Parenting can be exhausting, especially after looking at a list of 13 more things to do with your children! The most important thing, however, is to find the routines and habits that work for you and your family and focus on those. And don’t forget to follow your instincts. You are the most qualified to know what your child needs to become who they are meant to become.Article from Healthy Holistic Living 

What is the Capstone Year and why does my child deserve to have one?We often refer to the 3rd Year a child is in a Montessori program as the Capstone Year. But, what is it really that makes that year so special/important? While the reasons to leave can be compelling and are worth every consideration, we believe the reasons to stay are worth your careful and thoughtful consideration.Below is a list of 24 reasons we recommend keeping your child in Montessori for the Capstone Year:Does your child look forward to attending school? If so, consider yourself lucky. Why tinker with a winning situation when so many other families are frustrated or disappointed with their child’s school experience.Your child has waited for two years to be a leader in their class. The third year students are looked up to as role models for the younger students, and most children eagerly await their...

The Capstone YearI’ve been thinking a lot lately about the third year of the Early Childhood three year cycle. We made the decision to keep our oldest daughter in the Magnolias Class to complete the cycle (known as the Capstone Year).Last year, an article in The Atlantic called “The New Preschool is Crushing Kids” (read here) helped support our decision. In the mainstream setting, Kindergarten has become the new first grade, and Common Core standards have laid out academic guidelines for what should be completed in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. Research corroborates that kindergarteners spend more time doing seat work and less time doing art and music.  The net result is 2nd graders who perform worse on tests measuring literacy, language, and math skills. The cause, it is thought, is direct instruction that is repetitive and uninspired which leads to children losing their enthusiasm for learning.How do we maintain that joy for learning...

Early Childhood SpecialtiesDanceIn Dance Class, Early Childhood students are introduced to the main elements of dance: time, space, and energy, so that they can decipher and make choices in their movement. The students learn how to alter speeds, change levels, utilize space, play with quality, move with their whole bodies/being, mirror positive/negative space, as well as shaping and weaving. MusicIn Music Specialty classes, Early Childhood students are introduced to music and rhythm theory as well as vocal skills. They learn to sing and play instruments and to create, respond to, and understand music. In this class students are exposed to many different music styles as well as music from many cultures.Outdoor ClassroomEarly Childhood students participate each week in the Outdoor Classroom with our specialty teacher where they seasonally explore the plants, soil, invertebrates, birds, and weather through hands on activities. The students have many opportunities to practice and master essential developmental skills...

An Overview of the Montessori EducationThe Montessori ClassroomMulti-age Classrooms: Each of our programs offers multi-age classrooms. “Montessori encourages learning from peers in part by using three-year age groupings. This ensures that as children move through the classroom they will be exposed to older and younger peers, facilitating both imitative learning and peer tutoring… Dr. Montessori was quite clear about the need for this mix of ages” says Angeline Stoll Lillard, author of Montessori, The Science Behind the Genius. Multi-age classrooms also allow each child to move through the curriculum comfortably with little regard for how their peers are performing in comparison to themselves. A Montessori multi-age classroom affords children daily opportunities to teach a skill or share information with others. Further, because every child is particularly good at something, this opportunity exists for every child, every day. Prepared Environment:  All the materials are easily within the child’s reach and placed on shelves...

“A growing body of research shows adverse health effects from a disrupted circadian rhythm, such as increasing the chances of insomnia, cardiovascular issues and obesity; also a correlation with neurological problems like anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder.” How can we help keep our kids circadian rhythms healthy and why is it so important?  Maharishi Mahesh Yogi tells us all about nature’s patterns in this article by The Ayurveda Experience.

Earlier this year parents Cheryl Baird and Stacy Bamberg created a LEGO Robotics team comprised of 11 Upper Elementary students.  This weekend the students, the self proclaimed Top Hat Team, competed in their first competition where their Robot earned them almost enough points to take them to the next competition.  They placed 8th out of 21 teams who competed, the first 7 teams qualifying for the next competition which will take place at Weber State University in February.  While they didn't qualify to move on, the team had a great time working together and took away some valuable lessons.  They remained upbeat, positive and energetic throughout the day.  We want to congratulate the team and thank participating parents for time and energy supporting our students through this fun process.  We ar already talking about how to start preparing a team for next year.  If you have a child who is currently a...

It feels like adequate sleep is increasingly becoming more difficult to achieve. Two working parents in most homes, after school activities, more screen options, and a number of other factors can make it difficult to ensure our kids are getting enough sleep.  At school, we know that students learn better, experience more positive peer relationships, and enjoy school more when they are getting enough sleep. The APA recommendations for sleep can be found here and we also recommend listening to your child’s needs and adjusting schedules accordingly. Experts say that the specific time a child goes to bed isn’t as much a contributor to good sleep as a consistent bedtime routine. Be sure to follow those consistent and comforting bedtime routines to help your child achieve the best night's sleep possible. Happy Resting! 

Montessori Community School will be hosting an Admissions Information Meeting for all adults interested in learning about any of our programs for 2020 - 2021 Admissions.  Parents are invited to join us for a presentation about Montessori method, curriculum and philosophy and how they are implemented in our program to educate the whole child.  Parents will have the opportunity to visit our classrooms and meet our Montessori teaching staff. Meeting starts promptly at 6:00 pm Adults only - sorry, no child care providedBring a friend! 

Dear MCS Community,We have spent the past several months gathering information on how adjustments to our policy would impact our school community from both practical and legal perspectives. The details of our new policy are outlined here and the new policy will be written and added to our Parent and Staff Handbooks for implementation with 2020-2021 Enrollment. Our new policy will require current immunization records to be in each student’s file before they begin school. The policy will require that all students in the Toddler program and those in their first and second year of Early Childhood be fully immunized unless their parents have obtained a medical exemption. The policy will accept medical, personal and religious exemptions for elementary aged students, including kindergarten through sixth grade. We have adopted a commitment to herd immunity wherein the total number of our student body will be considered when accepting exemptions of any nature. Lastly,...

We appreciate your participation in the Montessori Market which is run by our Uinta (Upper Elementary) class. Their two day Holiday Market was a huge success and thanks to your participation and support, they have earned enough funds to sponsor 14/30 people to participate in this years overnight Adventure.  The Uinta class will plan and execute a river trip this year as a culmination of their Great Outdoors study of water sheds. Your continued support of the market is appreciated and serves a beautiful cause.  Not only are the students given the opportunity and experience of running various aspects of a business, but they get to support the creative endeavors of those who sell handmade goods in the market. Lastly, their funds allow them to participate in an exciting overnight adventure each year.  With the guidance of their classroom and Great Outdoors teachers, the class organizes an entire three day/two night trip. Each of...

My greatest hope for my children is that they will experience healthy, rewarding relationships.  Sometimes that feels like a tall order when I can’t even manage to carry what feels like a meaningful conversation with my pre-teen and teenage sons.  I’ve learned that asking the right questions is the ticket to successful conversations. “How are you?” and “How was your day?” are sure to illicit one word answers. This article from Positive Parenting Connection shares a list of questions that will help get your kids talking!  Happy Conversing!

Montessori Community School offers an authentic Montessori education while supporting a charming and safe community for our students and their families. Choosing the right school can be a difficult task as increasing numbers in research show the impact of early education on the growing brain. So, beyond why a parent might choose a Montessori education for their child, I would like to answer some common questions about what sets Montessori Community School apart and how you will know if it is the right fit for your family.Tour, Admissions Meetings and Observation: Inquiring parents are required to visit our facility prior to acceptance of their child. This allows parents to “get a feel” for our campus and to learn specifics about each program from a knowledgeable member of our staff. Following attendance at a tour or an admissions meeting, parents are invited to observe in one of our classrooms. While an observation is...

Are you a fixer? Critical thinking requires time to analyze and process information. Sometimes the best way for kids to solve problems is to talk and in order to do that successfully, they need someone to listen. Be that person. This funny video is sure to drive home my point; listening can be hard but it can (and will) be worthwhile. This article from The Center for Parenting Education is a great read for parents working to improve their active listening skills. 

Purchasing the right gifts for our children can be difficult.  If you are anything like me, you want to give your kiddos meaningful gifts that engage their minds, inspire creativity, and leave everyone with a sense of satisfaction.  But what kinds of things can make us feel like we've made responsible choices as parents but still allow our littles the joyful experience of receiving?

We love health, routine, and structure in Montessori.  As parents, sometimes our commitment to these things may be the only things keeping us above water.  In the most busy times I like to remember that most likely children won't capture in their memories how well kept our homes were or which impressive meals we served, but they will remember what it felt like when we entered the room, our smile, the way we comforted and built them up in the times of struggle. Presence is the best gift we can offer our children.

Description: Position entails  regular cleaning of hallways, classrooms, bathrooms, and other common areas. Dish washing, garbage removal, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, polishing and detailing are regular activities of this position. Restocking toilet paper, paper towels, soap dispensers and garbage liners is performed each evening. Heavier cleaning; waxing and buffing, carpet cleaning, disinfecting, and other deep cleaning to be performed as needed.This is a part-time position Monday - Friday from 6pm - 10pm (after students have left for the day). Tools and supplies will be provided. Applicants must be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs. Candidate must be able to communicate and work well with other janitorial and facilities staff.The school has a Facilities team plus a Janitorial team and depending on the candidate’s qualifications and performance, possibilities for upward mobility within the company may be available.Prerequisites: As required by Utah State Law, candidates must pass a full background check. The school...

Have you ever told your child the riveting and powerful story of their entrance into this great life? This is one of my favorite aspects of parenthood. Instilling wonder and thoughtfulness about your child’s emergence to earth is truly awe inspiring for them. Hearing the story of their own birth can calm a child’s fears, can build a child who feels down or sad and can bring great joy to any child. Understanding not only the emergence itself, but the powerful emotions tied to their anticipated arrival and their delivery give a child perspective into their powers as a human. Understanding their place in a family, their most important community of all, is hugely rewarding for a child. Children deeply appreciate learning how their own birth made a marked difference in the history of the universe. A child will love this story at any point in their life, but the most crucial...

The Inside VoiceOne of the things that probably impressed you when you visited your Montessori school was somethingyou didn’t see, or actually, hear – cacophony. Cacophony is a ten dollar word that might be bestdescribed by what you experience in a New York traffic jam, or when an orchestra tunes up – or in atypical day care. The lack of cacophony (might as well get all the use we can out of the ten dollar word)begins with a very simple premise, and most notably found in Montessori schools – the inside voice. It isan amazingly simple, yet profound exercise. When there is a ceiling above your head - you use yourinside voice.The advantages of the training that comes with “the inside voice” are many. No one is yelling quiet. Youcan hear yourself think – which is one of the great outcomes of a Montessori education – the ability tothink. You operate...

The terms immunization and vaccine/vaccination are interchangeable. Through immunization/vaccination, healthy children are exposed to small, often inactive pieces of a germ so that their immune systems can learn to fight that germ if/when they are ever exposed to it. Examples of Vaccine-preventable illnesses include influenza, or the "flu" (over 100 children died from influenza-related causes last flu season in the US), measles (In 2019 thus far, outbreaks of measles were reported in 31 states including Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and California), rubella (“German measles”), pertussis ("whooping cough") and several kinds of meningitis. Children who are not immunized for any reason are at greater risk of severe consequences from vaccine-preventable illnesses. Medical exemption for immunizations: some individuals cannot receive immunizations or vaccines because their immune systems do not mount a protective response to immunizations, including very young infants, individuals with cancer, organ transplants or conditions affecting their immune systems. These people depend upon others (“herd immunity”) to be protected from...