Dear FMSL Parents,
It has been a year of learning and growth as our administrative team have adjusted to new roles and responsibilities. Although many of us have taken on new responsibilities this year, we have been fortunate to make this transition as a committed and familiar team who have worked closely with one another for a number of years. Robyn has provided a great deal of guidance and even more trust while sharing her vision with our students, staff and parents. Our staff have continued to provide a quality education, with a deep commitment to the Montessori philosophy and a spirit of community, to ensure a year filled with the kind of success you have come to expect from our school. We are indeed grateful (and lucky!) to have such a wonderful staff who are committed and trustworthy.
Over the past several years we have been working towards our IMC Accreditation and have worked as a staff to develop clear processes and procedures to the benefit of our school community. With thanks to our well defined processes and the guidance of IMC, we have not only maintained a quality program, but we continue to grow each year. We have had a record number of applicants to our program for the 2019-2020 year. Thank you for telling your friends about us and for helping us create a community where are all welcomed and where our emphasis on the individual growth of each person can be a reality.
I find that one of the most thrilling parts of my work is to meet with each applicant family during our interview process. The passion and engagement among our parent population is inspiring and holds us accountable. I am continually amazed at the devotion our families have to not only their children as individuals but to an education that allows their children the opportunity to grow into their best selves. A willingness to stoke the fires of passion for learning, a commitment to allowing and inspiring curiosity, and a respect for the child as an important human with important work to do are common themes among our parents. Collectively, this makes our job as Montessori educators so much easier. I thank you for entrusting us with your most precious little souls. We are honored to work with them and realize the great responsibility we hold.
In addition to being held accountable by meeting with each family individually, we have outlined and implemented a very detailed Performance Review process. Each of our staff have the opportunity and responsibility to regularly check in with our working peers, our supervisors, and to do a self-evaluation. We are committed to and find great value in the process of self-inventory and peer evaluation. And, as always, we are open to and appreciative of your feedback. We thank you in advance for filling out your end of year surveys, your exit surveys, and for providing your other experiences via email or face to face time with our staff.
As educators, it is considered “normal” to look back on the year with regret for the things we didn’t have time to teach and the things we wish we had done better. While I believe there is value in our continual commitment to growth and I celebrate our staff for their willingness to self-reflect, I want to take a moment to celebrate all that we have accomplished and all that our students have accomplished this year. I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by a community with such commitment to making a better world. I will be around this summer and appreciate any and all opportunities to touch base with you. Please feel free to check in via email or face to face and, in the meantime, best wishes for a rejuvenating and fun-filled summer!
Sincerely,
Britney
