Traditions

Parents, faculty, staff and trustees officially kick-off the year at this annual event.  New faculty and staff are introduced, parents sign up to volunteer and faculty meet with parents to summarize plans for the year.  It’s a must-do for getting connected.

Each year a volunteer is recognized for outstanding service to the Springmont community.  Recent recipients include Board chairs, Auction Committee chairs, IMPACT Coordinators and Stan Stockdale, the alumni parent who single handedly built the Pavilion wall. Pictured at right is Carol Santos, 2018 Volunteer of the Year!

The Montessori Mile fun run was established by Gigi, our famous PE Teacher from the past.  With the school's name change and our 50th Anniversary celebration in 2014, Upper Elementary students recommended the event become the Springmont Festival & Montessori Mile.  Today the fun run is followed by class gardening, a Chili Cook-off, the Middle School-run Festival and student fundraising.  Don’t miss it!

Muffins for Moms kicks off the Observation season each year. Not to be outdone, dads join us a month later at the Donuts for Dads events which welcome family or friends to campus during the school day.

Primary & Lower Elementary families are invited to pitch tents on campus and sleep under the stars!  After a picnic dinner, games & crafts, and s'mores, of course, everyone sleeps soundly, preparing students for spending the night away with their classes at our Landschool campus in North Georgia. 

Primary & Lower Elementary students and their families are invited to this festive, age-appropriate celebration hosted by our Outdoor Science Education staff. Opportunities for volunteerism, community-building and the development of an appreciation for nature and nocturnal animals are important elements of this annual event.

Academic progress is celebrated at this event held at the end of Semester I.  Parents tour current and anticipated classrooms to work with their child, have a lesson with a Teacher or view the presentations of Upper Elementary and Middle Learning. Students hone their presentation skills and share their discoveries and journies toward mastery.  This experience is never the same, so it, too, is a must-do.

This annual celebration was established by former Headmaster and later Director of the Arts Joe Seidel as a means of honoring Springmont’s diverse community.  Families are invited to wear their finest cultural attire, and students sing songs from cultures near and far.  The music program is the highlight of this event and the international potluck dinner fare is always outstanding.

This celebration became an annual event thanks to the leadership of long-time Teacher Jackie Muse. A celebration of the Springmont core value Stewardship of the Environment and a celebration for peace, students read poems, sing and work collectively toward a mutual stewardship goal determined each year.

This annual "party with a purpose" unites Springmont's parent community each spring.  Volunteerism is as plentiful as the generous bidders vying for the beautiful class art projects, gift baskets, special experiences and other one-of-a-kind items up for bid.

Each year grandparents and special friends are welcomed to tour campus, enjoy lessons in classrooms and hear presentations about programing and the Springmont student experience.

Winning the title of greatest volunteer participation each year is Field Day – no parent wants to miss the student fun on the Field, Lawn, Pavilion and Activity Court.  In twelve years, this beloved event has moved inside due to bad weather only twice! Plan to wear your running shoes and exhaust your camera's capacity at this favorite tradition.

Each year we celebrate students ages 5 and up who participate in Springmont sports and intramurals. Whether preparing for high school cross country by participating in Running Club or trying a new sport through intramurals, students are encouraged to be active.

It is a tradition that every 8th grade graduate gives his/her personal speach at graduation.  This intimate celebration of the culminating Springmont experience is the favorite among faculty who proudly applaud each individual journey.  A guest once remarked, “I want my child to be known like that.”

Compassion begins in the classroom as student-led fundraising efforts are supported by families, faculty and staff.  The value of giving back is contagious, and adults get in on the action by participating in our Campus Workday, helping deliver the Thanksgiving Outreach food or driving the bus for the Adopt-a-Mile roadway clean up.  As a result, Springmont students are empowered, and graduates are connected to the world around them.

Springmont is a community of learners so guests are invited regularly to share their knowledge with us. Whether we host Rob Evans or Steven Hughes for parents or the Mobile Zoo, Saudi band ensemble or glass harp players for students, guests are invited to share their expertise with us. 

Springmont values place-based learning and the independence and responsibility born in students arranging their own small group tours of choice. For example, students studying reptiles visited the Atlanta Zoo during feeding time to get a better understanding of reptilian eating habits.  Parents drive small groups of students and benefit from seeing budding independence and responsibility in action.

Parents are invited to share their expertise with students as class guests. Parents present at all levels - from playing the piano for Toddlers to introducing the stock market to Middle School students embarking on the Stock Market Game.

Animal life provides learning opportunities and feeds our students' natural curiosities. Students help care for the animals and observe natural animal behaviors while building responsibility, developing compassion and applying what they see to their art and their research. Parents and children develop before or after-school rituals as the paddocks become daily destinations. Learning and community are enriched by the variety of animal life indoors and out. 

Our parents often say, ‘I wish I went to school here!’  Parent education is an opportunity provided approximately 4 -5 times a year enabling parents to see the Montessori materials in action, to discuss discipline strategies with the Teacher or to see the mathematics curriculum from age 4 to 14 presented by our highly experienced faculty.

Springmont student Antonia passed away from the flu in 2004, Antonia loved throwing pennies in fountains so, in conjunction with Antonia’s family, the faculty, staff and parents constructed the Courtyard fountain in her memory. All community members are encouraged to toss pennies at the start of each school year, and young children often stop to observe the fountain on their way to class.