News

Winter Break will be here before we know it! Springmont's Winter Break Care allows Toddler and Primary students to spend the day in safe, familiar environments while parents work or attend to holiday preparations. Students will enjoy crafts, games, and time outdoors.

Care will be offered on the following dates:

• Monday, December 18
• Tuesday, December 19
• Wednesday, December 20
• Thursday, December 21
• Wednesday, December 27
• Thursday, December 28
• Friday, December 29

Families may elect from two options each day:

• Half Day 8 a.m. - 12 noon. $55 per half-day
• Full Day 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. $90 per day

Snacks will be provided, but children will need a water bottle and clothing suitable for outdoor play daily. Those enrolled in the Full Day option will also need lunch and nap supplies if they regularly rest at school (all Toddlers and younger Primary students).

Spaces are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. We will need a minimum of 6 children per level each day, or dates may be canceled. Please note that Toddler and Primary programs may spend time together.

Full payment is due with registration, and refunds will not be offered unless Springmont is unable to hold care on a particular day due to low demand or other unavoidable circumstances.

Please click here to complete a separate registration for each child. Registration will close Dec. 6 at 8 a.m.

Questions? Email Isaac Ezemba
 

New displays of student art have been installed in the Main Building! Upper Elementary students practiced perspective with some festive pumpkin patch watercolors now on display by the front desk (shown in photo). Lower Elementary children were introduced to the vibrant work of Yayoi Kusama and her love for polka dots and pumpkins. You can find their Kusama-inspired collages along the hallway in the Front Office. Leading into the Media Center, you will find more Upper Elementary artwork. Classes honed their color-mixing skills and crafted an alternative take on the traditional color wheel. Along the wall by Cara’s office are some Middle School gemstone paintings. This advanced color theory study began with a palette of tints, shades, and tones. Their color palette is displayed alongside their work to give a better understanding of the full process. Look for more photos on Facebook this week and next and make sure to walk through the Main Building to see all these extraordinary pieces in person!

Nathalie’s Upper Elementary Class is hosting a Bake Sale this Thursday, October 26, beginning at 3:15 p.m. Stop by the Pavilion to select from delicious fall-themed treats, including chai scones and mini loaves of pumpkin bread, a class favorite this year! Proceeds will benefit a student-selected cause. While bake sales offer lots of opportunities for fun, they also allow students to learn how to plan and organize an event and use their math skills to scale recipes and make change.

Parents/guardians are invited to join Springmont Parent Association (SPA) Co-Chairs Kristin Maiwand and Elizabeth Keromytis on October 26th, 6-8 p.m., for a “Happy 2 Hours” social at Under the Cork Tree located at 5600 Roswell Road, Suite 102 Atlanta, GA 30342. This is an adults-only, no-host, casual event! 

Come get to know fellow Springmont parents without an agenda or having to keep a watchful eye on your children. See you there!
 

We are excited to offer Primary parents a chance to join their children in their Primary classrooms for a lesson or two! This opportunity to work alongside your children will not only further your understanding of Montessori but also allow your children to become the teachers as they share their work with you. Afterward, the Playground will be open for Primary families to enjoy time together as well as a few special activities and snacks. Your children love our play spaces; this is a time to share their joy for being at Springmont!

All Primary families are invited. Primary classrooms will be open 4:30 - 5:45 p.m. The Playground will be open 5:00 - 6:00 p.m., weather permitting. 

There is no need to RSVP, but because on-campus parking is limited and we have over 90 Primary students, we kindly ask that each family make every effort to bring just one vehicle to campus. 
 

Dear Families,

It was awesome to see so many of you at the Springmont Festival & Montessori Mile! From smoothies and carnival activities created by our Middle School students to crafts, pesto, and fall treats made by Elementary students, it was truly a community effort enjoyed by all age groups. Our Chili Cook-Off ended in a delicious win for all who voted and a winner’s basket for Upper Elementary Assistant Tori FitzSimons. All our runners and supporters showed excellent team spirit, with alumni Jeremy Spain leading the adult run and Tabor Shimmi-ya-Shiimi heading the pack in the youth run. (Top finishers are noted below, and additional race results will be shared later this week.) The winner of the Middle School Scarecrow Competition was the Pickle, with Ludwig the Leprechaun Fisherman coming in a close second and having used the most reused and recycled materials. Look for more photos on Facebook and Instagram!

Huge thanks go to our sponsors and our parent, employee, and student volunteers who made the event happen, as well as to Tiffany Orem for organizing the event. It’s time to start training for next year!

Cheers!
Elizabeth Lener

Adult – Top Finishers: 
Jeremy Spain 7:21
Jeff Bolle 7:24
Thomson Chuites 7:36
Wendy Sandvi 8:00
Andrea Neiman 9:09
Sarah Lazarus 9:47 

Youth - Top Finishers:
Tabor Shiimi-ya-Shiimi 6:43
Gabriel Santos 6:44
Jules Bowens 7:27
Samantha Hakerem 7:41
Celeste Beaty 8:23
Natasha Campos 8:43
 

As noted in Friday's Head of School Message, we want to express our support for those impacted by the horrific and ongoing events in Israel and Gaza. The violence and loss of human life is devastating, and once again, we are called upon as educators, parents, and humans to cope with the unthinkable. 

Below are a few resources that families may find helpful for having conversations with their children:

• How to talk to your children about conflict in Israel and Gaza, Hamas: NPR
• Nine Tips for Talking With Kids About Trauma (berkeley.edu)
• Supporting Youth Affected by the Violence in Israel and Gaza: Tips for Families and Educators (nasponline.org)
• How to Talk With Kids About Tragedies & Other Traumatic News Events - HealthyChildren.org

Drs. Ann avanbuskirk@springmont.com and Kimberly krobinson@springmont.com are also available to support families.
 

Dear Families,

As you know, Springmont was closed for a Faculty/Staff Workday last Friday. These days offer precious time and space for all employees to come together for professional work and community building. During the morning, we dove into the recommendations that came from last year’s SAIS (Southern Association of Independent Schools) reaccreditation process. Four areas were identified as part of this work: diversity, equity and inclusion, neurodiversity, facilities, and community building/recovery from the pandemic. Our task last week was to break each recommendation down into action steps with timelines and establish the ways in which we’d measure success in each area. After a break, employees were invited to a kickball game followed by some donated bubble tea for refreshment. Teachers had some time to work and plan in the classrooms, and then we finished the day with our third session on dignity, this time focusing on creating a list of actions we can take to build on the culture of dignity at Springmont. Here are a few items from our list:

• Be fully present; practice active listening
• Be generous with appreciation; practice sharing gratitude 
• Speak your truth and speak to the facts
• Consider the other person’s perspective
• Apologize when you’ve hurt someone

We know it can be difficult for families when school is closed for the day, and we thank you for partnering with us to provide these opportunities a few times each year.

Warm regards,
Elizabeth Lener
Head of School

The 28th annual Springmont Festival & Montessori Mile is this Saturday, October 14!! Even if you aren’t a runner, all families are invited to join us on campus for the fun! 

Schedule, Parking, and Shuttle Information

7:15-8:30 a.m.          ALL parking is off-campus! 

• Shuttles run from 6000 Century Springs WEST parking lot (6000 Lake Forrest Drive NW, Sandy Springs) to campus. 
• Please park on the SECOND AND THIRD LEVELS of the parking lot. The first level and ALL visitor parking spots are OFF LIMITS!
• On-street parking on Long Island Drive is NOT permitted. 
• Out of respect for our neighbors, we ask that families do NOT park on side streets, including Mitchell Rd., or in neighborhoods.  
   

7:15 a.m.                     Volunteer Set Up begins

7:15-8:30 a.m.            Coffee & Fruit on the Activity Court 

7:30-8:00 a.m.            Day of Race Registration is available in the Pavilion - $25 per person includes a long-sleeved commemorative t-shirt.

8:30 a.m.                     Warm Up in the Pavilion

8:45 a.m.                     Adult Mile (15 yrs. and over) on Long Island Dr. 

9:00 a.m.                     Children’s Mile (6*-14 yr. olds) on Long Island Dr. 

9:15 a.m.                     Dashes (3-6* year olds) & Diaper Derby (2 and under) on the Field *6-yr. olds can do the dash or the mile (or both!) 

9:30-11:00 a.m.         Activities on Campus!

• Chili Cook-Off - Make sure to vote for your favorite!
• Ellen's Class will have homemade granola for sale! CASH only, please!
• Livia's Class is selling their famous pesto!  CASH only, please!
• Springmont's Middle School will be running a fall festival offering smoothies (dairy and non-dairy options), craft making, pumpkin decorating, face painting, and more!  CASH only, please!
• The Middle School will also be hosting a Clothing Drive/Textile Recycling Opportunity!  All textiles are welcome - clothing that can be donated as well as sheets, towels, and other fabric items that can be recycled!  See more information below.
• Nathalie's Class will sell gourmet caramel apples, pumpkins made from vintage books, handmade jewelry, and homemade pumpkin butter! CASH only, please!
• Patricia & Brenda's Class will offer handmade bookmarks for just $1 each! CASH only, please!
   

10:30-11:30 a.m.         Alumni Brunch, Liberal Arts classroom

9:30 a.m.-12 noon       Shuttles run from campus to the off-campus lot at the 6000 Century Springs WEST parking lot on Hammond Drive.

Enter the Chili Cook-Off!

Do you have a great chili recipe? Enter Springmont’s 11th annual Chili Cook-Off for a chance to prove your recipe is Golden Ladle-worthy. You could win a fabulous prize basket! Chili of all varieties—black bean, red bean, spicy, mild, chicken, beef, vegetarian, and others are welcome. Email Tiffany Orem to enter!

Calling All Alumni! 

All alumni are invited to the Alumni Brunch in the Liberal Arts classroom beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 14. Please spread the word! If you know alumni, invite them to enjoy the day with us or bring them along with you!

You can also help us build our alumni database by sharing this link and asking alumni to complete our alumni contact form https://forms.gle/HYdt9VVYLA474j989. They can also email development@springmont.com.
 

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

It’s time to sign up for our Holiday Enrichment session which begins October 30 and includes many exciting and fun after-school opportunities for Primary, Elementary & Middle School students!  Please note that classes have a minimum and maximum number of participants and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Fees include a light after-school snack. 

Registrations with full payment are due by October 25 at 4 p.m. (Registrations received after this time are subject to availability and a $25 per child late registration fee.) 

• Click here for information and registration for Primary Holiday Enrichment. (Primary Enrichment is open to students who will be age 4 or older by October 30.)
• Click here for information and registration for Elementary/Middle School Holiday Enrichment.

Questions? Email Tiffany Orem at torem@springmont.com  
 

Springmont Middle School will have a textile drive in the week leading up to the Springmont Festival & Montessori Mile if you have old textiles like clothes, pillowcases, and shoes. Why is this important? Approximately 84% of used clothes that can be easily recycled are thrown away, and over 11 million pounds of textile waste is created annually in the United States. We want to reduce the amount of clothes that end up in landfills. This is why Springmont has partnered with Charity Recycling Service, an organization that recycles unwanted textiles. Springmont's Middle School has a unique class called Microeconomy, in which we learn how to raise, save, and spend money. We have two sections of this class: Pizza Shop and MEO, which is Microeconomy Other. Students work in each area for one semester and then switch to another. Most of what we raise in our Microeconomy class helps fund our End of Year trip. Textile recycling is one fundraising aspect of our MEO class.

If you want to recycle textiles, there will be a large rolling bin in the Pavilion walkway, close to the Activity Court, October 10-14. All fabrics, such as clothes, shoes, blankets, and pillowcases, are accepted. Students in MEO will transfer the deposited textiles to the larger receptacle in the cul-de-sac (pictured). When the large receptacle is 65% full, Charity Recycling Service picks up the textiles to make them into new clothes. For each pound of recycled textiles, Springmont Middle School receives a small portion of the money, which is then used for the Middle School's End of Year trip. This year, we are raising funds for a trip to coastal Georgia, so your help is much appreciated!

Please direct any questions to Thomson (tchuites@springmont.com) or Marsha (mfleming@springmont.com). Thank you in advance for any donations, big or small, as they will all aid in our goal to decrease the amount of wasted clothing in the country.
 

Dear Springmont Community,   

I would like to share with you an update on the addition of new Trustees to the Springmont Board. The new members are all parents of current students and share our passion to see Springmont be the best it can be, now and in the future.  The new Trustees are Joel Johnson, Aarati Subramaniam, Lily Ghavi, Andrew Gentles, and Hank Meisinger.  If you have not met the new or existing Trustees, we are making a point of attending community functions, such as the Springmont Festival & Montessori Mile, and we all look forward to getting to know each other better.  I would also like to take a moment to thank former Board members.  I was remiss in doing this last year. My omission does not diminish the important work all of our past trustees have done for the school.  The Trustees who have left include Greg Lamps (previous chair), Galina Courson, Deva Wijewickrema, Gabe Steagall, Hamilton Williams, Brian Livesay, and Sarah Lazarus. All of these Trustees have done much for the school, including leading us through the COVID times. 

Thanks again to all of our Trustees, new and old.  

I hope you are all having a great school year.  

Joe Colonna 
Chair
 

Families, please encourage your young artists to submit their visions of a 60’s cover for the yearbook. The theme is in honor of our 60th anniversary - Springmont was born in the 60s! Encourage them to create some groovy artwork! Art Teacher Claire Tadeo is available to meet with anyone needing some creative assistance. Submissions are due by Wednesday, October 18.

For many years, Springmont has embraced Maria Montessori’s belief that the “land is where our roots are,” and as such, we should treat the environment with respect. At Springmont, we have recycled for many years, and several years ago, we added our own compost piles on campus where we have composted as much as we could.

This year, we have taken our commitment one step further and are partnering with CompostNow to compost items not readily compostable in a home compost pile. Thanks to this partnership, we can compost the many pizza boxes generated by our Middle School Pizza Shop program, paper towels, meats, dairy, fats, and our new compostable plates, cups, and flatware! Each classroom and common area has its own small pail to fill - these are emptied into larger industrial bins daily. Upper Elementary students are responsible for moving the bins into place for weekly pick up on Friday mornings. CompostNow leaves clean bins in place of the filled bins, and the process begins again.

Students have had lessons on what can and cannot be composted, and without doubt, the new initiative has been enthusiastically embraced by students and faculty alike. Even Primary students understand that composting creates beautiful, healthy dirt for growing our fruits and vegetables! Older students further appreciate that up to 60% of what goes to landfills is compostable and by keeping compostables out of landfills, we reduce methane (a gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide) production and reduce the amount of space required for landfills.

CompostNow provides a monthly “Impact Report” detailing how much compost we keep out of landfills. In just one month of composting on campus, we diverted 629 lbs of compostables from the landfill! This amount created 63 lbs of compost, which is capable of growing 472 tomatoes. Moreover, 65 lbs of methane were not released, and we kept 1635 lbs of CO2e (total greenhouse gases emitted) out of the atmosphere. Way to go, Springmont!