The holidays have come and gone and spring is just around the corner.  This might be a fine time to consider sorting through your children's possessions.  If you take a close look at the sheer volume of your child's books and toys, you may determine that just like adults he uses only a percentage of them. Thinning the herd, so to speak, offers much to recommed it; Its a lot easier to find things if there are fewer things to find.  A place for everything and everything in its place is a cliche' based on sound thinking.  Our brains seek order, harmony and beauty in the world, your child's brain seeks it out too.  Additionally, there's an essential developmental incentive to clear the clutter out of your child's life.  Providing external order for your child allows him to organize his thinking.  He's already taken in so many impressions of the...

  Montessori Community School sponsors the above beautiful girls. These girls have been growing up right before our eyes! We are so proud of their accomplishments and continue to support and encourage their goals and dreams through the COEEF Program . Our girls have written lovely letters we would love to share with you.  COEEF-GIRLS-2014.pdf . Please watch for our fundraisers this spring to continue supporting these amazing girls.     

Winter Sports will be starting in two weeks. You should have received the following pdfs in your email. Please read through and ensure you and your child are prepared for Wednesday, February 4th! If you have questions or concerns, please contact Ashlee Haslam at (801) 355 - 1555.  Parent-Letter-Skiing-and-Snowboarding.pdf Chaperone-Letter.pdf Parent-Letter-Ice-skating.pdf Chaperone-Letter-ICE-Skating.pdf  

The biggest challenge parents face is their children’s drive for independence. A toddler or a preschooler’s drive for independence is even fiercer than a teenager’s. While a teenager may be looking to undo parental control your preschooler is looking to share control. They are trying to become part of your world by taking responsibility for their own actions. This drive for independence is slow and messy. Learning to walk – the first great independence is full of falls and scares (more for Mom than for baby). And it is a slow and unsteady success. Even when they accomplish vertical independence their rate of locomotion impels us to pick them up and carry them if we want to get anywhere now. Learning to feed oneself is a second (and very messy) independence. Graduating from hands to utensils is a major success of coordination and development. Again, if we want to finish...

    This year, Montessori Community School particpated in a service learning opportunity that touched the lives of many by supporting a local charity.      This year, after looking into many areas of need in our community, we participated  in  the   Fill- the- Pack  Project created by  the  Homeless Youth Resource Center. This relatively new program provides a way to get some basic survival necessities (toothbrushes, toiletries, hats, gloves, and blankets are just a few of  the  items in  the   packs ) to teens that are living on  the  streets of Salt Lake City.     MCS provided two backpacks for each of our classrooms to  fill  with items from  the  Homeless Youth Resource Center needs list.There was such a wonderful response from our students and families! We were able to fill and deliver 24 backpacks plus many other various items that were brought in and donated. Imagining...

Awarded "Film Of The Year" at the 2014 International Freeski Film Festival, TGR's Almost Ablaze is a global odyssey combining state-of-the-art cinematography and the most progressive riding on The Planet. Experience a new level of sensory overload as each athlete is wired for sound, immersing the audience completely in the moment. Watch as athletes push the edge to realize a heightened state. Special screening at the Tower Theatre at 7:00pm on Wednesday - December 3, 2014. [ read more... ] Every ticket holder will receive a Powder Mountain 2-for-1 Day Pass at the event. Movie trailer here: www.tetongravity.com/films/almost-ablaze On October 10th, just before 9 PM, a 48" water main pipe broke on Foothill Blvd sending over 2.5 million gallons of water down 1700 South. The Montessori Community School was one of the unfortunate victims of the flood. The lower level classrooms, and the maintenance room were flooded and nearly 100...

An MCS family recently shared their story about their new baby who was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). Their story is unique as Calla is the first of the approximately 61,000 newborns screened for SCID so far in Utah to have a positive test result. Calla, sister to Tatum, has been in isolation at Primary Children’s Hospital since a few days after her birth and is awaiting a bone marrow transplant.   Logan and Jody, parents to Calla and Tatum, have been advocates and supporters of MCS even while their sweet new baby is staying the the hospital. They even recently spent the evening volunteering at the Halloween Carnival. We want to offer our love and support to Tatum, Logan, Jody and especially Calla. Their story is touching... Read more here , here   and here  about SCID and about Calla's upcoming transplant.   We hope that the surgery goes smoothly and that Calla...

  Luckliy, we have not found any elephants or chickens, but we have found some very nice jackets, coats, towels, books,  lunch tupperwear, and many other various items. You may find all lost and found items on a table in the lobby.      Our lost and found needs your help! Please stop by and see if anything belongs to you.

As you may already know from your communications with your child's teachers, MCS classrooms begin the year with a heavy emphasis on our Grace and Courtesy curriculum.  The article below, written by Edward Fidellow, will help you understand the benefits of a Grace and Courtesy curriculum and might offer some ideas how to reinforce the lessons at home! Happy Reading!   Why is Grace and Courtesy a big deal in Montessori? Edward Fidellow   www.crossmountainpress.com You cannot observe a Montessori classroom for even a short time without coming away with an impression that Montessori children are by and large very polite, orderly and impressively quiet and serene. This atmosphere is created by the lessons of “grace and courtesy”. Grace and courtesy – good manners, caring about each other, putting others first – are solid virtues that make possible the extraordinary academic gains of a Montessori classroom. Grace and courtesy is...