News

Spring has sprung! My family has been delighted by the fabulous Atlanta weather, gorgeous trees and flowers, and the sounds of birds waking us up each morning.  

There has been so much going on at Springmont that it’s hard to capture everything, but overall, there has been a great sense of fun, community, and engagement weaving through our days.  I hope you will take a few minutes between now and May 15 to complete our annual parent survey.

Next is our annual Meeting of the Members of Springmont School on May 10th at 8:45 a.m. At this meeting, we will hear from our Board of Trustees on current projects and receive ballots for our slate of new trustees. This is also the final SPA meeting, and we will recognize our parent volunteers (see additional information below). A light breakfast will be served. 

And on May 17th, our annual Field Day event will be here! Thanks in advance to Tiffany for her amazing planning, to all our volunteers who make the day possible, and finally to Mother Nature for providing awesome weather (fingers crossed). Look for division-specific details in Springmont Weekly News 

Last, I have a few staffing announcements to make, and more will follow in a few weeks once we finalize hires for our Elementary Division Head and Upper Elementary Teacher. 

Rosanne Tricoles has let us know that she plans to retire at the end of the school year after 25 years with Springmont. Rosanne has been a Primary Teacher, Upper Elementary Writing Assistant, Librarian, and most recently a Learning Support Teacher. We are so thankful for her skilled teaching, flexibility, and dedication to Springmont!  

Abby Vines will also be leaving us after almost 10 years at Springmont. Abby founded our PLUS program, and her talents will be greatly missed here at school. Her work with students and teachers has been pivotal for so many of our families over the years. She will continue to work with students in her private practice. Heather South, Kimberly Kite-Powell, and Dajar Showers will make up our PLUS and Learning Support Team next year.  
 

The Springmont Parent Association (SPA) will be providing the annual Faculty & Staff Appreciation Potluck Lunch on Wednesday, May 22. This long-standing and beloved event allows teachers, assistants, specialists, and administrators to enjoy a lunch prepared by parent volunteers! 

If you can cook, bake, or toss up a dish for the hardworking faculty and staff, or if you would like to help with set-up and/or clean-up, please click the link in Springmont Weekly News for details and to sign up. 
 

Please join Kristin Maiwand and Elizabeth Keromytis for our last SPA social of the 2023-2024 year on Friday, May 3, 2024, 6-8 p.m. at Superica (1220 Ashford Crossing, Dunwoody, Georgia 30346). 

Students from Nathalie's Upper Elementary class want to thank everyone for their support of their Bake Sales throughout the school year! Last Friday's sale was very successful, and students recognized there was disappointment about how quickly they sold out. Over the next two weeks, they would like to continue to fulfill orders for any families that didn't get to buy the items they wanted. 

Click the link in Springmont Weekly News to pre-order Blueberry or Lime Pound Cake loaves for $4 and Rainbow Swirl Bread for $8. They will be in touch when your order is ready.
 

Participating for the first time and up against schools with thousands of students, Springmont’s Upper Elementary Recycling Club took 7th place out of 24 schools in the Georgia Glass Recycling Contest! They received the good news and a check for $400 at the awards ceremony at Zoo Atlanta on Friday. Students will brainstorm about ways to use the money on campus and celebrate with an ice cream party. A big thank you to Upper Elementary Assistant Tori FitzSimons for guiding this initiative! 

The Springmont School Board of Trustees invites and encourages all Members of Springmont School, Inc. to join the annual Meeting of Members. As a nonprofit corporation, Springmont's bylaws declare that all parents/guardians of current Springmont students are Members of Springmont School, Inc. with certain rights and responsibilities. Those rights and responsibilities include participation in an annual Meeting of Members and voting on the slate of Trustee candidates nominated by the Board of Trustees. Each elected trustee serves a three-year term.

The annual Meeting of Members of Springmont School, Inc. will be held on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 8:45 am in the Middle School Liberal Arts classroom. During this meeting, members of the Board will provide an introduction of nominated Trustees and an overview of the current strategic position of the school, as well as a summary of the work in which the Board is currently engaged. The members' meeting will be followed by our Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast and the final SPA meeting of the year. A light breakfast will be served.

You may submit your vote (one per Family) on the proposed slate of Trustee candidates by 5:00 pm on May 15, 2024. Proxy ballots will be provided (and collected) during the Members' Meeting but will also be made available via email and in the Front Office starting Friday, May 10.
 

Throughout the course of each school year, our parent volunteers share gifts of their time and talents as garden helpers, classroom volunteers, Room Parents, library helpers, animal caretakers, and event volunteers!  As a token of our appreciation, we invite all parent volunteers to join us for some coffee, fruit, and breakfast treats at our Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast in the Middle School Liberal Arts classroom immediately after the annual Meeting of Members, which begins at 8:45 a.m. on Friday, May 10. This gathering will also be our final Springmont Parent Association (SPA) meeting of the 2023-24 school year.

So that we can plan seats and treats, kindly click the link in Springmont Weekly News to RSVP by Thursday, May 9, at 3 pm.

Another exciting Little Shop of Stories Book Fair is on its way! Tuesday & Wednesday, May 14 &15, 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. 

Student Shopping:

• Half Day Toddler and Half Day Primary students may shop with their parents after mid-day dismissal carpool.
• Older Primary students who do not nap can come to the Book Fair during the school day. A teacher will bring them, and parent volunteers will assist with shopping. Please send $15-25 cash in a labeled envelope.
• Primary students who nap on campus (All Day & School Day) should come to the Book Fair with a parent. We are unable to accommodate that age level with our parent volunteers. Right after arrival carpool is a perfect time to shop!
• Elementary and Middle School students may shop independently. Children should bring cash in a labeled envelope. Typically, $20-25 will cover the price of 2-3 paperback books. Parent volunteers will assist children with selection and payment. 

Volunteers are needed! Click the link in Springmont Weekly News to sign up!

Questions? Email Leslie Wachter at lwachter@springmont.com 
 

Tired of packing lunches for your children? Click here for Schoolhouse Fare's May Vendor Schedule, which includes tasty lunches from Chick-fil-A, Jason's Deli, Panera Bread, and more!

Our event was a great success! Attendees looked amazing (look for photos on social media this week) and came with the best energy and enthusiasm for supporting our school. Thank you for showing up and showing your support at Denim & Diamonds, Springmont’s 60th Anniversary Auction.  

If you were the high bidder but were unable to collect your winnings at the close of the event, please visit the front office this week to do so.  All payments will be settled this week.

If you could not attend or didn’t win that special item, great finds are still available under Insta Buy.  Get in on the fun by buying a spot at the Party with a Purpose at Third Space, the Paint & Scoop activity, Strawberry Picking with Ms. Zaiba, or Livia’s Class Sleepover! Maybe you’d appreciate a Backyard Land Design Consultation from Outdoor Makeover. Click the link to grab your spots before they’re all gone. Springmont School | Qtego Fundraising Services - QLink

Again, thank you for your support. 

And THANK YOU to our Sponsors!
 

GOLD:
The Tinley Family

SILVER:
The Ball Family
The Santos Family 
Johnson Sterling

BRONZE:
The Burns Family
The Cleveland Family
The Godoi Family
The Hakerem Family
The Lamps Family (alumni)
The Sandvi Family
The Whorley-Ritterskamp Family
Jordan HDR
Farmers Insurance, Rojas Insurance Agency

Earth Day, a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, is Monday, April 22, and this year’s theme is Planet vs. Plastics! In keeping with our commitment to Stewardship of the Environment, students will participate in various activities that honor our planet! 

• All classes will gather on the Lawn at the end of the morning work period to sing “This Pretty Planet” by John Forster and Tom Chapin in a three-part round. Students who would like to share a poem or an offering will be invited to do so! 
• Many classes have committed to turning the lights off for the day and reflecting on the gift of electricity and perhaps our overuse. 
• Primary class plans include planting seeds, working in their gardens, and making art from recycled materials. 
• Lower Elementary classes will do a campus clean-up, research the history of Earth Day, and write poems about it.
• Upper Elementary students will research The Great Pacific Plastic Garbage Patch and are planning a local hike to rid the trails of litter and plastic. They also plan to chart and track our plastic and trash production vs. our compost and recycling use and share those results.

We hope you will join us in taking action for a healthier planet and a brighter future!
 

Families from all four Primary classes are invited to join the Primary Teachers for a Primary Family Picnic at Springmont’s Landschool on Saturday, April 27!

Springmont’s beautiful campus in Summerville, GA, offers winding walking trails, a creek bed to explore, a pond where animals can be observed, and a field for free play. There are restrooms in the lodge. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce your child to the Landschool, which all Elementary students visit for overnight trips with their classes! 

The Landschool campus will be open 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. Bring a picnic lunch, a blanket and/or chairs, sunscreen, and insect repellant for your family. The Primary Teachers will offer nature activities! 

Kindly click the link in Springmont Weekly News by Thursday, April 24, at 4 p.m. We can’t wait to see you there!
 

Make space in your calendar for the Morning Carpool Cafe on Friday, May 3, in the cul-de-sac from 8:15 to 8:45 AM!

Our cafe will feature a variety of homemade treats from our Middle School’s most talented bakers. From bagels to banana bread, there will be something for everyone to enjoy! In addition to grabbing a warm beverage and breakfast on the run, you will be making a difference. All proceeds from the cafe's sales will help fund our End-of-Year Trip to St. Simons Island. Cash only, please.

They will also be selling eggs laid by Springmont's chickens! $7/dozen. Cash only, please.

We look forward to seeing you there!
 

Did you know that, like fingerprints, the human brain is so uniquely complex that no brain is exactly the same? This month, we join in celebrating neurodiversity, a term that emerged in the 1990s as part of a movement to “increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences.” Harvard Health Publishing Mind and Mood “What is Neurodiversity?” 11/23/2021 

Neurodiversity embraces the ideas that each of us experiences, learns, and interacts with the world around us in different ways and that there is no one “right” way of thinking, learning, and behavior. Some of the different ways of thinking, learning, and interacting that have been given labels include Autism (ASD), ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Social Anxiety Disorder.   

Just like other human variations, differences in our brains make for a more beautiful and interesting world. Thinking “outside the box” is a hallmark of the neurodivergent brain, and many people who have made significant contributions to our world are neurodivergent. The climate change activist Greta Thunberg is autistic and has ADHD. Albert Einstein was dyslexic. As journalist Harvey Blume states, “Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general. Who can say what form of wiring will prove best at any given moment?” 

Neurodiversity brings strengths as well as challenges. At Springmont, we support neurodiversity through multisensory learning, prepared environments, individualized learning in a collaborative framework, specialized instruction in our Plus program, and a wide variety of experiences in nature. As we celebrate this April, let’s support each other with kindness, patience, and understanding, knowing that while we each think, learn, and experience life differently, like the flowers that bloom across our campus, we are each a beautiful part of our community.  

Let the countdown begin! The auction is back, and we are excited to have some fun at Factory Atlanta this Saturday, April 13! Doors open at 7:00 PM. Ticket holders enjoy complimentary valet parking, two drink tickets, and tasty food! Have your photo taken in front of our diamond backdrop and made into a keepsake to take home! Peruse the magnificent class projects and amazing adventures that will be part of the live auction! Check out the themed baskets, insta-buys (more than one person can snag the deal!), and other silent auction offerings. Click here to buy your tickets TODAY! 

Ready to see what will be up for bid? Click here! You must register to bid, buy or win! Text DIAMOND to 79230 to register. 

The beautiful, illuminated alphabet pictured here was made by Livia's Class! 

Celebrated regionally since 2017, President Biden declared April National Arab American Heritage Month in 2021, formally recognizing the history, culture, contributions, and achievements of the estimated 3.7 million Arab Americans living in the United States today.  

The first waves of Arab immigrants who settled in the United States in the 1880s had to identify as "white" to be able to gain American citizenship. There were both internal and external debates about how the Arab American community should be defined to include the multiple ethnicities that come from the Middle East and North Africa. Today, Arab Americans live in all 50 states and trace their roots to 22 countries, with the majority having ancestors from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Palestine.

Throughout April and all year long, we hope you will join us in recognizing the rich heritage and invaluable contributions Arab Americans have made to our nation's history and to every aspect of American society – medicine, law, business, government and diplomacy, science, technology, the arts, education, and culture!

Click here to reach History.com’s Arab American Heritage Month webpage.
Click here for more information from the Smithsonian. 
Click here to visit the Arab American National Museum's website. 
Click here for the National Endowment for the Humanities' Arab American Heritage Month Virtual Bookshelf. 
 

What is a 'total' solar eclipse?

The Earth orbits the sun, and the moon orbits the Earth. Sometimes, the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, causing the moon to block the sun's light from reaching the Earth. This is called a solar eclipse.

On April 8, 2024, a solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. People viewing the eclipse from locations where the moon's shadow completely covers the sun – known as 'the path of totality' – will experience a 'total' solar eclipse. The sky will become dark as if it were dawn or dusk. This will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044! Click the link to learn more: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/ 

What's happening at Springmont?
According to NASA's maps, Georgia will not be in the path of totality, but weather permitting, we will see a partial solar eclipse, where the moon blocks part of the sun. The eclipse is expected to begin at 1:45 and continue through 4:21, with the maximum occlusion at 3:04 p.m.

• Toddlers are too young to understand and safely view this phenomenon and will proceed with normal class activities.
• Primary students who stay for the afternoon will be provided special eclipse-viewing glasses and will view the eclipse carefully supervised in small groups.
• Elementary students will have lessons about the Earth's orbit and eclipses this week so they can better understand what they will see on April 8. Students will be provided special eclipse-viewing glasses and will view the eclipse with their classes, carefully supervised.
• Middle School students will be provided special eclipse-viewing glasses and will view the eclipse with their class after being instructed about eclipse-viewing safety.

What do parents need to know?

Because the eclipse peaks at 3:04 p.m., we will offer a 12:00-12:15 dismissal for students who will view the eclipse off campus with their families, and afternoon carpools will run a bit later to allow students who stay for the afternoon to see the eclipse carefully supervised on campus. Click the links in Springmont Weekly News for Toddler, Primary, and Elementary & Middle School details and 12-12:15 carpool registration, if applicable.

Dear Springmont Families,

I hope this message finds you well and filled with excitement for the upcoming Denim & Diamonds, Springmont's 60th Anniversary Auction! My name is Andrew Gentles. My wife and I are parents of two beautiful girls at Springmont (Drew and Emery). We have been a part of the Springmont community since relocating from Washington DC just two years ago, with me serving as a Trustee and my wife as a Room Parent. We are proud of the continued work by Springmont that ensures our kids get the best education and the continuous striving for excellence to add even greater value to our children's experience.  

As a Trustee and Chair of the Board's Development Committee, I am calling on you to help and support the school's 60th Anniversary Auction by purchasing a ticket. Please click the link to purchase your ticket today! https://springmont.ticket.qtego.us/tickets/list 

This is a special event that not only celebrates a significant milestone in our school's history but also provides an opportunity to support the school's mission via tuition assistance for families and enhancements that benefit the entire school community. Many of us have and continue to navigate the challenges of life - being a parent, working all the time, or dealing with personal challenges that test our resilience and strength. Having had the chance to make new friends through our kids since moving from DC and to witness the emotional growth in our kids, this is a community that I encourage you all to support and continue to invest in. 

Your ticket purchase is not only a contribution to the success of our fundraising efforts but also a show of your commitment to our school's mission and values. Your presence at the auction will make a difference, and we truly hope to see you there. Together, we can make this auction a memorable and successful event for our school community.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to Springmont. We look forward to celebrating with you at Denim & Diamonds, Springmont's 60th Anniversary Auction!

Warm regards,

Dr. Andrew Gentles and the Gentles Family
Trustee and Chair of Springmont's Development Committee

Click here to buy your tickets TODAY!

The project pictured here, "Tiny Mosaics," was made by Rebecca's Primary Class! Students used beautiful shades of blue to paint ceramic tiles that were then arranged on a metallic blue backdrop and framed in a white shadowbox, This would look lovely in any home, but you'll have to attend in order to place the winning bid!
 

This Friday, April 5, Springmont's Parent Association will meet at the home of SPA Co-Chair Elizabeth Keromytis (please see the address in Springmont Weekly News) beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Agenda items include the April 13 Auction, our May 17 Field Day, the end-of-year Springmont Employee Appreciation Pool, a possible SPA meetup, and the May 22 Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon.

All parents/caregivers are warmly welcome to attend!