One of the earliest references to the significance of names that I have encountered in literature comes from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, written in around 1594. In that play, Juliet utters the famous line,

What’s in a name?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. 

Juliet’s claim is no doubt true in the case of a rose, but we know that names carry enormous significance in the human world. That is why parents spend so much thought and care in naming their children, for they will carry that name through their lives. Similarly, the name TMS, or Toronto Montessori Schools, has had deep meaning for generations of students, faculty and staff, parents and alumni. For this reason, as we progressed through the name change process, we took important measures to ensure that this incredible legacy is never forgotten.

The Indian writer and poet Rabindrinath Tagore once observed:

“The past is always with us, for nothing that once was can ever depart.”

Preserving and cherishing the 63 year history of TMS and honouring our founder Helma Trass (pictured left in 1964 with then Minister of Education William G. Davis) has been of utmost importance. In developing our History Walls on both campuses, we hope that we have achieved this aim. These spaces are filled with artifacts of all kinds that take us back in memory through the decades to the very earliest days of the school. Please do take the time to visit the History Walls whenever you are on either of our campuses.

The Lauremont School name was officially adopted on July 1st, 2024, but conversations on this topic date back at least to the opening of our Upper School campus on Elgin Mills Road in 2009. With the introduction of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme at the Upper School, the name Toronto Montessori School no longer fully reflected our growing school community.

13 years later, in 2022, the school began preparations for our new Five Year Strategic Plan. The school Leadership and Board of Trustees realized that this opportunity would not come along again for some time. We took the strategic decision to work together and see if we could identify a new name that would fully represent every individual in our community. The most immediate challenge was that almost every name we thought of was already being used by at least one—and sometimes multiple—schools elsewhere in North America. We learned, for example, that there are at least three “Cedar Grove” schools and two “Stonebridge” schools, never mind that neither of our campuses has a cedar grove or a bridge!

When “Lauremont School” emerged as a potential name, we discovered to our relief after conducting a thorough trademark search that no other school by that name exists in North America. Of more significance was the fact that the two parts of the name represent a fusing of our International Baccalaureate and Montessori pedagogies, perfectly balancing our two campuses and academic programs.

We have been gratified at the positive responses to the new school name and the associated brand elements. In the circular icon, most people see either a globe or a fingerprint, which reminds us that we are a global community made up of absolutely unique individuals who can proudly say, “I Am Known.”

Lauremont School is a name that allows us to share the exciting story of our school, from its origins in 1961 as Toronto Montessori School to the year 2024 and beyond.