Author: Foothill Montessori

And here it is, the end of another school year.  Call it what you like – unprecedented, singular or done (phew),  this year has certainly been one for the books! Brandi and I want to thank our students, staff and parents for the support and patience shown these past 10 months. We had successes and some challenges, yet despite everything, our combined efforts ensured our community was safe and the school remained open.

Firstly, we want to thank our students for their contributions this year. They wore their masks, washed their hands and learned so many new procedures and routines it would make your head spin, yet they did them all! Over and over this year, they showed real grit when faced with obstacles and reached out with help and compassion when classmates or teachers needed support or encouragement. We are so proud of them for all their hard work.

We would like to thank our hard working and caring staff who have made a huge difference to our students and families. Their commitment is outstanding. We thank them for providing an amazing Montessori experience for our students, one that allows for wonder, fosters curiosity, and  promotes responsibility for self and others. For this, and a million other things, we are truly grateful.

And lastly, we are so very grateful to each family for your attention, dedication, and understanding. We are humbled by what you have done to support our students, staff, and us this year. Without your partnership, this year would not have been possible. If this is your last year at FMSL, we would like to thank you for your contributions and for the guidance that you have provided for your children. Our best wishes to you.  For those of you returning in the fall, we look forward to being together again this August for what we hope will be a return to more normal times.

In closing, we wish you all a very happy, safe and enjoyable summer.

Our heartfelt gratitude to everyone, ​

Brandi & Margaret

With the end of the 2020-21 school year in sight, we know many of you may be wondering about our plans for the fall. While predicting the future is beyond our grasp we assume that 2021-22 will still be affected by the pandemic. This past year, we learned a great deal from our successes and challenges while conducting in person school and have used this experience to begin drafting A Safe Return to School, 2021-22. We will look to make decisions that afford an abundance of caution while balancing the impact on individuals and doing what is necessary for the betterment of the whole community. The following are preliminary plans about a few key topics:

• COVID mitigation efforts will remain steady for a good portion of the new school year.
• Anticipate that masks may still need to be worn by students and non vaccinated staff except for mask breaks, lunch, naps and recess.
• FMSL will focus on in-person learning. We shall not offer a remote learning option. Should a student need to miss school for an extended period due to COVID related sickness or quarantine we will work to accommodate some age appropriate synchronous learning opportunities. Teachers will work with elementary students and their families to get them caught up upon their return.
• Class sizes will be larger than this year.
• Anticipate that extended care hours may be extended to closer to pre-pandemic times.
• Field trips and in-house presentations will resume. Decisions for specific destinations and presentations will be made with consideration of safety protocols in place by the vendors.
• On-site parent volunteer and chaperone opportunities will be considered.
• Anticipate continuing virtual observations, parent/teacher conferences and parent education opportunities. In-person events will be considered based on the state of COVID at the time and the community’s ability to adhere to the school’s policy and procedures.
• Anticipate outside drop-off and pick-up procedures will continue.
• It is possible that children ages 2-11 could potentially be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine this fall. Vaccine requirements are yet to be determined. We will continue to monitor the guidance from state and federal entities in relation to this.

This update likely prompts numerous questions, some of which we cannot answer before further planning efforts. We will continue to assess the state of COVID over the summer so as to finalize our plans. The full details will be communicated, in early August, prior to the start of the next school year.

We thank you for your continued support.

Please join us in welcoming Maya to the FMSL community. Maya recently joined our staff and has spent the past few weeks familiarizing herself with our various systems and procedures to assume the responsibilities of bookkeeper, payroll and assorted HR tasks.  As of April 30, Maya will have fully transitioned into her position and will be ready to assist our families with any questions related to tuition and billing.

Maya was born and raised in Utah.  She attended the University of Utah and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. While this is Maya’s first time working in a school setting, her work history has provided her with a wealth of experiences from working in small family owned businesses to the corporate world.

Getting to know Maya: “I’d consider myself a homebody and love spending time with friends and family. I like the family type environment at FMSL and look forward to meeting everyone. I also like to spend time volunteering for worthy causes and learned some non-profit accounting through that.”

“I have two Russian Siberian fur babies, Kohshka (Russian for Cat) and Pushistyy (Russian for Fluffy), and tons of photos if you’re interested, or just want to hear me pronounce their names.”

“A little known fact about me: when I was about 5, I decided I needed a middle name (as I was the only one in the family that didn’t have one) and it should be “Action!” It stuck.” 

Policy Update 3/15/21

Staff are considered immune, or protected from the virus, 2 weeks after they have received the appropriate dosage of a COVID vaccine. This means, 2 weeks after they are fully vaccinated, they will not be required to quarantine, even if exposed to someone who tests positive.

However, if any symptoms of COVID-19 present following an exposure, vaccinated staff will be expected to stay home, isolate and contact their healthcare provider for guidance.

All staff are still required to follow the school’s COVID-19 policy and procedures as outlined in Safe Return to School.

This policy is effective as soon as the school receives and notes the appropriate documentation of an employee’s vaccine status.

Please Review the Following Information from the CDC

• At this point, data shows that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 disease, especially severe illness and death. However, we are still learning how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Early data show the vaccines may work against some variants but could be less effective against others.
• We are also still learning how well COVID-19 vaccines keep people from spreading the disease. Early data show that the vaccines may help keep people from spreading COVID-19, but we are learning more as more people get vaccinated.
• We’re still learning how long COVID-19 vaccines can protect people.
• As more becomes known, guidance for vaccinated and unvaccinated people may be modified.

Please read the full article here.