Reflecting on 20 Years … and Too Many Smiles to Count

By Kristen Waterfield, President and Co-Founder, The Malvern School

When you walk into any Malvern School, you see the same thing – children smiling and laughing. Maybe it’s from a warm hug from their favorite teacher, a silly story being read aloud to the class, an ‘aha’ moment, an art project that gets their hands dirty or a special bond with a friend.

More than 20 years ago, when Joe Scandone and I founded The Malvern School, we knew we could provide families with high-quality early childhood education in a loving and nurturing environment; education that adds value to the community and positively influences the lives of even the youngest children. 

Since day one, we have done this by staying true to one simple value: Always put the children first. 

They are at the core of everything we do and every decision we make. They are the reason we’re excited to get out of bed and come to work each day, and being entrusted with their growth and care is a responsibility we truly, deeply treasure.

As a parent of three children myself, I know these years are precious, fleeting and, yes, also sometimes challenging. They’re filled with exploration, wonder, firsts and lots of little moments that can make big difference in a child’s development.

That’s why we see it as our job to make every minute at The Malvern School count. Whether it’s helping a child master a new skill, fueling imagination, building confidence or modeling compassion, these everyday teachable moments play no small role in shaping our students into well-rounded, well-adjusted and intellectually curious children.

I’m exceptionally proud of the organization our team has built over the past two decades – growing from two initial schools in Malvern and 20 staff … to 26 schools and 580 staff. It’s a great testament to our philosophy and educational approach, and also to our directors and teachers, who I’m especially proud of. They are the people who carry our dream forward every day. They are the ones who bring The Malvern Way to life.    

I’m also immensely thankful for our Malvern School families, who have entrusted us as their partner to educate and nurture their children. Over 20 years, we have had more than 30,000 students pass through our doors, and have shared too many smiles to count.