News

“Not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service.”

As we approach next Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which commemorates and honors his life, legacy, impact, and achievements, we encourage the Springmont community to take time to honor and celebrate Dr. King’s story and legacy with your family and by joining others around the nation for a day of service.  

Acts of service can include the entire family and be as simple as collecting stray trash in your neighborhood or local park or assisting or visiting an elderly neighbor. There are also opportunities to join the efforts of local organizations such as those listed below.  

• Hands on Atlanta - For families who do not yet have plans for the MLK Jr. Day of Service and would like to 'be the change', Hands On Atlanta provides a searchable database for narrowing down volunteer opportunities. You can enter the age of volunteers as well as your chosen project (i.e. environment, food insecurity, senior services, etc.).
  Lower Elementary Teacher, Patricia Jordan, will be participating in the Historic Stone Waterway Uncovering with the Chastain Park Conservancy, a family-oriented opportunity she selected from those listed on Hands on Atlanta because of its relevance to Springmont's core values, Engaged Learning and Stewardship of the Environment.  Patricia invites those interested to join her! 
• Pebbletossers – an organization empowering and equipping youth to lead through service
• The Sandwich Project - a network of volunteers who make and deliver fresh, homemade sandwiches to people experiencing food insecurity
• Solidarity Sandy Springs – a food pantry in Sandy Springs welcomes volunteers. Click here to sign up for opportunities throughout the month of January!
• The Tender Foundation – dedicated to bridging the financial gap and providing a safety net for single moms 
• The Westside Future Fund - offering an MLK Day of Service helping on their farm and an MLK Day of Service Community Clean Up!
  Springmont Parent Thea Patrick will be participating at the Westside Future Fund and invites you to join her and her family.  Please email her at patrickhouseacct@gmail.com for more information

While students will be engaged in learning about Dr. Martin Luther King in class with their teachers, there are also many local opportunities for families to learn about and celebrate his legacy.  Below are links for programs around Atlanta this weekend and Monday, January 16.

• https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/event/martin-luther-king-jr-day-2023/ 
  Head of School, Megan Hakerem, will be participating in events at the Atlanta History Center with her children and would love for you to join her!  If you plan to attend and wish to meet up, please email her directly at mhakerem@springmont.com.
• https://thekingcenter.org/events/
• https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/mlk-day-2023/
• https://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/program-schedule/?date=2023-01-15 

We hope you will take advantage of one of the opportunities listed above and share a photo and brief comment regarding your experience for us to share with our community, along with activities taking place in our classrooms, in next week’s Springmont Weekly News.  Please consider sending a photo along with a few words to jstrickland@springmont.com!

Finally, parents may wish to join Britt Hawthorne, a New York Times best-selling author and Montessorian, who will be discussing her book: Raising AntiRacist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide at a virtual book talk on Tuesday, January 17, at 7 pm. Learn about raising inclusive antiracist children in an informed, actionable, and accountable way. This virtual event is free and open to the public. Click here to register.