News

It was wonderful to see so many families at our International Night Drive-In Movie Friday evening! In case you missed it or want to see it again, click here to see the photos and videos shared by families highlighting Springmont's diversity and our awareness and appreciation for the people and cultures of the world.

Click here to see more photos on Facebook!

As noted in Head of School Jon Alden's February 19 Update, Annual Registration for current families begins Monday, March 8.  Parents will be able to confirm their child(ren)’s enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year by reviewing and updating their family’s contact and personal information and paying a non-refundable $1000 deposit for each student.  

Our enrollment agreement requires Annual Registration be completed annually by March 31 to ensure student spaces for the upcoming school year. After this date, families who have not completed Annual Registration risk losing their child(ren)’s space(s) as Springmont offers all remaining seats to new students on April 3. Parents will receive emails with links to their child(ren)’s Annual Registration packets on Monday, March 8, and we hope you will indicate your plans to return to Springmont well before the March 31 due date.

While Springmont’s continuous enrollment agreement begins when a family initially enrolls at the school, our agreement allows us to make modifications to the terms of the agreement annually.  This year’s updates include the addition of a force majeure clause and a new tuition protection plan. The force majeure is designed to protect the school from unexpected events beyond the school’s control such as fire, acts of nature, war, etc., allowing the school time to safely resume operations without obligation for tuition refunds. The Board is also considering a third-party organization for our tuition protection plan offering for the 2021-11 school year. Changes in the terms and additional details will be provided later this week.

We know you may have questions about Annual Registration and the modifications to the enrollment agreement. Jon will answer questions about Annual Registration at his Zoom Parent Coffee on Friday, February 26, beginning at 9 a.m. No need to RSVP; just us join us on Zoom at 9 a.m. Questions emailed to info@springmont.com will also be answered promptly. 

All parents are invited to attend Raising Anti-Racist Children on Thursday, March 11, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Led by iChange Collaborative facilitators Dr. Danielle Stewart and Martha Caldwell, this discussion forum will explore strategies for raising anti-racist children of all ages. We will discuss how parents can cultivate understanding about differences, strengthen compassionate identities, and work together to build an identity-safe community for all of our children. Learn more about iChange Collaborative and their work at www.ichangecollaborative.com. 

Kindly RSVP online!

International Night is Springmont’s annual celebration of our school’s diversity and the lives and cultures of people around the world.  This year rather than gathering for our usual musical performance and potluck dinner, we will host families for a drive-in screening of the family-friendly documentary Born to Be Wild. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this 40-minute film is a heartwarming account of orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them. 

Our private showing will be on Friday, February 19, beginning at 6:30 p.m. rain or shine. Due to a maximum capacity of 110 vehicles, online pre-registration is required and limited to one per family on a first-come, first-served basis.  A $10 registration fee will hold your place and provide a family-sized bag of popcorn* at arrival. Unfortunately, if you are unable to make the show, refunds will not be provided. Once registration fills, a waitlist will begin. 

For the health & safety of all, carpooling with those outside your household is strongly discouraged and families will be asked to remain in their vehicles or dedicated space. 

*For those with children under 3, please remember that popcorn can be a choking hazard and consumption should be closely supervised by parents.

Want to see yourself on the big screen? 

To add to the community-building spirit of this event, we invite families to share pictures or short videos (15-30 seconds) of themselves in cultural attire, holding flags of their family's heritage, greeting Springmont in a world language, preparing an ethnic dish, etc. Be creative! Photos and videos should be sent to jstrickland@springmont.com. We have extended the due date to TOMORROW, February 17, at 4 p.m. Photos and videos will be stitched together to create a brief pre-movie presentation highlighting Springmont's diversity and our awareness and appreciation for the people and cultures of the world.

SPA is still accepting recipes for an International Night Cookbook! 

It's not too late to submit your family’s favorite recipe for the Springmont Parent Association's International Night Cookbook. Use the recipe card found here and send to Ann Colonna at ann_eskew@yahoo.com.

Last week, The Springmont Parent Association sent information via Room Parents about continuing our International Night tradition of making Valentines for seniors in our community.  Finished cards may be brought to school by February 11.

Thank you to all who completed our most recent Pulse Survey. It is invaluable for us to know if and how parents are understanding their children's current and future Springmont experiences. While we will be delving into each thoughtful comment and all the data collected, here are a few highlights:

• Parents overwhelmingly agreed that Parent/Teacher Conferences, Virtual Classroom Observations, Parent Education, and our video Showcases were most valuable in understanding their children’s experiences.
• 83% of parents who responded selected Very True or Somewhat True when asked if the school helps them know what to expect at their children’s next academic level.
• 74% of respondents said that Progress Reports were Extremely Helpful or Mostly Helpful.  We have noted the comments wishing for more frequent feedback and follow-up for areas of concern noted on Progress Reports.
• 72% of survey takers feel that the school keeps them updated about their children’s progress Very Well or Pretty Well.

Please know that we value your thoughts and feedback and encourage you to share your ideas and concerns not only via our Pulse Surveys but continuously.  Emails sent to feedback@springmont.com are shared with appropriate administrators and answered promptly.

Congratulations to Pauline Zelis, winner of our $50 Spirit Store gift certificate!

We are excited to open registration for our Summer 2021 Toddler Program and Primary Camp!  

Toddler & Primary families may look forward to (6) one-week sessions: June 7-11, June 14-18, June 21-25, June 28-July 2, July 12-12, July 19-23.  

Three Schedule Options are available:  Half Day: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., School Day: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., and Full Day: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Registration may be completed online and is due April 30.

Please note that Toddler students from both classes will form one Toddler cohort and Primary students from all classes will form one or two Primary cohorts.  All health & safety protocols in place at the end of the school year and our Community Agreement will remain in effect. Students who travel and/or attend camps at other locations when not at Springmont may be asked to test or quarantine depending on the circumstances and the level of community spread.

As many of you have likely heard on the news, medical experts are now recommending double masking.  While we will not make this a requirement for students at this time, faculty and staff have been encouraged to adopt this added safety measure.  If you would like your children to begin double masking, please have them wear a disposable surgical mask UNDER their cloth or other regularly worn masks.  

With a shared determination to make in-person learning and the health & safety of our community a top priority, we ask every member of our community to re-evaluate social, athletic, extracurricular, and other non-essential (outside of employment and unavoidable responsibilities/obligations) activities that involve contact with those outside our households. Please remember that when any individual in our community takes a risk, the burden of that risk falls on our entire community.  The choices we make each day impact our entire community and the school’s ability to continue in-person learning.  Click here for a NY Times article placing Fulton County in the extremely high-risk level category and suggesting ideas for protecting yourself and others.

As Spring Break approaches, we have had several families request additional and more specific information about Springmont’s current health & safety policies. While no activities are 100% safe during this pandemic, the following are designed to reduce risk and will be added to our Community Agreement and/or COVID Handbook.

• All students, families, faculty & staff should avoid being indoors with others outside of their household or class. Sleepovers and other activities involving extended indoor contact are strongly discouraged and should be avoided.
• When being indoors with those outside one’s household or class is unavoidable, masks that fit properly, covering both nose and mouth tightly and securely, should always be worn AND a distance of at least 6’ from others should be maintained at all times, including during extracurriculars/sports practices and matches.
• When outdoors with others outside of one’s household or class, masks should be worn except when a distance of at least 6’ from others can be consistently maintained.
• The following are designed to promote safe travel. Actions potentially requiring quarantining or testing before returning to campus include, but are not limited to:

1. Air travel or receiving visitors who have traveled by air
2. Public transportation without masking
3. Eating and drinking indoors while closer than 6’ from people outside your household
4. Staying in hotels or other accommodations that have lobbies/internal hallways/elevators
5. Gathering with more than 10 people (including your household) including but not limited to amusement parks, concerts, sporting events, reunions, weddings, funerals, etc.
6. If you have questions about Spring Break or other travel plans, please email feedback@springmont.com. 

With worries of variants spreading and the rollout of the vaccine still in progress, we thank every member of our school community for their robust accountability, consistent compliance, and continued cooperation and vigilance.

As noted in the Head of School & Board Chair Update sent to all parents Friday, we are looking forward to continuing to grow and thrive as a community with you and your children in 2021-22! 

Click here for our 2021-22 Main Dates Calendar. (Additional calendar items will be provided in early summer via the online school calendar.)

Click here to view the 2021-22 Tuition Schedule.

Springmont is committed to making an exceptional education accessible to a diverse community of students. Applications for tuition assistance for the upcoming school year are being accepted through Monday, February 15, 2021, from families who wish to apply.

The information you submit is confidential, and each application we receive will be considered. Please note there is no guarantee of an award. Even if your family received an award this year, you must re-apply for next year.

Applications should be completed and submitted via the FAST, Powered by ISM website. A $45 application fee will apply.

Contact Jeanetta Johnson, Director of Finance, should you have any questions about the process.

We are excited to be planning for Toddler and Primary Summer Camp!  Toddler & Primary families may look forward to (6) one-week sessions - June 7-11, June 14-18, June 21-25, June 28-July 2, July 12-12, July 19-23.  We will offer (3) schedules - Half Day: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., School Day: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., and Full Day: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Please look for more information via a separate email tomorrow!