Early Childhood (EC) teachers are trained to encourage self-directed learning that promotes self-confidence, independent thought and action, and critical thinking, while fostering social-emotional and intellectual growth. That’s no small feat! We are so very grateful to have such talented and beautiful individuals on staff to support the children in this important work.
Magnolias, Dual Language
Andrea, Kayla & Kendalyn
Sequoias, Dual Language
Ruth, Cathie & Cynthia
Aspens
Tori S. & Ruby
Willows
Karey & Tori C.
Click here to watch a short video from the American Montessori society about the importance of the capstone year (year 3) in the Early Childhood classroom.
Parent participation is a key component of a thriving Montessori community. Parent involvement in school life reassures your child of the strong connection between the home and the school. Volunteering on a committee is great way to fulfill the 10 hours of parent involvement we suggest for each parent each academic year. If you missed out on registration or need to change your mind, please contact us at info@mcsslc.com with your request.
Parent School Alliance (PSA)
The Parent School Alliance coordinates fundraising events, community building activities and school-wide annual traditions. The PSA meets monthly.
Health & Safety Advisory Committee (HSC)
The Health and Safety Committee collaborates with administration to determine appropriate measures to safeguard our community when health and safety issues arise. Members of the committee are also consulted with specific questions or requests to help inform and guide decision making. This committee is scheduled to meet virtually on Tuesdays 1-2pm, 6 times during the academic year.
Strategic Planning Committee
The Strategic Planning Committee assists school administration in realizing the school’s mission and vision. This includes helping determine, set and obtain measurable goals for our continuous improvement. The schedule for this committee is TBD.
Please note, committee membership is a year long commitment. From our experience, regular attendance and consistent participation/support is most helpful to the collaborative work of each committee and proves to be the most rewarding for individuals.
A labyrinth can be used for walking meditation. The one built by the Uinta students and staff is a single winding path from the outer edge in a circuitous way to the center and out again.
Labyrinths are used world-wide as a way to quiet the mind, calm anxieties, recover balance in life, enhance creativity and encourage meditation, insight, self-reflection and stress reduction.
It takes a special kind of person to be an educator. It takes an extraordinary person to be the guide of a classroom full of infant or toddler aged children! We are so very proud to present our 2022-23 Infant & Toddler staff.
Sego Lily Class (Infants)
Alisalee & Candace
Stars Class (Toddlers)
Brooklyn, Nozomi and Daniela
Moons Class (Toddlers)
Fernanda, Alyssa & Madison
Are you curious about what these extraordinary people do day in and day out? Please watch this short video from the American Montessori Society to learn about their important work.
With the start of a fresh new school year, Uinta students and teachers set out on our very first Writing Workshop. The assignment culminated in a foldable book called “All About Me!”. Students made use of creative writing, self reflection, and the writing process.
Assembly begins
There was anticipation as we translated our names into the runic alphabet, and laughter as we created our “codenames” (i.e. iridescent jumping spider)! And, a poem was carefully crafted by each student wherein they decided how they would run things, if they were in charge of the world.
Nearing completion
To close out the assignment, everyone revisited their work, spent time proofreading and editing their text, as well developing the phrasing and organization of their writing. In the coming weeks, a self evaluation will be completed to identify what went well, and how we can all improve in the future.
Cathy Bachman has joined our staff as our new Office Manager. She has spent the past several weeks learning the ropes and is now settling into her groove. Already she has streamlined several systems and we are happy to report that the day to day office life is running smoothly.
Cathy is a twice-over Montessori parent and now a Montessori grandma!. Her daughters, Stephanie and Elizabeth, attended FMSL throughout the 1990s and her grandson Roary is now in Sego Lily.
She was educated as an accountant, but her career was in programming, team management and project management. She loves spending time with her family, gardening and exploring different crafts.
We are delighted to have Cathy back in the Montessori community.
Brandi and I are delighted to welcome you to the 2022-23 academic year. We want to extend our gratitude to our community for the many ways you have helped us prepare for this new school year:
Students- thank you for bringing joy, curiosity and exuberance to our school life. You are a constant encouragement to us to be our best selves and be fully present in each precious moment of the day.
Parents- thank you for your support, encouragement, and honesty. Your focus on addressing the pressing needs within our community as well as looking ahead to the future is so very necessary.
Teachers and staff- thank you for the care and attention you have put into making FMSL a warm, beautiful, and safe space for all. We are so very appreciative of your dedication to our community
Each year our staff has a theme that helps provide focus for our individual effort and our collaborative work. This year’s theme is Breathe. Taking time for restful breathing and deliberate breath can help us maintain the calm needed for clear thinking. It provides us a way to manage situations that may be stressful, people who are anxious, or things that may be challenging.
A new year brings new opportunities and we are feeling optimistic about the future. Please don’t hesitate to reach out should you have questions.
Our deepest sympathy goes out to the students, parents, staff and the community of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. This tragedy is so very senseless. Gun violence against children needs to stop.
We are heartbroken and recognize this tragic event may cause anxiety and concern to many in our community. It can be very challenging to talk about such things with our children. Here are some tips from the National Association of School Psychologists that may help you.
FMSL takes our responsibility to safeguard our community very seriously. In light of this recent instance of violence in a school setting we will make time to review school safety procedures.
Lastly, we ask everyone to practice compassion, love and kindness in your interactions with each other; you may never know who is hurting. You can make a difference.
This school year we have had a total of 83 positive cases of COVID-19 occurring among FMSL students and staff. (5/23/22)
Figure 1. Count of student & staff cases to date
Figure 2. Positive cases by setting
Figure 3. Positive cases by month
Similar to the greater Salt Lake community, FMSL experienced a major spike in positive cases during the month of January 2022. At that time, MCS had 36 cases reported over 24 consecutive days.
In April 2022, following modified guidelines from the CDC and the Utah Health Department and improved community transmission numbers, FMSL moved to making masking indoors optional. Within 2 weeks positive cases occurred across 9 separate school settings. Masking indoors was reinstated and, fortunately, community spread was able to be contained to one early childhood classroom.
Gratitude
Public safety measures and guidance shifted and changed frequently this year. We are grateful to the Health and Safety Committee for their advice and support as we navigated these changes.We would also like to express our gratitude to FMSL parents and staff. This has been a challenging year and we are so very grateful for the grace everyone has extended to the community.
Betty Jean Sawyers Lorenz was 94 years young when she died. She was Bob’s auntie and welcomed me into the family with open arms. Betty Jean was an incredible smart, generous, feisty woman. She was a ski instructor at Park City for years. She is remembered for all the baby showers she hosted for her many nieces and sharing her home at Bear Lake for our Sawyers family reunions. I loved her dearly and she will be missed so much by all of our Sawyers family and her many close friends.
One of her daughters is Julia Cook who is the author of 44 children’s books that are used extensively by Amanda (our Student Support Coordinator) and so many teachers around the world.
-Robyn
Betty Jean at her Bear Lake house
Rosaleen (Rosie) W. Fenn
Last week I said goodbye to my Aunt Rosie. She left us at the young age of 99 1/2 years old, just a few years shy of her goal of 102! My Aunt Rosie was a woman with a twinkle in her eye, who always made you feel that you were her “favorite”! This past March she continued to lead us each year, riding on the family float, for the St Patrick’s Day parade in Price Utah. She has brought lessons of joy, love and laughter that will stay with us forever. Memories of her will always bring a smile to my face.
– Nanette
This picture was on her final float in the St Patrick’s Day parade. She was the Grand Marshall in 2007.
