Norwich — The man in the old TV commercial who bragged that he was so impressed with a product, he bought the company, has nothing on Patrice Champagne.

In 1985, Patrice and her husband, William, were so disheartened that the Maria Montessori School in Greeneville, where they had enrolled their son a year earlier, was planning to close, they bought the school.

Patrice Champagne would become the head of school.

“I thought, ‘How hard can it be to run a school?’” she said Thursday. “Yeah. I discovered quickly I had no idea, and that running a school was not running a business. It was a whole lot bigger.”

The couple consulted with Montessori experts, Patrice took administration training, and they plowed forward.

Over the next 35 years, what became the Montessori Discovery School also became a whole lot bigger. The Champagnes nursed the school's two primary classes for children ages 3 to 6 in leased space at the former St. Mary’s School in Greeneville and later in the Brothers of Joseph Synagogue, until they could find a new home.

William Champagne, a real estate agent specializing in historical homes, soon found an old farm on Dudley Street with four acres, plus one acre across the street. Dedicated families helped finance the purchase and renovations.

The couple turned ownership over to a nonprofit corporation governed by a board of trustees, and the newly named Montessori Discovery School had a permanent home at 218 Dudley St., Norwich.

The farm didn't quite disappear, with two llamas, 10 chickens, three office cats and classroom pets in all five animal classifications: amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and mammals.

A new building in 2005 allowed the school to expand to sixth grade.

Now, at age 71, Patrice Champagne is ready to “hand the baton” for her “very special gem” to the next generation. She retired Friday as head of school and moved into the new part-time role of school business officer.

“Patrice is a remarkable person and she's given us this wonderful gift of MDS,” board of trustees Chairman Benjamin Breault said. “We'll spend the next year celebrating her and will remember always the ways Patrice has enriched all of our lives.”

Kathryn Procko, 35, head of the toddler program since 2017, parent of two students at the school, and coordinator of the school’s COVID-19 response, was appointed by the board as the new head of school.

“Doing everything, being in charge of admissions and staff development and facilities and finance, it’s getting to be overwhelming," Champagne said. "Technology alone is a huge piece. And the changes need a younger eye, need someone who is more a parent than a grandparent.”

One of Champagne’s grandsons graduated from the Montessori Discovery School in 2020, and a second will enter third grade at the school this year.

Procko, 35, of Stonington learned about Montessori Discovery School from a neighbor. She visited and fell in love with the school and its philosophy. Procko enrolled her son Henry in 2012. He will enter sixth grade this year. His younger brother, Elliott, will enter second grade.

In 2017, Procko, then a special education teacher for early grades in Norwich Public Schools, learned that Montessori Discovery School wanted to open a toddler program for children ages 18 months to 3 years old. She “jumped at the chance,” and worked with Champagne to build the program.

A year later, she approached Champagne and said she wanted to learn to be a school administrator. Procko trained in Montessori administration and applied to become Champagne’s successor.

Procko said she was attracted to the Montessori philosophy from the start. The program emphasizes small-group instruction, team teaching and hands-on learning. The program helps students “to become joyful learners who confidently engage in our world,” she quoted from the mission statement.

“That’s why a lot of parents choose to come here,” Procko said. “My husband and I wanted our children to become compassionate to peers and friends, to advocate for themselves and for others. That’s the foundation they get.”

The school now has about 50 to 60 students. The toddler program has one class with a teacher and an assistant. The primary program for children ages 3 to 6 has one teacher and one assistant. And the elementary program for students in third to sixth grades has two teachers and one assistant.

There is a head of school, an administrative assistant and now a part-time business officer.

The school hires out for groundskeeping and maintenance, and before the coronavirus pandemic, held volunteer parent work days to weed and spruce up the grounds. Procko hopes to reinstate that this year.

Tuition this year will be $12,300 for full-day toddlers; $11,200 for full-day primary children; $11,200 for full-day kindergarten and $11,450 for elementary school children. Half-day options are available for toddlers and preschoolers.

The school offers financial aid based on need and last year granted $95,000 in tuition discounts, Champagne said.

As business officer, Champagne hopes to analyze enrollment, where students are from — generally within a half-hour drive — to grow the school.

She also hopes to work with the University of Connecticut Extension System to create a management plan for the wetlands, fields and brushlands. Students venture in small groups into the school's land for science exploration.

Montessori Discovery School maintained in-person learning last year, with seven students initially enrolled in remote learning. All returned to full in-person learning by May, Procko said.

The school had no on-site coronavirus cases, she said, crediting the dedication of staff and parents for adhering to the safety measures to keep the school open.

“That just speaks to how our community values our school,” Procko said.

c.bessette@theday.com