News

Platinum: Haug Barron Law Group

Gold: BodyScienceRD, The Codelli Family, The Hakerem Family, Melon

Silver: Apple Billing and Credentialing, The Colonna Family, Farmers Insurance – Rojas Agency, 
Oxbow Development, Steagall Wealth Advisory of Raymond James

Bronze: Ready Set FUN!, The Khajavi Family, The Maiwand Family, The Shorter Family, The Wachter Law Firm 
 

Did you know that September 15 – October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month? Rather than selecting a calendar month, the dates encompass the anniversaries of national independence for several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua that all recognize September 15 as the date of their independence, while Mexico and Chile’s independence days are celebrated September 16 and September 18 respectively. The observation, started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. Click here to learn more.

Led by Art Assistant Claire Tadeo, Springmont’s Toddler and Primary students joined people across the globe for International Dot Day on September 15! International Dot Day is a celebration of the power and potential of creativity, courage, and collaboration inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot, a story about a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark”. What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing. 

Toddler and Primary students explored different art mediums to collaboratively create a colorful collage of dots that is now on display in the Front Office! Toddler children used colored pencils, watercolor, and crayons, and Primary children experimented with color theory and learned how primary colors can be mixed to create secondary colors. Older Primary students also had an opportunity to explore a printmaking process called monoprinting used to create uniquely colorful prints.  Make sure to stop by to see our Dot Day display!
 

We are so excited to be able to bring back one of our most beloved events – the Springmont Festival & Montessori Mile! All families are invited to join us on campus on October 22. The day begins with a warm-up in the Pavilion at 8:30, followed by one-mile fun runs on Long Island Drive for adults and children 6-14 years and then dashes for younger students (6 and under) on the Field. Additional activities are still being finalized but will include a Middle School-run Festival & Plant Sale, Livia's Class Pesto Sale, and a Chili Cook-Off! 

Race Registration
Middle School students Satti Gray, Samantha Hakerem, and Juliet Martin all contributed to the artwork inspiration for this year's Montessori Mile t-shirt design! All fun run and dash participants and anyone who wants one of the long-sleeved commemorative t-shirts are encouraged to register! Registrations ($25 each) are available here!

Volunteers are still needed! Click here to visit the online sign-up!

Questions? Email Tiffany Orem 
 

Primary & Elementary: In preparation for Parent/Teacher Conferences (October 28 & November 4), parents of Primary and Elementary students are invited to observe their children's current classroom in action!  Observations provide parents a glimpse of their child's day as well as an overall picture of how a Montessori classroom allows children opportunities for creativity, engaged learning, authentic social interactions, time for exploration, and more.  

Guided Observations will begin on September 27 and continue on designated days through October 27. Two sessions (8:45-9:30 or 9:00-9:45) will be available for each class on their designated observation days.  Parents will gather in the Pavilion for a brief introduction, followed by time to observe in their child's classroom. Each session will conclude with an opportunity to debrief observations in a small group facilitated by Associate Head for Curriculum & Learning Cara Friedline and/or Elementary Curriculum Specialist Chris Cone.  

Springmont uses SignUp, an online reservation system that allows parents to select a preferred date and time - see the link in Springmont Weekly News! To allow each family an opportunity to observe, we ask that each child's parents select just one date and time and make every effort to bring just one vehicle to campus. 

Toddlers: Because Toddlers are less able to maintain concentration with parents present and may feel distressed when parents depart, parents of Toddler students will be invited to join live Zoom observations. Look for your invitation to observe via Zoom soon!

Middle School: Parents of Middle School students who wish to observe are invited to email Marsha Fleming, Middle School Teacher and Coordinator, to set up a time to observe.

Curious about the next level? Parents who wish to observe a classroom at their child’s next academic level should email Director of Admission Andrea Restifo.

We hope to see you in our observation chairs and Zooms sessions soon!
 

Last Wednesday, our Upper Elementary and Middle School Parent Education focused on digital citizenship. Springmont hosted Ben Halpert, founder of Savvy Cyber Kids, an organization dedicated to helping parents and teachers educate children about cyber safety, cyber ethics, and other aspects of their daily tech lives.
Many UE and Middle School parents joined in person while their children enjoyed a bonus social time and pizza with their friends.  Several parents tuned in from home to the live stream as well. Mr. Halpert spent the day with our students, sharing critical and valuable information on various aspects of online behavior, ranging from media time balance to privacy and security issues.

Library Media Specialist Leslie Wachter will continue these discussions in small groups throughout the year utilizing Savvy Cyber Kids and Common Sense Media education resources. Mr. Halpert emphasized that there is no magic age to begin these discussions, and the earlier - the better. Savvy Cyber Kids website even has plenty of resources for preschool-age children! 

Click here for the recording of the presentation.  
 

Each August, as we look ahead to exciting opportunities for the new school year, we also reflect on the previous one. Many of our most important events and special experiences require the talents and commitment of our entire community, including our parent volunteers. While we are fortunate to be able to count on many members of our parent community, typically, one person stands out as having gone above and beyond in giving their time and energy.  This year that person is Wendy Sandvi!  Service is a key component of who we are as a school, and Wendy is always willing to cheerfully lend a helping hand.  In gratitude for all that she contributed last year and in years past, Wendy is Springmont's 2021-22 Volunteer of the Year!  As a token of our appreciation, she was presented with a custom Yeti filled with chocolate kisses as she came running down Long Island Drive to join our first 2022-23 Springmont Parent Association (SPA) meeting on Zoom on Friday. Thank you, Wendy!

Springmont is a beneficiary of The Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship Program, often referred to as “Apogee.”  If you are a Georgia taxpayer, you are eligible to redirect a portion of your Georgia State Income Taxes to benefit Springmont.  Springmont uses funds from Apogee to support Tuition Assistance.  

Legislation was recently passed for the upcoming 2023 tax year, increasing the maximum Apogee contribution amounts as follows:

a. For Individuals, increased to $2,500 (from $1,000)
b. For Married Filing Joint, increased to $5,000 (from $2,500)
c. For standard Pass-through shareholder/members, increased to $25,000 per shareholder/member (from $10,000)

Of course, these are the maximum allowable amounts. You can apply for your tax credit at or below these totals.  To learn more about Apogee, click here. To access the application, click here.

The application process takes just moments to complete and Lauren Stevenson (lstevenson@springmont.com) in the Development Office is happy to answer any questions you may have.  You can also view this quick explainer video for a glimpse at this simple process.
 

We are so excited to be able to bring back one of our most beloved events – the Springmont Festival & Montessori Mile! All families are invited to join us on campus on October 22. The day begins with a warm-up in the Pavilion at 8:30, followed by one-mile fun runs on Long Island Drive for adults and children 6-14 years and then dashes for younger students (6 and under) on the Field. Additional activities are still being finalized but will include a Middle School-run Festival and a Chili Cook-Off! 

Would your company or family like to sponsor this event? This is a great way to increase awareness of your business within the Springmont community, show support for our school, and have fun!  

To put your company’s (or your family’s) name on the fun and obtain sponsorship benefits, please click here to complete the online form by 8 am on September 16. Sponsorships are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. 

• We have ONE Platinum sponsorship available, which includes 2 on-campus parking places for October 22, 5 race registrations and t-shirts, your logo/family name on the back of the race t-shirts in a premium position, your logo/family name on the sponsor banner in a premium position and premium size, a coupon/flyer in race packets (if desired), and mention in our Annual Report
• Gold sponsorships are limited to FOUR and include 4 race registrations and t-shirts, your logo/family name on the back of the race t-shirts in a top position, your logo/family name on the sponsor banner in a top position and large size, a coupon/flyer in race packets (if desired), and mention in our Annual Report.
• Silver sponsorships are limited to SIX and include 2 race registrations and t-shirts, your logo/family name on the back of the race t-shirts, your logo/family name on the sponsor banner, a coupon/flyer in race packets (if desired), and mention in our Annual Report.
• Bronze sponsorships are limited to TEN and include 1 race registration and t-shirt, your logo/family name on the back of the race t-shirts, your logo/family name on the sponsor banner, and mention in our Annual Report.

Early Bird Race Registration
All fun run and dash participants, and anyone who wants one of the long-sleeved commemorative t-shirts, are encouraged to register! Early Bird Race Registrations are $22 each and are due by 8 am on Friday, September 16.  After this date, we cannot ensure your preferred t-shirt size, and each registration increases to $25.  Click here for Early Bird Registration! 

Questions? Email Tiffany Orem