MESSAGE FROM FOUNDER Thank you for your interest in the Monarch School. My name is Patrick McKenna and I would like you to know how the Monarch School began.   I dreamed of establishing this school long before I actually brought the dream to life. But, before I even knew I had this dream or that in the future I would realize this dream, I had to experience some of what many of you are living today.

I was a teen in trouble. My parents and I suffered through our family struggles until my parents happened to discover a new kind of boarding school that eventually changed my life. Were it not for my parent persistence and courage, I am not sure where my self- destructive path might have led me. During my stay at school, I realized that my life had changed forever because of the gifts I was being given. I began to dream of a school and plan for the day when I could establish one of my own.

Many years later, after varied life experiences, including marriage and children, I arrived in a place personally to begin planning how I might accomplish this dream.

I imagined a place where children would be surrounded by positive experiences. One which could reawaken the desire for education and where they would be able to discover their true selves through creative processes including art, outdoor adventure, and vocational activities. A place where their personal lives would be well supported as they grew. I gathered several gifted and experienced educators and we spent many months planning the curriculum and contacting the key staff we knew would be needed to make the dream reality. The Monarch School property was acquired and building plans drawn. We were committed and prepared. We then contacted trusted colleagues in the educational world and announced our plans. Our first students enrolled in the summer of 2001.

Monarch School is a living, breathing home and school. It is an active campus, full of life and love. We invite you to share in this dream and be a part of an education that can benefit everyone.

Sincerely,

Patrick McKenna