News

Dear Springmont Families, 

I know you have a couple of weeks of summer left to enjoy, but we’re gearing up for the new school year, which starts this Thursday, July 31st, with an orientation for new employees. On August 4th, we welcome all employees back for our Pre-Planning week. During this week, we set goals and make plans for the year, and of course, get our classroom spaces ready for your children! 

Camp 
We had two amazing summer camps at Springmont! Isaac and our incredible staff ran camp for our Toddler and Primary students. This year, we added Steve and Kate’s camp, a drop-in camp for students ages 5+. They proved to be an excellent partner, taking good care of our campus and classrooms as well as many of our older Springmont students! It seems that Springmont parents and employees have been very glad to have this option, and the additional funds we earned from the camp will come in handy as well.  

Staffing Updates 
Departures: Cara Freidline continued in her Toddler/Primary Division Head role through the end of July, working with Dajar Showers and Patricia Jordan to help ensure a smooth transition. We thank her for her many years of dedicated service to Springmont! 

Arrivals: Welcome to Chelsea Aubrey, who worked at our camp all summer and is taking over Rinku’s Primary class. Welcome to Nate Klitenic, who comes to us from Montessori School of Ft. Myers to be the Assistant in Brenda’s class. We are finalizing two additional Primary Assistant hires and will announce those in our first Springmont Weekly News.  

Transitions: Some employees will be taking on new roles this year. Here is a list of those changes. 

• Patricia Jordan - Interim Associate Head (working with Toddler, Primary, and Elementary divisions)
• Dajar Showers - Interim Toddler/Primary Division Coordinator and Learning Support
• Thomson Chuites - Upper Elementary Teacher
• Elizabeth Lener and Marsha Fleming - Middle School Science Co-teachers (in addition to their other teaching and leadership roles)
• Lexi Duckworth - Art Teacher
• Camila Silva-Smoak - Lead Assistant (Toddler and Primary division)
• Tamara Patrick - Assistant in Jeanie’s class
• Hannah Weissinger - Floating Elementary Assistant and Middle School Outdoor Science Education Teacher
• Selena Hamer - Assistant in Livia’s Class 

We have a talented and dedicated group of faculty and staff. Click here to see photos and read about them! 

Strategic Plan 
After completing the framework for our strategic plan last spring, we spent the summer working on smaller goals and action steps. These will guide both our day-to-day operations as well as bigger board-level decisions. Please click here to view the priority statements and objectives that will guide the next few years.  

Board of Trustees 
Last spring, two of our trustees completed their terms. We thank both Wendy Sandvi and Leandro Santos for their years of service to Springmont. This year, we welcome two new trustees - Anupa Deshpande and Laura Gibson. Sarah Knott will now serve as Treasurer as JP Godoi steps out of this role but remains on the board. Click here to read about our board members. Interested in joining the board? The best way to do so is to serve on a committee. We have several committees: Finance, Facilities & Technology, Strategic Planning & Marketing, and Development. Please contact Board Chair Will Johnson if you are interested! 

Opening Night – New and Improved! 
This year’s Opening Night will be on Thursday, August 21st, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. The evening will begin as it always has, with social time for drinks and light snacks from 6:30-7:00, followed by time for whole-group announcements in the Pavilion. Parents and caregivers will then be invited to their students’ classrooms. Information about the year will have been sent home in advance, so time spent in classrooms will be for interactive activities and brief Q&A sessions. Parents who have been in a class for a year or two will also be asked to share their experiences with those new to the class. Make sure to mark this adults-only evening on your calendar! 

Landschool  
In addition to our usual class trips, we have several wonderful events happening at the Landschool. On Tuesday, September 2nd (following Labor Day Weekend), all employees will be traveling to the Landschool to participate in a variety of nature-inspired activities. Some of our folks have never been to our amazing 83-acre campus in the North Georgia mountains, and others are experts who will share their knowledge. This will be a fabulous opportunity for our entire employee group to experience this unique resource. Please be advised that there will be no school or childcare offered on this day. School resumes on Wednesday, September 3rd. Thank you for your support of this event! 

We are also offering two opportunities for families to explore the Landschool. The first is our annual Landschool Work Weekend, scheduled for September 20-21. Families are invited to join me, board members, and some of our staff for two days of fun and service. Last year, we painted, cut brush, organized materials, went hiking, and made s’mores. There are jobs for both children and adults. Families are welcome to come for a few hours or stay the weekend. More information and a sign-up will be coming in Springmont Weekly News. 

Primary families are invited to spend the day at the Landschool for a picnic with their child’s teachers on Saturday, October 4, 10 am - 3 pm. Primary families will receive more information about this event as the date approaches.  

Springmont Parent Association (SPA) & Engage with Elizabeth
SPA will hold its first meeting on September 4th, 5:00 – 6:00 pm. In addition to the SPA Meeting led by co-chairs Steve Little, Kathleen Phelps, and Mary Kamau, this event will include a short presentation from me as well as time to ask me questions. I hope many of you will attend!  

We look forward to welcoming you and your children back to campus soon and hope you have a safe and relaxing end to your summer.  

Warm and sunny regards,  
Elizabeth Lener