Riverbend School to Receive Generous Gift from Estate of Sheila and Frank Magullion

Natick, MA, June 08, 2024 — The former dwelling of Sheila and Frank Magullion in South Natick, comprising two residential houses and over 5 and a half acres, will likely be gifted to Riverbend School, an impartial Montessori faculty lower than a mile away from the property.

In July 2023, Riverbend’s Head of School, Brooke Hopkins, discovered of the Magullion property when Dave Epstein, GBH News meteorologist, educator, and South Natick resident, was serving to to facilitate end-of-life needs for his expensive pal Sheila Magullion. Mr. Epstein acknowledged the alignment between Sheila and Frank’s values and Montessori ideas, which emphasize the interconnectedness of all life, conservation and environmental stewardship, and an appreciation for nature’s inherent items of groundedness and reflection. Indeed, Mrs. Hopkins, together with the Riverbend administrative group and Board of Directors, agreed that Riverbend is uniquely positioned to stick with it the Magullions’ legacy in perpetuity.

Together, Mr. Epstein, Mrs. Hopkins, and Michael Tauer, Riverbend’s Board Chair, shared the School’s imaginative and prescient with Tom Hunnewell, Sheila and Frank’s long-time lawyer and who they named as their trustee and executor. Mr. Hunnewell agreed that the Magullions’ property can be put to glorious use within the arms of Riverbend.

To that finish, Riverbend has created the Sheila and Frank Magullion Education and Retreat Center and plans to make the most of the property to develop enhanced outside training alternatives for Riverbend college students; host small occasions and symposia for lecturers and different Montessori educators within the higher MetroWest space and past; and create a fellowship program for aspiring lecturers as they pursue their Montessori coaching with a deal with attracting people from a variety of backgrounds, guaranteeing a diverse pool of candidates. By prioritizing range, Riverbend goals to promote fairness and inclusivity inside its faculty atmosphere and in Montessori colleges throughout the nation, thereby increasing entry to school rooms wherein all kids see themselves mirrored within the school and employees.

This beneficiant reward from the Magullion property won’t solely honor Sheila’s ardour for nature and training but additionally strengthen Riverbend School’s dedication to fostering a holistic and nurturing studying atmosphere. Riverbend School seems ahead to integrating the property into its curriculum and strengthening the pipeline of Montessori educated educators, empowering a brand new technology of Montessori lecturers to positively influence kids for generations to come.

Riverbend School, based in 2010, is an impartial Montessori faculty in South Natick, MA, serving Toddler — eighth grade.