Our History
Banksia Montessori School
1982 › ESTABLISHMENT
1982
Banksia Montessori School was established in 1982.
Previously housed in a hall on Wordsworth Avenue in Yokine, it held both morning and afternoon sessions.
1996
School moved to Chatton Street
In 1996, the School moved to Chatton Street, its current location.
The school was heavily reliant on the parent community to keep the school functioning. Along with fundraising and busy bees, the parents were also involved in enrolments, bookkeeping, correspondence and employment of staff.
As the demand for Montessori Education grew, so did the number of students enrolling at Banksia, which in turn reflected the workload placed on parents. The urgency for a professionally run school became apparent and the School Council set the wheels in motion to move toward improved management of the school. An Administration Officer and a Finance Officer were hired to take on the many tasks parents had previously volunteered to do.
2016 - 2018
Changes were made to the school grounds
A stage decking was built for end-of-year concerts, a colourful aboriginal art mural was painted on the wall beside the sandpit (which included handprints of the students), new paving was laid and a nature playground was built. The addition of a new building meant a separate office and extra classroom was provided. This was named after the long-time Principal, Emelinda Stephen, in recognition of her passion and dedication in teaching the children at Banksia.
2017
Change of Principal
Emmy stepped down in her role and reduced her hours to teaching only one day per week until she chose to retire. She had been with the school since 1994.
Fleur van Butzelaar stepped into the role as Principal and Head Teacher, joining the school in 2017. Fleur made additional improvements to the school grounds and assisted the school is securing it's 5 year registration with the Department of Education.
2021
New Principal
Fleur van Butzelaar retired in 2021 and a new Principal took her place. Banksia welcomed Rance Boog in late 2021.
Rance is the current Principal at Banksia Montessori School.
PRESENT
