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...

As a staff we are always trying to maintain a comfortable balance between sun safety and the immense need to get our children outside for play and movement.  As you well know, our children are not always easily convinced of the critical need to cover adequately. It is essential that we continue this important practice even during the cold months, when the UV rays are equally impactful.  We go to great effort to teach our children the importance of full coverage and how to apply sunscreen thoroughly (while offering assistance to children as needed).  We encourage our families to advise their children of the importance of sun safety and appreciate the following tips provided by one of our MCS parents.   Utah has the highest melanoma (the most deadly skin cancer) rates in the United States ( read detailed article here ). Given our altitude, a large number of sunny days, great outdoor...

Thank you to those who participated in our Health and Safety Committee Meetings last Friday.  Many good ideas came from those meetings, which will be communicated at our upcoming Town Hall on Tuesday, October 15th.  You can expect to learn more about a possible adjustment to our vaccination policy (of which we will be seeking parent input), the implementation of a new extraordinary measures policy in regards to preventable diseases, the  implementation of a Parent Advisory Committee upon whom we can call for guidance in best health and safety practices, and updates about our accreditation process.  Please watch for an evite with details and to RSVP for this event. Note that there will be child care available for this event and thank you for signing up in advance in the office for child care. 

Our Emergency Preparedness Committee would like to invite interested parents to join in creating action plans around the items listed below.  We would be happy to share our preliminary plans of action with you; if interested please contact Britney or Brandi. We will be hosting committee meetings during the following times:  September 20 @ 10:30am: Vaccination Policy Review Committee (contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )  September 20 @ 1:00pm: Infectious Disease Action Plan Committee (contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) September 20 @ 3:00pm: Educating the Community on Best Practices for Health & Safety Measures (contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )  If you are unable to attend these meetings and are interested in being part of the committee or have contributions for this discussion, please contact Britney, Brandi or Margaret. A Town Hall where we will apprise the community of work to date is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15 at 6:00pm (childcare provided). More info to come. 

Declutter Day Friday, April 26th 2019 9:00 am - 6:00 pm 595 Guardsman Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 University of Utah Tailgate Lot Free to the Public Shred documents safely Donate used clothing Recycle old computers and electronics Turn in expired medication to the University of Utah Police Department For a complete list of items accepted, please go to www.commerce.utah.gov/declutter 

Last night's forecast promised rain (and snow!) for the weekend.  Today, I have noticed the forecast has shifted from snow to rain and back to snow in just a few short hours.  Ahhhh, Utah! While I love the weather and all it has to offer and am particularly pleased by how Utah weather can change on a dime, I feel fiercely protective of our children and their preparation for the weather.  Nature is a beautiful gift that is best enjoyed when it is respected.   Parents, please help your students develop a healthy respect for nature by encouraging them to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature has to offer on any given day, especially here at school!  Children should come prepared to go outside in any circumstances.  Layers, good shoes, water resistant outer clothing, and extra options are a great start.  Montessori Community School has always made it a priority to...

  “Find a time and place of solitude. Look into the distance and into the future. Visualize the tomorrow you are going to build; and begin to build that tomorrow, today.” Jonathan Lockwood Huie As part of our Peace Curriculum that is incorporated into our monthly studies at MCS, this month each of the classes is engaged in a study of creating space for Peace as we prepare to celebrate International Peace Day on September 21st and in honor of Maria Montessori’s extensive work in the field of Peace Education. Studies show that a preventative curriculum that promotes communication, community and self-advocacy is more effective than a punishing approach to bullying in schools. Ours is a program that we expect will follow our students far beyond their structured educational experience. We hope for and assist children in the development of skills of peaceful conflict resolution, gaining respect for peers and incorporating...

In our last note, the MCS Green Committee discussed the importance of minimizing packaging in the lunches/snacks we send with our students to school. There are many alternative lunch packaging options that help reduce waste and provide a cost effective way to give kiddos an awesome meal. Many of you already use reusable lunch packaging. However, listed below are some websites for possible eco-friendly lunch packaging/meal service products. We are certainly not pushing these items, but offering ideas (they might also be great holiday gifts). Let us know your thoughts on any of these products, or if you have other great ideas. Likewise, a bulk order discount option might be possible if there is enough interest. Any parents interested in the bulk order, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Cheers, MCS Green Committee https://bentgo.com/ https://www.yumboxlunch.com/ https://www.planetbox.com/ https://www.bamboozlehome.com/tinyfootprint-products https://avanchy.com https://www.shopbamboostudio.com https://www.bambuhome.com

This past Monday, May 22nd each student had the opportunity to run laps through an obstacle course. Laps were tallied and pledges made. Pledges and donations are still coming in but as of today, we are at $3,900.00! A huge thank you to all those who came out to help and cheer the students on! Also, thank you for keeping Service Learning a major part of your child's life in supporting these wonderful causes and rallying to keep kindness, compassion, charity in your hearts. We will continue to take pledges and donations until the end of the school year. Please continue to share this cause with all. Every little bit does make a direct difference. It has been wonderful to watch the growth of the girls we support through the COEEF Program and to be apart of the Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program and see Grandmother Elvira each year at the Rug Show. 

Montessori Community School will be holding speech, language, and hearing screenings on Wednesday, September 18th.