News

Springmont's Earth Day Celebrations are a beautiful and long-standing part of our school culture and an important reminder of one of our Core Values, Stewardship of the Environment. Led by Outdoor Science Education Teacher Michelle Wolfersberger, classes prepared by discussing ways to eliminate plastic pollution, and Primary classes created collaborative artworks made from recycled materials. During the ceremony, students sang a song of peace, shared poems and thoughts about the Earth, and placed recycled and compostable paper hearts with their wishes for our planet in the hole dug for the new Magnolia tree planted in honor of Jerri.  

But most exciting of all was the surprise gift from Jerri - two baby lambs, King and Duke, to join our campus menagerie!

Upper Elementary students are getting excited about their upcoming musical performance - School House Rock Live, Jr.! Make sure to mark your calendars for this on-campus event on May 11 at 6:30 p.m. 

Springmont's Running Club participated in the Chastain Chase 5k, benefiting Cancer Support Community.  Four students placed in their age groups!  Thank you to Andrea Restifo and Allison Meisinger for training these athletes!

Saturday evening marked a second, successful, on-campus camp-out! Primary and Elementary families who bought a spot at the Auction set up their tents and then enjoyed an evening of fun and community-building complete with picnic dinners, games, sidewalk art and s'mores, followed by a light breakfast in the morning. Students from Livia and Ellen’s classes gave lessons on chick care and showed off their chicken-keeping knowledge! If you missed this one, make sure to sign up for the Fall Camp on Campus next academic year!

In short, yes! As with all other skills, thinking and decision-making need to be practiced in order to build proficiency and confidence. Sometimes a simple “yes” or “no” is the best answer to a child’s question. But sometimes it is a golden opportunity for further discussion, leading him to think more deeply, learn to define his idea, and consider the consequences, both positive and negative, all of which build the important, life-long ability to make good decisions. For example, your child is invited to a play date with a friend when you already have plans to go to the park. Before saying yes, remind your child of your previous plans. Consider asking him to think of another solution such as inviting the friend to join you, rescheduling the park plans or following through with your current plans. The important part is that your child has some say and has knowledge, in simple terms, of the ramifications of one choice over another.
 
Opportunities to practice thinking skills also arise in daily routines. You can help your child learn to come to logical conclusions about what to do in various situations. The key is to give your child just the right amount of guidance and allow him time to think. For example, on a snowy morning instead of saying, “Get your boots,” ask, “Which shoes will keep your feet warm and dry today?” Be prepared for illogical choices. Children learn best by being allowed to make age-appropriate, low-risk errors. In other words, cold toes at age three may lead to warm toes at age four! Keep in mind, some lessons may need to be learned more than once!
 
As your child matures, he should learn that you are not the only resource for information. Help your child think deeply to answer his own questions. Affirm the wonder he experiences, and then ask the who, what, why, where and how questions before you check Google. How do you think the ship got in the bottle? Where do you think the water in glass went? Which path do you think will be faster? These types of questions can also help your child learn to take care of his needs. What do you think will happen if you stay up late tonight? Why do we eat fruits and vegetables every day and dessert only some days?
 
As your child begins to understand that his opinion matters, and he develops the skills and is allowed the time needed to think, he will become better and faster at problem-solving. He also receives the subtle message that he is a capable, valuable, contributing member of his family and community. He becomes a confident decision-maker and discovers he is his own source of creative and original solutions because thinking skills are woven into his natural fabric.
 

Springmont’s Robotics Club joined 30 teams from the greater Atlanta area at Grady High School’s Drones for Good competition. Competing against 9 other new teams, our team placed 1st in the Problem-Solving section! Students were tasked with imagining how drones could help a civilization on Mars, including potential obstacles and how to overcome them. The students presented their project to a panel of judges who were very impressed with the students’ work and confidence during their presentation.