News

There is one more day to the Springmont Fund campaign! Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday and a chance to close out this annual effort with a bang! Remember, each class that reaches 80% parent participation will be treated to a special celebration! Click here to make your gift or pledge.

Congratulations to front cover winners Guillaume Devillard and Andrew Johnson for their interpretation of the assigned theme, Stewardship of the Environment, pictured on the left side of this image. Congratulations to Juliet Martin as well; she created the art (pictured on the right side of this image) that will grace the back cover. There were numerous amazing works of art submitted this year, and after the Administration narrowed them down, the Yearbook Club chose the winning entries for front and back cover representation. Some of the honorable mention works will be featured on an inside page of the 2022-23 Yearbook. Thank you to all who submitted an entry!

The Springmont Parent Association (SPA) would like to thank the families who collectively donated over $2,500, helping to make Springmont’s Thanksgiving Outreach with Sandy Springs Solidarity a wonderful success! Eighteen Springmont volunteers, children and adults, stuffed 250 bags to feed food-insecure families! Springmont students decided (on the spot) to write and draw thanksgiving notes to put in each bag for a personal Springmont touch!

If you would like to continue to support Solidarity Sandy Springs (SSS), they are hosting an Adopt a Family program to bring joy to financially insecure families during the holiday season. Click here for more info from SSS.

We hope parents will join us this Friday for our December SPA meeting.  We know everyone is busy, so we will meet by Zoom at 8:45 a.m. Topics will include the upcoming Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon and other upcoming events and activities. Please click the link shared in Springmont Weekly News at 8:45 a.m. on Friday, December 2
 

Around the world, people of all cultures have an annual celebration of gratitude, many of which were originally linked to a bountiful autumn harvest.  In America, we have come to learn that the Thanksgiving story many of us learned in school was not historically accurate.  At Springmont, we approach Thanksgiving as a time of gratitude, service, and appreciation.  We are grateful for the many gifts bestowed upon our community that allow us to serve children each day and further Dr. Montessori’s legacy.  We are partnering with Solidarity Sandy Springs to help support underserved families in our surrounding community by providing food to stock Thanksgiving Bags. We take time to acknowledge and appreciate Native American culture in developmentally appropriate ways in our classrooms.

Here are some online resources from Smithsonian and Learning for Justice to help you talk with your children about Thanksgiving at home. 

On behalf of our faculty and staff, I would like to extend our deep appreciation to our families for sharing your children with us each day and for the many ways you support our mission to provide a Montessori learning environment.  Whether you share feedback with us, volunteer time in your child’s classroom, help to plan a community event, participate in school events, or contribute to the Springmont Fund, every family makes a difference in our community, and for that, we are extraordinarily thankful. 

Wishing you a safe and peaceful break next week,

Megan
 

Apogee has just released a new video explaining the Georgia State Tax Education Credit Program in quick and easy terms.  It takes two minutes to view and your help can make a big impact on Springmont’s ability to award Tuition Assistance!

You can also click here to view Springmont's Apogee - GA Tax Credit Scholarship webpage for FAQ's and helpful links.
 

Yay Lunch is giving thanks! From November 14 until December 11, every time you order, you’ll automatically be entered to receive a $300 gift card. And that’s not all - each winner will get to select one teacher to receive a $300 gift card, too.

You can also enter by nominating someone to win a Yay Lunch gift card — which secures an entry for you and your nominee, too. You can nominate as many people, as many times as you want!

Two winners will be drawn once a week (that’s eight winners + eight teachers total!), and each entry will be eligible to win throughout the entire promotion period.
You can learn more about the sweepstakes here, and order Yay Lunch + submit a nomination to enter!
 

Our annual Book Fair is the week after Thanksgiving Break! We look forward to welcoming back Little Shop of Stories (LSOS), an independent bookstore in Decatur. LSOS offers a selection of affordable books, including the newest titles for every reading level. We invite parents to sneak in a few minutes of holiday shopping without their children - the perfect book always makes a great gift!  All proceeds go directly back to Springmont's Media Center.

Shopping Hours:
• Tuesday - Thursday 8:30 a.m.- 3. p.m. (Extended hours on Wednesday afternoon until 4 p.m.)

Student Shopping:
• Half Day Toddler and Half Day Primary students may shop with their parents after mid-day dismissal carpool. 
• On Monday afternoon, older Primary students who do not nap will come with their class to preview and create wishlists, which will be sent home. Parents may then use these lists to shop during the week. If you would prefer your child shop with their Teacher, please send $15-$25 cash in a labeled envelope. (This option is only for children who do not nap.)
• Elementary and Middle School students may shop independently throughout the week. Children should bring cash in a labeled envelope. Parent volunteers will assist children with selection and payment. Typically, $20-$25 will cover the price of 2-3 paperback books.

The Book Fair also gives teachers an opportunity to enhance their classroom libraries. Teachers will preselect books that will be set aside for them. If you'd like to purchase a classroom gift book, we can add one to your purchase!

All purchases will be rounded up to the nearest dollar to fundraise for United Through Reading, an organization that helps the children of active military personnel bond with their deployed parents through reading.

Want to volunteer for a couple of hours?  Cashiers and book fair set up and breakdown help is needed! Click here to sign-up online. Questions? Email Leslie Wachter.
 

Last week, Elementary classes discussed the benefits of taking a break from our regular environments. Students observed that sometimes they need a break from the bright lighting or regular hubbub of noise typical of a busy classroom (a sensory break). Others said they might benefit from a quiet space to focus on breathing or meditating or a place to use calming materials (an opportunity to regulate emotionally or behaviorally). Children also noted that sometimes when feelings have been hurt, some distance from a friend could be helpful (resetting relational boundaries), and others mentioned the occasional need for a “reset” time that would allow them to come back to meaningful work with renewed focus and energy.

We are fortunate that our beautiful campus provides multiple options for breaks, including nature walks or time spent in class gardens or gazing at our barnyard animals. Last year, the Development Office and Media Center Specialist Leslie Wachter helped me work on a grant proposal to fund a calming indoor space for students. Rooted in neuroscience and designed to facilitate emotional and behavioral regulation, the “Quiet Cove” is now open! Stocked with comfy, cozy seating, meditation cushion and materials, affirming books, materials for sensory input, and creative materials such as mandala coloring sheets, the quiet cove is a place for students to have a silent break. Special thanks to Upper Elementary students Ian Stewart and Jules Beaty, who assembled our furniture for the cove. Next time you are at Springmont, feel free to check out our new space, located in the Media Center.