News

International Night is Springmont’s annual celebration of our school’s diversity and the lives and cultures of people around the world.  Traditionally, we gather off-campus in February for a musical performance by students followed by a huge potluck buffet. Because large gatherings are not possible due to the pandemic, this year, we will host families for a drive-in movie with an international theme!  Mark your calendars for the evening of Friday, February 19, and look for more information including the selected family-friendly movie and RSVP details soon!

In the meantime, instead of pondering what delicious dish you might have prepared, share your recipe!  The Springmont Parent Association is gathering recipes for a Springmont Favorites Cookbook.  Recipes can be emailed to Ann Colonna by Monday, February 1.

Each year I talk with Springmont parents who are exploring other schools.  Some are simply planning ahead but others seem to have an unfounded worry about what’s next for their child, are searching for that ever-elusive ‘perfect fit’, or are looking because friends or their child’s classmates are looking. While I am a firm believer in looking ahead, as both the Director of Admission and a parent of a Springmont graduate, I also firmly believe in the benefits of staying at Springmont through Middle School.  

Last year, I referenced a Harvard Ed magazine article and an NYU study citing good reasons to stay in a K-8 (rather than K-12) school, and this information bears repeating.  The Harvard Ed Magazine article cites a study that indicates students who leave early “…lose ground in both reading and math compared to their peers who attend K-8 schools.”  An NYU study argues that K-8 students have “…more positive views of their academic abilities.”  Additionally, mixing middle school with high school students can add too much social and academic pressure for young adolescents.  Staying in a K-8 program allows students to develop leadership skills and to be role models in an age-appropriate environment – a hallmark part of a Montessori education.

 Springmont’s Middle School carefully and intentionally prepares students for what’s next….high school and beyond.  If you’re exploring, please make sure you explore Springmont, too! Observe in the classroom via Zoom (at your child’s current level and at the next level).  Come to our upcoming Virtual Look Ahead events.  Ask lots of questions – seek out current Middle School families and even recent graduate families.  Most importantly, remember, you are NOT a sheep – there is no need to follow the herd.  Don’t think that just because another family is looking elsewhere that you should too.  For now, sit back and relax.  Let your student enjoy his/her Springmont years; then apply out – for high school! 

"My only regret is that [my daughter] moved out early...keep 'em in there, they turn out to be such amazing human beings...you are so lucky to have your children there." 

- from an alumni parent excerpted from the Alumni Panel (see below)

It was wonderful to see so many parents and students at our Virtual Alumni Panel last week.  In case you missed it or would like to watch it again, click here to view the Zoom recording! 

Thank you so much to our alumni panelists - Libby Brandt Ranniger, Erin Lemmon, Ryan Restifo, Gavin Rolls, and Shawdon Zadeh - who answered questions and shared firsthand accounts about how their Springmont experiences shaped their lives.  

As our Share Springmont campaign continues, we are asking parents to share their positive Springmont experience with their wider community by posting reviews on Facebook and Nextdoor!

Reviewing us on Facebook is easy and fast! Simply visit Springmont’s Facebook page, select Reviews from the menu under the school’s name and follow the prompts to share your experience.

Are you a member of Nextdoor? If so, we’d love your Recommendation. Navigate to Businesses, search for and select Springmont, and click the Recommend button. You will be prompted to leave a comment - kindly select 'Show my comment to Anyone' and then the green ‘Add recommendation’ button.

Tell other parents about how Springmont balances academic learning with social/emotional well-being. Explain how our highly experienced and caring teachers and our authentic Montessori experience allow for individualized learning and inspire students to become creative, independent and globally-minded. Share your story about our school community - one that respects and embraces diversity of all kinds and believes that inclusivity and mutual respect are essential.  

As friends, neighbors, colleagues and co-workers consider 2021-22 school options for their children, we hope you will invite them to join a Q&A Zoom Coffee (no RSVP needed!), book a Virtual Tour, or attend our January 24 Virtual Open House!  Encourage them to visit our Admission webpages for more information!

Maria Montessori, known for scientifically studying the needs of children and matching education to their developmental stages, is also credited for envisioning the education of children as the path to world peace. She realized that the way we approach teaching can have a lasting impact on how children interact as humans throughout their lives.  Montessori lived through two wars, a global pandemic and colonialization, making it clear to her that “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war.”  

Believing a key to the betterment of society was early childhood education, Montessori made peace education a focus of her students’ introduction to the world.  Respect is woven into every aspect of the classroom, beginning with the respect teachers show students and carrying over to the expectation that all beings and materials are due respect.   

Dr. Montessori addressed the United Nations urging world leaders to value global citizenship, personal responsibility, and respect for diversity as vital parts of education.  These values were as important to her as math, language and the sciences.  Montessori education focuses on developing the whole child., Empathy and global mindedness are natural outcomes of her method, and critical thinking is developed via each lesson presented to and repeated by the children.  You can see these ideas in Springmont’s classrooms.  Primary students learn about other countries using the puzzle maps and the geography folders.  Not only are they able to locate far off countries, but the folders show pictures of these peoples conducting their lives.  What do they eat? Where do they live? Children begin to see how their lives are similar to those living elsewhere.  Elementary children have opportunities to research and imagine what life might have been like for past civilizations, to honor their contributions, and to critically examine periods of history.

Springmont students also have opportunities to wonder and pursue knowledge, whether student-initiated or guided by a teacher.  Montessori children are not taught what to think but how to seek information and answers.  The greatest outcome of this kind of learning is that children learn to contemplate big ideas and use critical thinking when encountering new ideas.  One of our alumni alluded to this at last Thursday’s Alumni Panel. When asked about how he reflects on his Montessori education given the current political climate, his answer spoke to his ability to look critically at information meant to mislead or manipulate. The habit of thinking and discerning, when learned at a young age, serves children now and through adulthood.  

The foundation of Montessori’s peace education is found in how children and adults handle conflict at school.  Having an environment focused on peace education does not mean there is an absence of conflict.  It means conflicts are seen as opportunities for developing compassion, relationships, and a deeper understanding of another’s point of view.  Children all have needs that have to be met, and in Springmont’s classrooms, those needs may be in conflict with the needs of another or the whole group.  Learning to see yourself as part of a larger community is sometimes difficult.  When there is a conflict between children, the parties are brought together, and each is offered a chance to speak his/her truth.  The teacher is there to assist students in communicating thoroughly and politely and to help them understand the perspectives of others.  If possible, suggestions for how to resolve the situation so both parties are satisfied are offered.  Eventually, students are able to independently see situations from another’s point of view.  This process, when supported by caring adults, creates the kind of citizens that effect change, see the richness of humanity, and crave peace. 

"Peace is what every human being is craving for, and it can be brought about by humanity through the child."

-Maria Montessori

For many Springmont parents, the educational experience they have chosen for their children looks very different from their own schooling.  As a result, they sometimes have questions about how a Montessori education fits into the bigger picture for their children.  We have invited a few of our alumni to answer questions and share firsthand accounts about how their experiences as Springmont students shaped their lives. Here's some introductory information about a few of our panelists (pictured, left to right):

Libby Brandt Ranniger — North Springs High School Class of 2005; Vanderbilt University Class of 2009 with majors in Chemistry and Math; University of Virginia School of Medicine Class of 2013; Northwestern University Pediatric Resident 2013-2016. Libby is currently a Pediatrician at Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa.

Erin Lemmon— Blessed Trinity Catholic High School Class of 2019; University of Kentucky Class of 2023 with majors in Healthcare Communications and Psychology and a Clinical Healthcare Management certificate

Ryan Restifo— The Galloway School Class of 2019; Wake Forest University Class of 2023 with majors in Mechanical Engineering and Physics.

Gavin Rolls— Kent Denver School Class of 2019; Georgia Institute of Technology Class of 2023 Stamps President’s Scholar with a major in Computer Science.

Shawdon Zadeh— Walton High School Class of 2014; Washington University Class of 2018 with a major in Finance. Shawdon is currently a Senior Analyst at Avascent in Washington, DC.

Join us on Zoom this Thursday, January 14, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Upper Elementary and Middle School students and parents of students at all levels are invited to join us.  See you there!

Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions parents make. As a current Springmont parent, you have seen your child thrive in an environment that balances academic learning with social/emotional well-being. Our highly experienced and caring teachers provide an authentic Montessori experience that allows for individualized learning and inspires students to become creative, independent and globally-minded. Our community respects and embraces diversity of all kinds and believes that inclusivity and mutual respect are essential.  Springmont is Extraordinary by Design!

Word-of-mouth referrals are the most trusted recommendation for today’s parents and the #1 way new families learn about Springmont. Please share your family’s positive Springmont experience with neighbors, friends, colleagues and co-workers. Invite them to join a Q&A Zoom Coffee (no RSVP needed!), book a Virtual Tour, or attend our January 24 Virtual Open House! Encourage them to click here to learn more!

While planning, cleaning, and organizing are always a part of Faculty/Staff Workdays, so too is setting aside time for professional growth and development. Last Monday, we not only readied classrooms for your children's return but also prepared ourselves professionally and personally by participating in a workshop about how racial identity impacts teaching and learning.  By investigating our own personal, social, and universal identities, Springmont faculty and staff took a closer look at how we recognize and challenge unconscious bias and systematic racism in service of all Springmont learners. This important work supports our delivery of the school's mission and core values and provides a framework for instilling a global perspective and respect for diversity of all kinds in our students.

Just as educators benefit from professional development, so do parents! Please save the date for our next Parent Discussion Forum, Raising Anti-Racist Children, led by iChange Collaborative on Thursday, March 11, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Look for more info and the Zoom link in the coming weeks!

Next Monday, January 18, Springmont will be closed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 92nd birthday. More than 50 years after his assassination, Dr. King’s commitment to ending racial violence and poverty, addressing social welfare, and supporting voting rights are unfinished tasks. As the issues he lived and died for continue to affect us and our children, we encourage you to consider changing the King holiday from a "day off" to a “day on” by using the following ideas:

Read with your child:  Use literature as a vehicle to broach conversations about race and equity. Springmont Media Center Specialist Leslie Wachter recommends the following titles as starting points. Toddler and Primary children will enjoy The ABC's of Black History by Rio Cortez. Lower Elementary children can read Let the Children March by Monica Clark Robinson or Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. Upper Elementary readers can dive into the book Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom by Lynda Blackmon Lowery while Middle School students (and adults!) can check out the graphic novel series March by late Congressman John Lewis.  You can find these books, and many more, by taking a look at the Springmont library collection. 

Take a virtual tour: Check out the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C., The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN or Atlanta’s own King Center and National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Many offer ideas for recognizing Dr. King’s birthday and other ideas for children and families. 

Discover a passion project: Although COVID restrictions may limit volunteer opportunities this year, be sure to view the list of family friendly projects on the website of Generation On, the youth division of the Point of Light organization. The list is divided into various topics and offers ideas and resources for getting involved in causes that matter most to you. 

Listen and learn: YouTube has original footage of many of Dr. King’s speeches. Older elementary and middle school-aged children will be able to follow along and understand King’s message. Viewing can be used as a spark for conversations on issues of inclusivity and acceptance.

What do you wish people knew about Montessori or your classroom? I wish people understood that Montessori is a form of education built in response to the natural course of child development. Many approaches to education work the other way around, with an outcome in mind, and work to fit the child into that desired outcome. Our goal is to foster the true potential of each child.  

Do you have a favorite area of the classroom?  Is there a particular lesson you like to give to new students and why? My favorite area of the classroom is math. I am still in awe of the manipulative materials that we use to introduce the children to mathematical concepts. During my Montessori training, I saw relationships and came to understand elements of math that had not been clear to me before.  

I love to introduce students who are new to Elementary to the Wooden Hierarchical Material. This material is a scaled model of the decimal system from the unit to the million. Watching the connections children make between the categories and the geometric representation of them is such a joy to witness!  

What is one thing that you think defines you as a person? One thing that defines me as a person is inquiry. I am constantly asking questions, seeking to understand, expand and clarify my understanding of the universe and my place in it. In my work with children, this manifests in a desire to know the children as well as possible, allowing me to meet them where they are and use their interests and curiosity to help them grow as learners and as humans.   

What do you wish people knew about Montessori or your classroom?  I wish people realized that Montessori students are prepared both academically and practically for the intricacies of everyday life.  Montessori students utilize advanced materials like the Pink Tower and Racks and Tubes, but they also know how to sneeze into their arms and tie their own shoes.  They might study a pin map intensely but are also naturally curious about the language of the people where the pin is located.  Ultimately, Montessori students are prepared for a full life, not just an academic one.

What one thing distinguishes your teaching style?  I believe (and have been told) that I display a passion for learning that is demonstrated through my engagement with the subject AND with those students who are studying that subject.  I try to reflect the approach of a life-long learner.  Adolescents, the group I currently teach, need to SEE qualities and attributes, not just be told about them.  If we want students to be curious, we need to model that curiosity.

What is a special interest you bring into the classroom? I bring a life-long pursuit of special interests.  I have brokered and appraised diamonds in New York.  I have been scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef and skydiving on four different continents.  I taught martial arts for 36 years. I never plan to stop finding special interests.  My latest interest is in competitive knife throwing, and I plan on competing in the World Championship in Germany in the summer of 2021.  Life is too short to stop finding new interests!

In case you missed it just before Winter Break, click here to view Springmont's 2019-20 Annual Report: CommUNITY focused, OpportUNITY driven. Thank you to all our donors!

As we begin a new year and a new semester, there's a lot to look forward to! 

Springmont's 2021 Alumni Panel is Thursday, January 14! 

Join us on Zoom the evening of Thursday, January 14, for the 2021 Springmont Alumni Panel!  This is a great opportunity to ask questions and hear about how a Montessori education contributes to your child's long-term success as Springmont alumni who have moved into high school, college and beyond tell their stories. Mark your calendars now and keep an eye out for the Zoom link next week.  Parents at all levels, as well as Upper Elementary and Middle School students, are encouraged to attend. 

Looking Ahead to your child's next academic level 

Now more than ever, parents may understandably be wondering, and maybe even worrying a little about, what lies ahead for their children.  Parents of students scheduled to move to Springmont's next academic level in August are encouraged to Look Ahead by attending these Zoom events:

• Lower Elementary parents are invited to Look Ahead to Upper Elementary on Tuesday, January 12, at 6:30 p.m. 
• Primary parents are invited to Look Ahead to Lower Elementary on Thursday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m. 
• Upper Elementary parents (and their 6th-year students) are invited to Look Ahead to Middle School on Thursday, January 28, at 6:30 p.m.  

Sharing Springmont

Our annual Share Springmont campaign will begin next week! Word-of-mouth referrals are the most trusted recommendation for today’s parents and are the #1 way new families learn about Springmont. Sharing your family’s positive Springmont experience with neighbors, friends, colleagues and co-workers is easy and appreciated! Look for our referral cards, ideas for helping us spread the word about Springmont, some Springmont treats, and more information soon.  In the meantime, we are looking for families willing to post small yard signs in front of their homes or in their neighborhoods (if permitted) announcing our Virtual Open House on Sunday, January 24!  Email Andrea Restifo if you can help us by posting a yard sign.

What do you wish people knew about Montessori or your classroom? I want people to think of the classroom as a children's laboratory, a place where children come looking for ways to experiment with the materials in their environment. We prepare the classroom environment particularly for this purpose, making sure to include small yet rich details that we know the children will appreciate. Children are given lessons and then invited to work with materials. They don't always do exactly what we show them because there is so much to discover in each Montessori material and because they are natural-born explorers. They are allowed to reach their own conclusions which makes them feel they are in charge of their own learning. Often, if you ask a child "Who taught you that?" they reply, "I taught myself!" You can see a certain peaceful expression in their faces as they make discoveries and satisfy their craving for learning.

This year, I am teaching virtually. The environment is certainly different but the children's innate needs and tendencies are not. In my virtual classroom, I have emphasized that our mistakes are there to guide us to answers. It is so much more important to keep alive the flame of exploration than to come up with "the correct answer" or replication.  Exploration leads to deep thinking and learning. 

Do you have a favorite area of the classroom?  I believe in the power of Practical Life. Practical Life activities lay the foundation for what society considers "academic" while providing children with independence and a sense of pride in their capabilities. Practical Life is care of oneself and one's environment--it is the heart of peace education. I love that the other areas (Sensorial, Language, and Math) are inherent in the qualities of this work. For example, when I think of cloth scrubbing I see the iridescent soap bubbles, I hear the language (wring, squeeze, rinse), and the careful estimation that comes into play when pouring a large bin of water into a bucket. Finding the Practical Life activity that delights each child according to their interests brings me joy. If I can find the thing that provides inroads to concentration, I feel I have done my job.

What is a special interest you bring into the classroom? I love nature, and I believe that an early appreciation of the natural world can help create generations of peaceful stewards of the Earth. Values are learned, and children are naturally inclined to stop and look, to listen, and to enjoy their world. When we give them the vocabulary about nature and stop to enjoy it with them, they feel a connection with the Earth and remain dedicated to caring for it.