By Dan Murphy
Torit Montessori School opened its elementary campus at the former site of Grampy’s gas station on Cambridge Street last month.
The campus, which currently accommodates around 40 elementary, kindergarten and pre- kindergarten students, occupies a total of 15,000 square feet on the second through fourth floors of the five-story building at 300 Cambridge St. When the ongoing buildout is completed by next fall, the facility is slated to house classrooms, a gym, dining hall, library, science lab, and engineering shop, as well as music and art rooms.
“The building is unique because it offers more in terms of space than most downtown,” said Kristen Mansharamani, the school’s founder and executive director.
By opening the new campus, Mansharamani said Torit can provide a wide curriculum and extracurricular programming comparable to many suburban schools. Its location will allow up to 200 elementary students to participate in new activities, including weekly swimming and tennis lessons on the Charles River Esplanade in spring and fall, as well as weekly ice-skating instruction at the Frog Pond on the Boston Common in the winter.
“We’re active in using the city as our campus,” Mansharamani said.
Moreover, the new facility readily lends itself to Torit’s individualized academic curriculum for each student, which includes a strong emphasis on foreign languages, Mansharamani said.