News

Although the rainy forecast forced us to pivot from an outdoor Field Day to an indoor Fun Day on Friday, students still had TONS of FUN! Toddler and Primary children enjoyed art and music activities, active games, tasty treats, and, best of all, permission to run indoors! Thank you to our Middle School students for helping the teachers guide the groups and supervise the stations. Lower Elementary students enjoyed indoor minute-to-win-it activities, jumbo yard games, face painting, popsicles, and more, while Upper Elementary and Middle School students went to Main Event for bowling, arcade games, a gravity ropes course, and laser tag! Thank you to Tiffany for organizing the day and to all those who helped make this a great end-of-year experience for our students!
Click here for more photos on Facebook!
 

Springmont’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Will Johnson will be their new Chair! Will joined the Board in 2022 and has served on the Facilities committee and, more recently, as the chair of the Board’s Strategic Planning and Marketing Committee. Currently a Director with financial advisory firm Johnson Sterling, his prior work history includes management consulting with North Highland and IBM Global Business Services, focusing on human capital and change management for various Fortune 500 enterprises. He earned an AB in History and Comparative Literature at Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA at Emory’s Goizueta Business School. Aside from work and school activities, Will leads the investment committee of a family foundation and loves spending time outdoors, playing tennis, taking in cultural events and live music shows, or cheering on ATL's pro sports teams. Will attended a Montessori preschool, and both of his children are current Springmont students.

We are pleased to announce that Marianna Wildes will be our new Upper Elementary Teacher! In addition to being a parent of two adult children who attended Montessori schools and having worked in various roles in Montessori schools since 2008, Marianna has been assisting and co-teaching in Livia's Lower Elementary class this year. She will finish her AMI Elementary certification course this summer and has recently begun observing and teaching some lessons in Ellen's Upper Elementary class. Of course, she will already know some of the children moving up from Lower Elementary next August and has previously worked with the classroom Assistant, Haideny Xonthe, at another school.

All parents are invited to join us for Coffee with Marianna on May 21st, at 8:45 am in the Media Center. This is a chance to ask questions and get to know Marianna. 
 

Students who will be in Springmont’s Middle School for the 2024-25 school year have Summer Math Work and a Summer Reading Assignment. Please help your rising 7th and 8th-grade students access the documents below.

• Click here for the Middle School Summer 2024 Math Work. Questions? Email Marsha Fleming at mfleming@springmont.com 
• Click here for the Middle School Summer 2024 Reading Assignment. Questions? Email Gretchen Stamps at gstamps@springmont.com
   

Upper Elementary student Teddy will be Head of School for the Day this Thursday, May 16! His parents were the winning bidders for this coveted opportunity offered for bid during the live portion of Springmont's 60th Anniversary Auction last month.

Teddy has declared Thursday Wacky Hair Day! We hope you will join him for this opportunity to have some FUN and exercise our creativity!

In addition to sporting a wacky hairstyle, Teddy will greet families arriving on campus, walk tardy students to class, observe Toddler & Primary classrooms, spend time with administrators and staff, enjoy lunch off campus, and offer his classmates a sweet treat at the end of the day.

We look forward to Teddy's leadership this Thursday! 
 

Springmont’s 21st Middle School Commencement Ceremony will be held in the Pavilion on Thursday, May 23, beginning at 6:30 p.m.!  All members of the Springmont community are invited to attend, and parking is on campus. We look forward to celebrating these students and know you won’t want to miss hearing each of them speak about their Springmont experience and plans, hopes, and dreams for the future. If you can't attend the ceremony on campus, it will be live-streamed. The ceremony is expected to last an hour and a half, and light refreshments will be offered afterward. There is no need to RSVP.

We are thrilled to recognize Jaycina Almond as Springmont’s 2023-24 Volunteer of the Year! Her quiet grace, creativity, positive attitude, and willingness to share her time and talents helped to make our 60th Anniversary Auction a resounding success, AND she is co-chairing our upcoming Field Day for the second year in a row!  Our school is a better place thanks to our parent volunteers – we appreciate everyone’s Gift of Time and were thrilled to have so many Room Parents, Book Fair helpers, and event volunteers join us at last Friday's Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast!

The Upper Elementary Musical, Willy Wonka Jr., performed on Friday, was awesome! Kudos to our students and Music Teacher Carissa Gibson, and a big THANK YOU to all who helped make this a fantastic experience for our students and families! 

The show was professionally videotaped, and we are pleased to offer a digital download for purchase. Click the link in Springmont Weekly News to order your digital download by Wednesday, May 15, at 4 pm.  Downloads will be distributed next week.

Look for more photos on Facebook and Instagram!
 

As the end of the year approaches, I have more staff departures to share with families. We are sad to see these teachers go but wish them well in their future endeavors! We recognize that it is difficult when teachers who work with many students leave a school and want our families to know that the teachers will be sharing the news with students this week. Meanwhile, we are conducting broad searches to fill these positions and will update you throughout the summer as they are filled. Listed in alphabetical order: 

Carissa Gibson has been the Music Teacher here since August 2016. Our community has benefited greatly from her musical and directing expertise. She has always expected great things from her students and that was evident in her recitals and shows. What a great send-off with last week’s performance of Willy Wonka Jr! Carissa is headed to a new job in her home state of California. 

Claire Tadeo joined Springmont in August 2019 as Assistant Art Teacher; this was her first school year as lead Art Teacher. During her time here, Claire has encouraged students to see themselves as artists, given them the skills to explore a variety of media, and helped them create beautiful works of art. Claire is going to work with adolescents and adults via art therapy at a local rehabilitation center.

Michelle Wolfersberger has worked at Springmont since 2014. She began as an Extended Day Assistant and then spent two years as the Assistant in Ellen’s class before becoming our Outdoor Science Education Teacher. During her 8 years in this role, she has introduced bees on campus, made Springmont one of the first schools to participate in the Great Southeastern Pollinator Census, and grown our Outdoor Education program exponentially. Michelle looks forward to starting her own CPR training business and counseling schools on Outdoor Education programs. 
 

Field Day is just FOUR days away! Plans for this Friday are currently as follows:

• Toddlers will have Field Day in the morning. We ask that at least one parent or adult from each family walk around the stations with their child. Please plan to drop off your child on campus as usual and then park at 6100 Lake Forrest Dr. and ride the shuttle to campus. ALL Toddler students will be dismissed 11:15-11:30.  Classes will not be in session in the afternoon and All Day care will not be offered. 
  Families can look forward to joining other Toddler families for an off-campus picnic at Chastain Park. Room Parents are managing a sign-up for food. Please reach out to them if you have any additional questions. 
• Primary classes will have Field Day in the morning. ALL Primary students will be dismissed via carpool 11:45-12:00. Classes will not be in session in the afternoon, and All Day care will not be offered.
• ALL Elementary classes will have Field Day in the afternoon and be dismissed via carpool 3:00-3:15 (15 minutes early for Upper Elementary students). Extended Day will not be offered.
• The Middle School will support younger classes in the morning and participate in Field Day in the afternoon. Dismissal will be 15 minutes early, 3:00-3:15. Extended Day will not be offered. 

Please be aware that Friday's forecast calls for rain and thunderstorms, and we may need to alter our plans based on the weather.

Volunteers and Toddler parents - please remember that parking is off campus at 6100 Lake Forrest Dr. Questions? Email Tiffany Orem 

We are excited to offer some FUN, on-campus opportunities for current and new Toddler and Primary families during Summer Break! Come out and meet some new Springmont families and connect with families in other classes! 

• For the playdates, just show up on campus with your children ready to play! 
• For the picnics, bring a blanket and dinner for your family to campus; we'll provide some games and activities!  
• More information about the Zoom Parent Education opportunities will be shared as the dates approach.

See the schedule below and add the dates to your calendar. 

Thursday, June 6 - Zoom Parent Education opportunity, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, June 18 - Toddler & Primary Playdates, 10-11 a.m.
Wednesday, July 10 - Zoom Parent Education opportunity, 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 18 - Primary Family Picnic, 5-6 p.m.
Tuesday, July 23 - Toddler Family Picnic, 5-6 p.m.
 

2024-25 Lower Elementary Students:  Summer is almost here – a time to celebrate the reading skills and strategies that students have acquired and practiced all year long. Summer offers children opportunities to discover new interests, new books, and the pure pleasure of reading just for fun. Click here to view Springmont's Lower Elementary Summer Reading Information. Questions? Email Leslie Wachter

2024-25 Upper Elementary Students: Summer is the perfect time to spend some pleasurable hours with a good book!  Rising 4th and 5th year Upper Elementary students will read three books, and rising 6th years will read four books during the summer. Click here to view Springmont's Upper Elementary Summer Reading List and Book Review Guidelines. Questions? Email Leslie Wachter.
 

Happy Asian America, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! Are you saying, “Wow, we celebrate something different every month?”  Yes, we do! These monthly celebrations allow us to intentionally recognize various cultures and appreciate their significant contributions to American history, including the myriad of ways they have shaped American society, culture, politics, religion, science, technology, literature, medicine, sports, activism, and so much more. Did you know Asian American Heritage Week was first designated in 1978 under Georgia’s own President Jimmy Carter and extended to an entire month in 1992 by President George H. W. Bush? President Barack Obama changed the name to include Pacific Islanders in 2009, and in 2021, it was further expanded to include Native Hawaiians. 

AANHPI month “pays homage to the visionaries and trailblazers who have shaped our AANHPI history and continue to influence our collective future. Innovation, resilience, and a pioneering spirit are cornerstones of American leadership. AANHPI leaders have made lasting contributions to our nation’s economic prosperity, technological advancements, and social/political change through their ingenuity and creativity while navigating significant cultural and systemic barriers.” (Federal Asian Pacific American Council, January 2024) 

Some notable AANHPI’s are: 
•    Kalpana Chawla (first woman of Asian origin to go to space)
•    Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (former professional wrestler and actor)
•    Hiram Fong (first Asian-American U.S. Senator)
•    Kamala Harris (the U.S. Vice President)
•    Joe Hayashi (military leader)
•    Ann Curry (American journalist)
•    Peter Tsai (inventor of N95 respirator)
•    Yo-Yo Ma (American cellist)
•    Ajay Bhatt (inventor of the USB)
•    Dr. Sanjay Gupta (American neurosurgeon)

We invite you to research famous people, customs, traditional food, or languages. You might also watch a documentary, listen to a podcast, or find a celebration nearby.  
•    Access Atlanta provides a list of some of the happenings around town: Events celebrating Pan-Asian culture around Atlanta for AAPI Heritage Month (accessatlanta.com)
•    Here is another website that offers some good ideas to celebrate this month: 22 Ideas To Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month (goodgoodgood.co) 

These monthly acknowledgments are just one of the ways we seek to embrace diversity at Springmont. Happy AANHPI Heritage Month!
 

Dear Families,

I am pleased to share that after a rigorous hiring process that included one internal candidate and two highly qualified external candidates, we have come out with a clear winner – our own Patricia Jordan!

The respect this community has for Patricia came through loud and clear on the feedback survey forms. Some on the Elementary team wrote of her commitment and loyalty to the school and her deep respect for its members, from children to colleagues to parents. They also commented on her dedication to DEI and her ability to conduct warm, thoughtful, and even-handed conversations in the toughest of moments. I wanted to share, too, how impressed the committee was with the way Patricia handled herself through the hiring process. Putting yourself out there as an internal candidate is never an easy prospect, and Patricia handled it with grace. 

For those of you who don’t know, Patricia has been at Springmont for the past thirteen years and taught at several other Montessori schools before coming here. Most of her classroom experience has been in Lower Elementary, but she did spend a year as a remote Upper Elementary teacher during Covid. Patricia has helped mentor many new teachers over her career and is seen by her colleagues as a knowledgeable resource. Patricia has led employee initiatives on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and currently serves on the school’s DEIJB committee. Please join me in congratulating Patricia! 

I also want to thank and acknowledge Allwyn Fitzpatrick for her time and effort over these past 14 months in guiding the division and the school toward a path of greater and more fully aligned Montessori practice. Allwyn and Patricia will take time to help ensure a smooth transition and that we continue in this good work. Allwyn leaves us at the end of May, and Patricia will officially start in her new role on June 1. 

I expect to have an announcement about the Upper Elementary teacher taking over Ellen’s classroom within the next 10 days. Thank you for your patience as we put together the strongest Elementary team possible.

Warm regards,
Elizabeth
 

We are excited to be sending home complimentary copies of Springmont’s 2023-24 Yearbook and class photos at the end of next week! Students will each receive a copy of the Yearbook with their class photo temporarily attached inside the back cover. Your child’s Yearbook will include a bookplate with your child’s name and class inside the front cover.