this academic year. This is a deeply personal choice in my life’s journey, held with both sadness and love.
Montessori Community School has been home to my heart and spirit and a profound source of joy over the past four years, which makes this decision so very difficult. Yet, I am embracing that sadness as a beautiful reflection of just how meaningful and extraordinary my time at MCS has been.
When I first arrived at MCS, I was immediately drawn to the genuine warmth of this community, the joyful curiosity of the children, and the deep commitment to Montessori’s unique educational value. I’m more proud of our school than words can ever express, and so deeply grateful for all of the work that we have accomplished together. I will miss so many things, especially the most precious moments of connection like guiding our toddlers by the hand to their classroom door in the morning carline, being invited to jump rope by a group of LE students on the playground, or finding a group of AC students at my door sharing a new treasure from their garden. These moments are typical of the many gifts that MCS has given me, and that I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life.
To our students: you have truly been my most inspiring teachers, reminding me daily to stay curious, laugh often, and approach life with wonder.
To our families: thank you from the bottom of my heart for entrusting me and the MCS staff with the most precious humans in your lives.
To our staff and faculty: my deepest gratitude for showing up each day with such endless dedication, skill, and belief in what is possible for all of our students.
It has been the greatest privilege of my professional life to steward this community and support the extraordinary work of our faculty and staff. I am also profoundly grateful to our Board of Trustees for their steady support and partnership over the years and especially now, as we begin the important work of finding and welcoming our next Head of School.
This year remains one of promise and possibility, and I am excited to have the immense joy and privilege to spend it with all of you. While change is never easy, I know MCS’s many strengths lie in the care, collaboration, and shared vision of this community—and that unique and amazing spirit will carry us confidently into the next chapter.
I look forward to connecting personally with each of you—whether through a quick hello on campus, a shared laugh at an event, or a meaningful conversation about our school and its future. My door is always open to you, and I truly look forward to making the most of our time together this year.
With my most sincere gratitude, affection, and deep appreciation for each and every one of you,
As an MCS Board Member and Chair of the Head of School Search Committee, I would like to share some reflections and important information following Angie’s announcement that she will complete her time at MCS this coming June, after serving as our Head of School for five years.
First, I want to express our deep gratitude for the tremendous contributions Angie has made to our school community. Angie’s term began in July 2021, when our operations and community members were still being heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Angie’s leadership, and with tireless efforts from across the community, MCS not only recovered but emerged in a stronger financial and enrollment position. Angie then turned to several important initiatives that will continue to bear fruit for many years. These include the creation of our Ignite the Future strategic plan in 2024, after a deep community engagement process; and renewal of MCS’ accreditation with the American Montessori Society later in 2024, maintaining MCS’s position as one of only six AMS-accredited schools in North Carolina. She has also built and supported a talented team who will help to write MCS’s next chapter, including several recent administrative and teaching hires.
As a community, we will find ways to celebrate Angie throughout this year, while also hoping that our remaining time together does not pass too quickly! But mostly, I simply want to say that I cannot thank Angie enough for giving of her dedication, talent, and heart over these five years in service of our mission: “We are a vibrant Montessori community where together, through our dynamic and relevant curriculum, we guide students toward self-discovery and the realization of their unique contributions to the world.”
We are excited to take this next step with you. Thank you for lending your voice, your insights, and your support as we work together to find the next great leader for MCS.
