News
News
At Springmont, we’re proud of our school and like to share the accomplishments of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Here you’ll find information about Springmont, including recent school news, articles about our curriculum, and other interesting items. For additional press or media information, please contact Julie Strickland jstrickland@springmont.com or 404.252.3910.
Archives - August 2019
Extraordinary By Design
August 26, 2019
Opening Night marks the official start of the 2019-20 school year. The following was excerpted from Head of School Jon Alden's comments to parents.
This summer I attended the first-ever AMI Administrators Certificate Course held at Post Oak School in Houston, a toddler - high school Montessori school with about 500 students. The program was great, and it was wonderful to spend a week with 40 other Montessori leaders from across the country and around the world.
One aspect that came to light during the week were the differences in Montessori programming offered by various schools and centers. While most of the course participants worked at independent schools similar to Springmont, there were also several public school principals and administrators from for-profit Montessori companies. As I learned about some of the other programs, it became clear to me that not all Montessori programs are equal. In fact, I was shocked by the comments many of the public and for-profit Montessori folks made about the materials and classrooms at Post Oak – which, like Springmont, is an AMI-recognized school.
I had mistakenly assumed that all Montessori programs valued garden spaces and curated classrooms outfitted with materials made from natural fibers. After hearing for at least the tenth time, “Wow, I wish we had this at my school” or “Oh, that makes sense. We should ask our teachers to do that,” I realized how extraordinary Springmont is.
Springmont IS extraordinary, and it is Extraordinary by Design. I have learned more about Dr. Montessori and her educational philosophy in the last 12 months than I had in the previous 20 years of my career. My only regret is that I didn’t come to an AMI Montessori school sooner.
When I say that Springmont is Extraordinary by Design, I am referring to the meticulous design of an AMI classroom and the trained guides that facilitate the magic that happens in our school every day as well as everything that happens behind the scenes to create the best possible learning environment for our students. Dr. Montessori wrote:
“Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence.”
This is what we might call today instilling a life-long love of learning. But it’s not enough to just instill a love of learning, the environment in which the learning occurs plays a huge part. It is our job to stoke the fire wherever the child discovers a spark, and sometimes that means stepping back from obvious learning and teaching. It is more important that we follow the child on his or her learning journey and stay focused on the cognitive spark ignited within the prepared environment.
The prepared environment is also important because children surrounded by love, the natural world, patience and order grow to be balanced adults whose minds reflect those qualities. Dr. Montessori observed and wrote:
“The child has a different relation to his environment from ours… the child absorbs it. The things he sees are not just remembered; they form part of his soul. He incarnates in himself all in the world about him that his eyes see and his ears hear.”
The extraordinary design at Springmont goes beyond the classroom. You may remember that the Board of Trustees worked on a new Strategic Plan last year, and we will be implementing a number of strategic initiatives this year, including:
• A Parent Ambassador program to work in conjunction with the Admission office.
• Increased collaboration between IMPACT and the administration to facilitate more meaningful community engagement.
• An enhanced significance of Montessori in marketing our program, including the addition of the word Montessori to the Mission Statement and possibly to the school name.
• A budgeted increase for faculty Professional Development.
• The creation of a strategic plan for the Landschool.
Extraordinary by Design is our theme for the year, and I hope you will see it reflected in all aspects of the school – in the classrooms, in your interactions with school personnel, in our communications with you, and in the value of the Springmont experience. I look forward to a marvelous school year filled with opportunities to deepen our partnership with you and your children and to improve upon our extraordinary design.
Congrats to our Volunteers of the Year!
August 26, 2019
One of Springmont's long-standing traditions is the announcement of our annual Volunteer of the Year award at Opening Night. This year the extraordinary efforts of many parents made narrowing the candidates difficult, and the selection of just one recipient impossible! Springmont is thrilled to honor Shama Shah and Raluca Toma de Garcia as our 2018-19 Volunteers of the Year. Last year, Shama served as Parent Chair of Primary Field Day and the Halloween Hike and Co-Chaired the Spring Auction. She also served as a Room Parent and was an all-star recruiter for Apogee. Raluca was Chair of Feed the Faculty, Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day and Montessori Mile and Co-Chaired the Spring Auction. She also served as a Room Parent and Springmont Fund cabinet member. Springmont's community is greatly enriched by the sharing of time and talents - THANK YOU, Shama and Raluca!
Thank You, Frank Blake!
August 26, 2019
Springmont's Trustees give significantly of their time and talents, typically serving for one or two sequential three-year terms. In recognition of those who serve as Board Chairs, Springmont's campus is home to benches bearing plaques in their honor. Frank Blake's service as a Trustee and Board member 2014-2019 was acknowledged at Opening Night. Thank you, Frank! (Pictured, left, with current Board Chair Greg Lamps, right.)
Friday's Student Pep Rally
August 26, 2019
Friday's Pep Rally was awesome! As our back-to-school celebration of students new to Springmont and those who moved-up to the next level, this event is a student favorite! At Springmont, younger children learn from and look up to older students while older students develop mentoring and leadership skills. The Pep Rally is our way of acknowledging this progression. Look for more pictures on Facebook!
It's Time to Sponsor the Montessori Mile!
August 26, 2019
The 25th Annual Springmont Festival & Montessori Mile is scheduled for Saturday, October 5! Increase awareness of your business with Springmont constituents, show your support of our community, and support Springmont by putting your company’s (or your family’s) name on the fun!
Click here for details about sponsorship benefits and to complete your sponsorship form and submit payment. Then email your camera-ready logo artwork to Tiffany Orem by September 16. We hope to see you at the race!
The Great Georgia Pollinator Census 2019
August 19, 2019
This Friday, Springmont students will participate in an exciting citizen science project! Led by Outdoor Science Education Teacher Michelle Wolfersberger, Elementary and Middle School students will identify and count the number of pollinators (bees, butterflies and other insects) that visit a single flower in a 15-minute period. The data will be uploaded to the Georgia Pollinator Census website hosted by the Center for Urban Agriculture at the University of Georgia.
Understanding the complex relationships between people and the earth is important to children's knowledge of the environment. Participating in community endeavors like this one helps students become advocates for the natural world around them and to recognize their roles as stewards of the environment - one of Springmont's core values. Click here for more info from UGA about this program, and look for pictures on Facebook on Friday!
We're Back to School!
August 12, 2019
A warm welcome to our new parents and students today. It was wonderful to see so many new faces! We look forward to seeing our returning students on Wednesday. We hope that you will make a habit of reading our weekly newsletter, Springmont Weekly News, each Monday. This email will contain school news, interesting articles about our curriculum and school happenings, reminders about upcoming events, and links to important information.
In addition, we hope that all parents will follow and like us on Facebook and Instagram. This is where we share our school spirit and lots of pictures, including more from today! Make sure to share with friends and family!
Mark Your Calendars for Opening Night - Aug 22
August 12, 2019
All parents are strongly encouraged to attend this adult-only, official kick-off of the new school year on Thursday, August 22, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. You can expect great company, good food and a glass of wine, a short program in the Pavilion and lots of time in the classroom with your child's Teacher who will share important information. All parking is off campus at the Sandy Springs United Methodist Church Hitson Activity Center (GPS: 6150 Sandy Springs Circle). Shuttles will run 5:45 - 6:30 and 8:30 - 8:45.
Looking forward to Monday...
August 05, 2019
I know I speak for the entire faculty and staff in expressing my excitement for the coming year. In fact, I have just come from our opening employee breakfast, and you may rest assured that the energy and professionalism in the Pavilion were extremely high and will translate well to the new school year.
Our annual breakfast begins with introductions from everyone that include the number of years he/she has been at Springmont as well as a fun fact. As we passed the microphone around, I realized that this is the first year since 2009 that Springmont did not need to hire a new classroom teacher - with the exception of Rebecca Giddens returning to lead the Primary classroom that Cara covered last year, but that doesn’t count!
Although there are no new teachers, there are a number of changes and upgrades to our campus security. First, security film has been added to the entrances to all buildings as well as any windows immediately adjacent to the doors. This makes the glass on these doors and windows shatterproof. We are also in the process of adding RFID locks to key entrances of each building. This means all exterior doors on campus will be locked, and visitors to campus will need to be “buzzed-in” in order to enter all buildings. This will require all visitors to check-in at the Front Office in order to gain access to any building. More information about the new locks and daily procedures will be communicated once the entire campus has been secured. I am sure this increased security will be a welcome addition to your peace of mind despite the requirement to check-in at the office.
On a more personal note, I am looking forward to my new post at Primary morning arrival carpool where I will have the opportunity to get to know our younger students’ families a bit better. I will continue to go to afternoon pick-up in the cul-de-sac and look forward to visiting with our older students as they wait on the benches.
Please note that Springmont Weekly News is one of the best ways to stay informed about school events and news, but parents should also feel free to call or email whenever you have a question or concern. I can’t wait to see our new and move-up parents on Thursday evening and look forward to seeing the rest of you next week.
Welcome New Employees!
August 05, 2019
Please help us welcome some new faces to campus! Pictured left to right: Jeanie Fox will join Laura as Co-Teacher of the All Day II Primary class. ReLiang Tsang is Chris' new Lower Elementary Assistant. Claire Tadeo will be our Assistant Art Teacher. Many of you will remember Primary Teacher Rebecca Giddens who has returned from her year-long maternity leave to lead the All Day I Primary class. Jessica Jones will be Rosanne's Primary Assistant. Make sure to extend a warm Springmont welcome when you see them on campus!
Springmont Expo and Meet & Greet
August 05, 2019
We are excited to welcome families to campus this Thursday, August 8, 9-11 a.m. for our annual Springmont Expo and Meet & Greet. This is a great opportunity to say hello to classroom teachers and staff, gather important back-to-school information, preview Fall Enrichment offerings, and purchase items from the Spirit Store!
Our new Tuesday-Friday optional lunch service, Snackology 101, will also be sharing samples of their snacks and meals. They will be able to fulfill a myriad of dietary needs and restrictions and will be offering a 100% gluten-free menu and delicious plant-based menu items. Their Nomad Lunch Program | Grab + Go/Heat + Serve individually portioned lunch options may be ordered on a week by week basis. Look for menus, more information and enrollment links at the Expo.
Because of the limited parking available on campus, we ask each family to limit their campus visit to 30 minutes so that all families have a turn to park and visit.
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