Vineyard Montessori School is an independent non-profit school currently serving Island children Pre-K through Grade 8. Over the past 45 years, VMS has educated over 2,000 Island students. Since reopening on September 8th, after a mandatory closure period, VMS has been providing in-person education to 65 children. We have had to pivot, suspend, and reimagine how we deliver the same exemplary curriculum. The families and students we are serving are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be in school during a pandemic. This year our satellite campus is located on Church Street in VH. It has been great being a more integral part of the downtown business community. Our Toddler Expansion Building will be complete by spring, with the goal of a grand opening and licensing review to take place prior to the summer months. We are actively searching for Montessori lead teachers to fill the positions now open at the school due to the expansion. The lack of affordable housing further complicated by COVID-19 add to the challenge of locating and hiring qualified people that want to teach on the Vineyard during the pandemic. Four years ago, VMS created a dynamic strategic vision tool with built in flexibility and large in scope. As a mission driven organization, the board set expansion goals that support working families and creating a school community that represents our diverse island population. We have gleaned insight from the last 45 years and are leaning into a future with complex challenges and a renewed purpose for greater community impact, building strong partnerships that remove barriers, create access, and narrow gaps.