News

Dear Friends,

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. I wish to abbreviate neither the words nor our thinking about them.

This spring, the Board of Trustees reaffirmed our commitment to action under these community principles. A committee comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees has worked hard to update Springmont’s DEI Statement to clarify and commit to the work ahead, and the board approved the statement in May. Further, the Board of Trustees has centered Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as one pillar of our new Strategic Plan framework.

You can read the statement here. My favorite sentence follows: “By becoming part of our community, you embrace these values and actively contribute to bringing this shared vision to life.” I love it because the active clause begins with “you.”  As Springmonters, you and I will take real action to foster a community of dignity and belonging, built upon these three cornerstone values.

Springmont is well-suited to develop children to become peacemakers and changemakers for a pluralistic world. While we share core values, we are a school community that will always think, worship, vote, and live in diverse ways. This statement affirms that we find strength in those differences. Our shared commitment is to honor the dignity of each other and teach our children that we all belong together, in this community and in this world.

By reaffirming our commitments and sharpening our focus on actionable plans, we are standing for accountability. Over time, words and slogans may change, and ideas and plans will be debated. But the dignity and worth of you, me, your child, my child, and any other community member is not up for debate, ever. Montessori education provides a rich toolkit for educating minds to live in diversity, to stand up for equity and fairness, and to do hard things inclusively. At Springmont, we expect nothing less for our children and from each other.

The Board would like to thank the DEIJB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging) Committee for their efforts to update and reaffirm our statement of commitment. And thanks to each of you for being part of advancing that commitment.

Sincerely,

Will Johnson

Chair, Board of Trustees

Dear Families,

It’s hard to believe, but we are in the last week of school! Some might call this month Mayhem because of all that goes on at Springmont. We successfully finished our Lawn revitalization project (see before and after photos at right) thanks to your generous donations to the Springmont Fund, our gardens are beautiful and lush thanks to our parents, students and mother nature, our Middle School students had an amazing trip to Washington, D.C., thanks to the care and planning of their teachers, our Upper Elementary students put on an awesome performance of Disney’s Newsies, Jr. with credit to Music Teacher Stefanie Freinkel for her direction, and the Strategic Plan is in its final stages thanks to our committee members! This list just scratches the surface!

I want to thank all our employees for their time and dedication this year, our students for their hard work and enthusiasm, and our families for their trust and support. Together, we make Springmont extraordinary! I wish everyone a fantastic summer and hope to see many of you at our summer programs/camps or at the summer activities detailed below. 

Lastly, congratulations to our 8th-year students who graduate this Thursday! All members of our community are welcome to join us for Commencement at 6:30 p.m. in the Pavilion, where each student’s voice will be heard and everyone’s contributions to their journeys will be honored. 

Cheers, 
Elizabeth
 

Primary Teacher Rinku Bhargava is leaving Springmont after two years with us. She is going to be spending more time with her family. Chelsea Aubrey will be the new teacher. Chelsea was a Montessori student herself and has taught in Primary classrooms for the past five years.

Upper Elementary Teacher Marianna Wildes is leaving Springmont after two years, one of which was in Upper Elementary. She is considering her next steps within the Montessori sphere. We are continuing to look at candidates to fill that position.

Art Teacher Brandice Camara is leaving Springmont after one year to find a position that affords her a better work/home balance. The position will be filled by Primary Assistant Lexi Duckworth, who has been with Springmont for two years. Lexi has a degree in Fiber Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design and has worked with a wide variety of ages in the classroom and at art camp. 

After 12 years with the school, Toddler/Primary Division Head Cara Friedline is leaving Springmont to care for her ailing parents. Her position will be filled on an interim basis by Patricia Jordan, who will serve as Interim Associate Head, overseeing the Toddler, Primary, and Elementary levels, and Dajar Showers, who will serve as Interim Division Coordinator in addition to her role in Learning Support.