Parent Portal
On October 3, 2025, Willow welcomed Maggie Doyne, Co-founder and CEO of the BlinkNow Foundation and author of Between the Mountain and the Sky, as our Morning Gathering speaker. A native of New Jersey, Maggie Doyne has dedicated her life to educating children and empowering women in Nepal. She believes that everyone has the power to change the world, in the blink of an eye!
In her Morning Gathering presentation, Maggie shared the inspiring story of her journey from New Jersey to Nepal and her mission to provide education and a safe, nurturing home for children through BlinkNow.
Throughout the day, Maggie visited classrooms across grade levels, making meaningful connections between her work in Nepal and our Willow curriculum. Our students at Willow connected with Maggie and her life and work in Nepal.
Maggie spoke with first graders, exploring how humans have their needs met and what resources are essential in a community. Through this discussion, she also answered playful questions like “What holidays do you celebrate in Nepal?” and “Why do you dance in the rain?”
In second grade, Maggie spoke with students about edible landscaping, the geography of Nepal, and the country’s unique seasons—monsoon, harvest, and dry summer—while comparing them to New Jersey.
As she visited middle school classes, Maggie joined sixth grade scientists in their study of food insecurity, connecting their project-based learning and work with Nourish NJ to global challenges.
Seventh grade students who had read an excerpt of her book and watched part of her documentary engaged Maggie in thoughtful questions about her experiences, from “Is there anything you wish you had done differently in your life?” to “How have you overcome challenges in the process of building the school?”
Maggie’s visit was a joyful reminder of the power of connection, service, and the ripple effect one person can have on the world. We are grateful to everyone who helped make this connection possible, and to all the teachers who guided such thoughtful classroom conversations throughout the day.
Read more about Maggie’s background on her website!
Maggie Doyne spoke to our whole school community at Morning Gathering
Want to join the Willow community? Start a conversation with our Director of Enrollment Management, Lisa VanderVeen, to see how your child will thrive at Willow.
