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Source:
https://ladailypost.com/officials-cut-ribbon-on-bilingual-montessori-school-los-alamos-campus/
Participating in Tuesday’s ribbon cutting on the Bilingual Montessori School Los Alamos campus, from left, NNSA Los Alamos Field Office Manager Ted Wyka, Vice President of the University of California Office of the National Laboratories Craig Leasure, Laboratory Staff Director Frances Chadwick, LANL Director Thom Mason, Triad Board Chair Jay Sures and Bilingual Montessori’s Odalys González Fernández, Juan Carlos Fernández, Rebekah Seitz and Dora Gonzalez. Courtesy/LANL
Attendees gather in a room at the new Bilingual Montessori School Los Alamos campus. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
View of a room set up for infants at the new Bilingual Montessori School Los Alamos campus. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post [email protected] Triad National Security LLC announced in May that it negotiated an operating agreement with Bilingual Montessori School to provide childcare options for Los Alamos National Laboratory employees and others in the region. A little more than nine months later, the new childcare facility is about ready to open for business. In celebration of this milestone, Triad, Los Alamos National Laboratory representatives and Bilingual Montessori School officials gathered Tuesday evening at the school’s new Los Alamos campus to cut the ceremonial ribbon. Bilingual Montessori School’s new campus is located at 3500 Trinity Dr. What used to be dark wood paneled buildings have been transformed into brightly colored stucco units with playground equipment nestled between buildings. Construction is still underway on some of the units but Building A, which houses the school’s office and the rooms for infants, is completed and is expected to start serving children in mid-March. Bilingual Montessori School Owner and Executive Director Odalys González Fernández summed it up nicely. “I am exhausted but so happy to be at this ceremony to mark an important transition, a dream becoming reality,” she said. “Once upon a time, we were stuck with too few daycare centers in Los Alamos – a deep and persistent need that weighed on the community and on the lab but that is changing thanks to the new, unique initiative and efforts of many …” González Fernández explained that the campus features buildings that are each designated to a different age group starting with infants and moving up to kindergarten. The buildings will be open in phases, she added. After the infant building opens in mid-March, the building for toddlers is expected to open in early April, although this is contingent on construction permits and hiring. The remainder should open in the late spring. Approximately 100 children of laboratory employees will be served at the Los Alamos campus, González Fernández said. To make this campus a reality, she thanked several key players, which include Triad, LLC Board Chairman and University of California Board Member Jay Sures, University of California’s Office of the National Laboratories Vice President Craig Leasure, Laboratory Staff Director Frances Chadwick and her team, Bilingual Montessori School Los Alamos Campus Director Rebekah Seitz, Architect John Padilla and builder Greg Gonzales and his team. On a personal note, González Fernández thanked her family for “their encouragement, love and help”. Finally, “Thanks to all the past, present and future parents of BMS who came in the past few days to help put together all this furniture and equipment,” she said. “They did not have to, but they remain grateful and passionate about good childcare. As always it is true that (because of) the collective effort of this community of Los Alamos … that dreams are transformed into accomplishments.” Sures said that providing childcare to Los Alamos National Laboratory was something he wanted to make sure was implemented. He explained before concluding his first tour of the laboratory when he became board chairman of Triad, “…. they said, ‘One more thing – we need a childcare center here’ and that actually interested me more than just about anything we spoke about that day and I said to them on behalf of UC at the time, I’m going to make that happen …” Sures said when he went before the University of California Board of Regents, he didn’t even ask, he just stated that implementing childcare was what they were going to do and the board’s unanimous decision to invest in childcare was “easy”. “On behalf of all our partners … we are so grateful that we get to celebrate this moment; we are so grateful that you get this opportunity to take care of all these amazing children and we wish you all the best,” he said. Triad parent entity, the University of California, is providing $2 million for remodeling and furnishings at the new center. Childcare services will be provided at market-competitive rates. Bilingual Montessori School’s original campus, 115 Longview Dr. in White Rock, will remain open. 
From left, LANL Director Thom Mason, Los Alamos Chamber Director Ryn Herrmann and Triad Board member Michael Lempke, who represents Huntington Ingalls Industries. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
Triad’s Mike Dunning leafs through a children’s book during a tour of the Bilingual Montessori School Los Alamos campus. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
Triad’s Mike Dunning leafs through a children’s book during a tour of the Bilingual Montessori School Los Alamos campus. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
A scene from the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Bilingual Montessori School. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
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