BMSL History
2001-2013
BMSL History
May 26th 2013
Once upon a time...
2001
... three parents, Agneta Rydström, Marie-Ann Wachtmeister and Annika
Melin, who each had children attending the same pre-school in Lund had the
idea to start a new Montessori school in Lund. The work began in
November 2001 with defining the concept. The pedagogical method was
clear, it had to be Montessori. The language would also play an important
part since they had some experience from schooling in another country.
Besides Swedish it was decided that teaching should be conducted both in
French and English. It was also important that the school embraced a health
aspect and the children were to have at least one hour of physical activity
per day.
2002
The next step was to find out what demand there might be for such a school.
Quickly a queue to join was established. Bilingual Montessori School of Lund
was registered as an Economic Association in February 2002. An application
was sent to The National Agency for Education and the process of hiring
teachers and finding a suitable building started.
2003
At the same time as the idea of BMSL was taking shape, another group of
parents with small children were looking to start a French-Swedish
Preschool. Following a meeting with Marie-Ann Wachtmeister they decided
to start a BMSL Preschool with the same idea and concept as the BMSL
school. BMSL Preschool Economic Association was registered in March 2003
and was founded by Anna Chérouvrier Hansson, Hélène Svahnqvist and
Chantal Moussy Cavallin.
On the 27th of August 2003 it was finally time to launch the school and
BMSL opened its doors to 60 children ranging from grades F to 3.
Subsequently on the 1st of October 2003 43 children then started at BMSL
Preschool.
10 years of growth
The BMSL school has developed by way of growing at a rate of one class
grade at a time. The building has also been renovated and improved over
the years.
BMSL History
May 26th 2013
2008
The school building was improved during 2003-2008, the school yard was
adapted and BMSL Preschool gained their own premises. Large investments
were made to ensure the children could work on all levels of the building,
the ventilation system was renovated as well as the school kitchen.
2009
In 2009 BMSL Preschool and the BMSL school merged. This was done to
ensure the continued cooperation between the two entities and to simplify
the transfer of children from the Preschool to the main school as well as to
simplify the communication and administration.
2010
In spring 2010 BMSL was contacted by a private group who expressed an
interest in buying the school. Discussions took place between the school and
this private group however the school Board were of the opinion that this
option was not in the best interests of the school and therefore the offer was
rejected. This episode triggered a thought process amongst the Board with
regard to what could potentially happen in the future and a wish to ensure
that the BMSL concept would remain even when the founders exits the
school.
The Board was also contacted by a group who was working towards Sweden
getting its first European School based in Lund. Unfortunately the initiative
did not get the required support from the Ministry of Education and without
such support the project was in an impossible situation. The plans for a
European School therefore stalled.
2011
2013
BMSL History
In the Autumn of 2010 the Board started its strategic planning. The main
issue was how to secure the BMSL concept for the future. At that time BMSL
had more than 250 pupils and 40 employees. The plan was for the Board of
the BMSL Economic Association to begin a process to change the Economic
Association into a Foundation thus ensuring the continuity of the BMSL
concept and vision. The proposal was formally presented to the members of
the Association and the decision to transfer the BMSL Economic Association
to a Foundation was subsequently agreed at two General Meetings. The
work of achieving the transfer then began. Fall 2011, a non-profit Parent
Association was formed in order to utilise any parent engagement.
Today BMSL is a school that offers education to children aged from 1 year
through to those in grade 9.
Each day over 350 pupils and approx 65 employees are welcomed to the
school building at Margaretavägen 1 in Lund, with the exactly same concept
as 10 years ago: Montessori, Languages and Health!
May 26th 2013
Thank you to all parents for
your great support!
The development of BMSL has only been possible due to the support of parents from the very
beginning. Parents assisted with practical tasks from planting shrubs in the garden to painting
walls, starting parents groups, etc.
The Board at the school has always been made up of parents with children attending BMSL.
These parents have taken on considerable responsibility and given up much of their own time
to help continue to build the best school in Lund.
Many children and parents have joined the school and been active by supporting and taking
part in for example, ”fixing” days and activities such as the fantastic World Run project and
other social events such as the ”children’s day”.
Experiences from BMSLs
Parents
“In 2008, our children Dominic and Gabriela joined BMSL. What started of as a need to
improve the English language skills of our children has grown into an enriching and culturally
vibrant experience. I have also had the fortune of serving on the board of the Pre-School in the
role of secretary for a few years. Our son Dominic, later on moved to and currently attends
Tunaskolan. As a result, I have the unusual and combined perspective of a parent with a child
at BMSL, of a parent with a child in another school and of a former board member. From this
vantage position, BMSL is truly novel not just in its concept but also its multi-lingual/multicultural atmosphere.
The creators of this concept, whom we applaud hugely, boldly went against the grain to
establish a school our family is proud to be a part of. Due to the success of the concept, the
school and its activities have grown to a critical mass, which deserves to be managed
effectively and with a long-term view.
By birthing the concept, the creators of BMSL have an inherent lifetime commitment and will
to preserve and protect their concept. Their commitment will outlast us and continue long
after our children have left the school.
Because of its unique concept, BMSL has not only given our family a very important language
tool but a place we can call “home away from home”; warm atmosphere, great friendships and
a cultural & creative buzz that lingers on!”
Anjous-Zygmunt Family (Lande, Peter, Dominic & Gabriela)
BMSL History
May 26th 2013
” Thanks to BMSL, our 11 year-old daughter has embraced the same linguistic environment at
school as at home and can strongly identify and feel in harmony with the richness of
multicultures. We are very happy to have her 2 years ½ sister following her tracks in the Preschool. BMSL has been keen of preserving this multi-lingual vision and we want to be sure this
will perdure and be even strengthened. We see BMSL concept as quite unique in attracting
children from different horizons and origins creating an exciting and fruitful melting-pot
thanks to talented personnel and dedicated and devoted parents”
Chantal & Magnus Cavallin
”När vi valde BMSL förstod jag inte tankarna kring språkbad. Men när vi campade runt om i
Europa och mina barn kunde kommunicera med andra barn på engelska och franska så
förstod jag att världen öppnat sig för dem. Nu har mitt äldsta barn gått alla skolåren på BMSL
och börjat gymnasiet och jag känner att språken varit en gåva. För mitt yngsta barn som nu
går på högstadiet och har dyslexi, har språkbadet varit en förutsättning eftersom barn med
dyslexi ofta har problem att klara av språkundervisningen. Här på BMSL har det fungerat
väldigt bra!”
Christin Jönsson
”Jag har haft mitt barn på BMSL sedan den allra första dagen skolan slog upp sina portar. Tack
vare en liten papperslapp i Franska bokhandeln i Lund fick jag ett år tidigare kännedom om
initiativet till en trespråkig montessori förskola. Vi såg det som en fantastisk möjlighet och
anmälde omedelbart vårt intresse.
Min son började alltså i BMSL PreSchools yngsta grupp den höst hela BMSL startade och han
går nu i åk 5. Vi är en tvåspråkig familj (svenska-franska) och för oss har det varit oerhört
viktigt att kunna ge honom denna chans att bli helt tvåspråkig. Att han fått engelskan på köpet
tack vare språkbadsprincipen är ett enormt plus.
Jag har sett hur BMSL vuxit från en liten struktur med många ”barnsjukdomar” till en stor och
alltmer professionellt organiserad skola med en originell profil och en härlig miljö. Det faktum
att vi under alla dessa år har varit bosatta i Malmö och trots det bemödat oss om att låta vårt
barn gå i skola i Lund är väl det bästa betyg man ge BMSL.”
Aino Lund Lavoipierre
“My son Owen joined BMSL Pre-School 2005. We had looked for a school that could meet
Owens needs and BMSL was by far the best choice for him. The special environment and
feeling that the school offers each student is something I couldn’t find elsewhere. Giving all the
children a chance to know 3 languages at such an early age combined with the Montessori
teaching makes it a unique school. I was on the Board in the early days and I really enjoyed
working with all the engaged parents. It felt great to be able to make a difference and safe
guard the school and my son’s future. Today I am involved in the World Run project and only
if I had some spare hours left I would dedicate more time to BMSL. What makes me the most
happy is to find my son every day on his way to school with a smile on his face, I believe this is
a sign that the school is a great place for our children.”
Dag Hallencreutz
BMSL History
May 26th 2013
"In 2004, our first child was offered the opportunity to join BMSL preschool, a choice that we
never regretted: how many kids have a school offering this fantastic linguistic and cultural
environment?
Over the years I have been following BMSL development. I was notably involved in the board
of preschool association as treasurer for about 2 years before preschool merged with school. I
then realized how complex and time-consuming it is to lead such a unique school structure.
During that period, I also met dedicated parents who spent so many of their leisure hours to
work on securing the school future and I am very thankful to them. Together with our
fantastic teachers, they are offering a unique gift to my children. "
Marie Gorwa Grauslund
”Vår dotter började på BMSL i första klass. Förutom den genomtänkta montessoripedagogiken blev vi imponerade både över att skolan var trespråkig men också att det fanns
en tanke på hälsa. Nu går hon i sjunde klass och trivs bättre än någonsin. Vi är glada över vår
duktiga lärare och har förstått när vi pratat med föräldrar från andra skolor att så lärartätt
som vi har det samt så duktiga på språk som barnen är på BMSL är inte så vanligt. Jag är
uppriktigt stolt över min dotters språkkunskaper. Jag och min fru har under dessa år varit
engagerade i skolan och sett det som en förmån att hjälpa till för att få en så bra skola för vår
dotter som möjligt och har bl.a. själv suttit med i styrelsen under två år tillsammans med
andra trevliga och motiverade föräldrar. Det har varit fantastiskt att se skolan utvecklas under
de senaste 7 åren till vad den är idag.”
Pär Anders Hallin
“My oldest daughter joined BMSL in autumn 2004 after visiting the school in spring 2003 and
seeing what a unique environment BMSL had to offer. We soon realized that not only would
our daughter have the opportunity to be bilingual but a chance to learn a third language and
have health as a focus which was important to our family. Our youngest daughter thereafter
joined BMSL pre-school spring 2004 which would allow her the exposure to the Montessori
pedagogy at the onset, making the transition to BMSL school smoother than if she hadn't had
this opportunity.
As a family we contributed much of our free time working with the sponsor group as well as
in other groups where our help was needed. I spent countless hours establishing the trilingual
library at BMSL along with other ambitious parents that wanted to see BMSL children have
access to literature in the languages they are exposed to on a daily basis. I have also
contributed much of my time in working with a small group of parents and engaged teacher
on a project called World Run which focuses on health and the idea of contributing one's time
and energy to helping others around the world less fortunate. This project has given BMSL
children great pride in knowing that an hour of their time can make a huge impact. I have also
sat on the Board of the Economic Association for one year and today chairperson for BMSL
Parent Association. I believe my children have benefited in many ways from attending BMSL,
not only are they bi-lingual but they have learned to accept themselves and others for who
they are and appreciate the fact that their parents are engaged and concerned about the
school they attend.”
Lisa Andersson
BMSL History
May 26th 2013
"I was leading the work for the preschool in 2003 and I was in the board of the association
until it merged with the school in 2008/2009 and I continued to be involved in the school
work by having a role in the board or as election committee (as today).
My motivation for starting the preschool is that I am French, married to a Swedish man. When
becoming parents, my husband and I decided that we will be a bilingual family. We knew that
it would be hard to realise our goal without the support of their educational environment.
Therefore we decided to dedicate a large amount of our time in this project.
I can proudly say that our two children are not only bilingual, but even trilingual. They speak
and write Swedish, French and English like no other children their age could if they would not
have been enrolled in BMSL.
Starting BMSL Pre-School is one of the top 5 moments in my life I am proud of. It has been
hard work, but I have always felt rewarded thanks to the fact that my children can
communicate with me in my mother tongue.”
Anna Chérouvrier Hansson
with strong support from Andreas Hansson in this project since 2002
BMSL History
May 26th 2013