Montessori Community School is excited to announce our first two electric vehicle (EV) charging points. They are available now for staff and parents to use while at the school.The Montessori curriculum includes a connection with the environment. We appreciate opportunities to explore green energy and different ways that they can help preserve our precious environment with our students. We want to continue to be role models for our students, which is one reason that we installed solar panels on the roof to power the school in 2013 as an alternative fuel.The school received a grant from Rocky Mountain Power a few months ago with the help of Leaders for Clean Air. The grant afforded the school with two fast chargers. The chargers are located on the South West side of the building. These chargers can be utilized by staff or parents while EV drivers are on campus. We request that you...

Townhall 201915 October 2019/ 6:00-7:30 pm / GymMeeting Facilitator: Margaret Mc DonaldMinute Taker: Katie BaucomTime Keeper: Britney PetersonObjective: The purpose of this townhall is  to inform and engage stakeholders in regards to the progress being made in revisiting the MCS Immunization Policy, the refinement of best practices for health and safety purposes, and to solicit input in the Accreditation process. Meeting Norms: Contribute to meeting’s goals; Listen with an open mind; Challenge the problem, not the person.In attendance: Approximately 8 Elementary parents, 19 Early Childhood parents, 7 Toddler parents. 20 attendees were staff members, some who are also MCS parents.Agenda ItemDescription & MinutesDurationWelcomeIntroductions0:05Action Item #1 Brandi AllenBackground information was provided: At the beginning of the year parents raised concerns about vaccines and allergies at school.These concerns have been discussed in the context of 3 committees that were created:Vaccination Policy Review CommitteeInfectious Disease Committee Educating the Community on Best Practices for Health and Safety Measures...

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 activities, and a...

Process Over Outcome: Montessori children learn by doing.  At school, we prepare the environment and ensure a child has the tools they need to be successful, and then we are hands off. We recognize that kids learn best by doing (and that this can involve making mistakes). Process overrides outcome, which involves adults letting go of control.  Lastly, the more trust we place in our child, the more successful their process will be.

There are a variety of reasons we are seeking accreditation as a Montessori school:Guaranteed quality;Program assurance;Accreditation ensures that standards represent a consensus of values, and that standards and procedures are fairly and consistently applied;Accreditation is one of several means used in identifying programs for the potential investment of public and private funds, and for determining eligibility for federal student assistance;Professional Credibility;The Montessori field gains enhanced credibility through the accountability provided by accreditation. Certifying bodies and state agencies are assisted in the process of issuing professional credentials, registration, or licensure.We decided to undergo the International Montessori Council accreditation program because they work with the variety of trainings our teachers have, from veteran teachers who have been with us for 20+ years to recently certified teachers, rather than requiring all of our staff to have one particular certification. We have been impressed by the quality and availability of their teacher certification programs. IMC...

In our ongoing efforts to provide a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment for the entire MCS community we have welcomed the recent questions and input from parents on school policies, procedures and administrative practices. The subsequent discussion surrounding vaccinations, infectious diseases, and best practices has yielded much food for thought. This work, in collaboration with interested stakeholders, has helped shape our priorities and inform the revision of policy as well as the creation of targeted interventions that will help keep our students, families and staff healthy and happy. We invite all MCS Stakeholders to join us for a Townhall this coming Tuesday, October 15 @ 6:00pm in the MCS Gym. The Townhall is intended to inform and engage stakeholders.  We invite you to review the below information in preparation for the Town Hall. We also invite you to participate in a poll that will be sent out following the Townhall. Please note that...

Please join us for a Townhall Meeting on October 15, 2019 from 6:00pm-7:30pm.  At this meeting we will apprise our parents and staff of the work currently being done on several matters that impact our entire community.  You can expect to hear updates regarding two new policies we are working on (one addressing vaccinations and the other addressing highly contagious illness that impact our community), our progress with the accreditation process, and the introduction of a Parent Advisory Committee in regards to health and safety.  We also ask that you participate in a Q & A at our Townhall Meeting. Please note that we will share these policies in next week’s newsletter and that following the Townhall meeting parents will be asked to participate in a poll to weigh in on policy adjustments. We thank all who have shared their time, resources and specialties throughout this process.  

Phrases like “helicopter parent” and “lawnmower parent” have earned their reputation with great legitimacy.  While the world is changing and childhood may provide more opportunity for danger “in this day and age”, the adult’s approach to protecting children from danger may be more harmful than helpful in some cases.  Not only does risky play provide greater strength to the child’s body, but it also teaches skills of assessment, resiliency, and strategic thinking. Small steps with mistake making, practicing the proper use of judgement, and assessing risk are essential skills which prepare a child for success as adults. Practice makes perfect!  This article on Montessori in Nature is a great resource for determining which kinds of risk are appropriate for your child.

Attention Montessori Market Visitors: This year in light of a number of severe allergies in our school community, we are asking everyone to be mindful with the food items available for sale at the Market. Please read and discuss the following guidelines with your students. We sincerely appreciate your attention to this matter!  We are asking all customers to refrain from eating food items at the time of purchase. Parents are welcome to enjoy refreshments in the area designated for Coffee Thursday, while students should only eat these items at lunchtime or in their own classroom/s before lunch (at the discretion of their teachers).All food items will have corresponding signs informing our customers as to their main ingredients. As a rule, any item individually wrapped should be assumed to contain dairy and/or eggs.We do ask everyone to be vigilant in washing hands directly after eating to help combat cross contamination.

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. 

The honeymoon period for the new year may be wearing off and you may be finding that mornings are getting more and more tough.  If you find that your children are significantly less enthusiastic about bouncing out of bed and preparing for school, you are not alone.  That said, tardiness to school can have a wide range of negative outcomes for students.  Below are some ideas for young children to help bypass the drama.  Keep in mind that Montessori children are used to independence, to having a say, and to consistency. Have 5 bins of the same color available for your child to plan their outfits for the week.  On Sunday nights, create time for your child to put outfits together for the entire week.  This allows your child the option to choose their clothes for the week, while also limiting the overwhelm of an entire closet or dresser full of clothes when...

13th Annual Fun Run 2019Wednesday - September 25, 2019Donate NowOur students have the unique opportunity to raise pledges for Service Learning Projects:The Children of Ethiopia Education Fund (COEEF) - Specifically, the COEEF program sponsors girls in Ethiopia so they can attend school.Adopt-a-Native Elder Program - Allows us to reach out to one another, share our gifts, and mend the broken circle of our relationship with the Land and the Native Americans who hold it in sacred trust.MEF Growth & Education - Continuing to grow the Montessori Educational Foundation nonprofit though grassroots Montessori advocacy and supportMake a bigger impact byHelping your child to set a goal to raise a certain amount.Helping your child tell family and friends about the Fun Run. You would be surprised how many friends, neighbors and grandparents are eager to support such a worthwhile cause.Helping your child actively participate. (For example, earning money by doing extra chores at...

Questions are one of the most powerful teachers in existence. How else do we really know where someone else is coming from? And how can we possibly meet them where they are at without that information?  Asking questions gives kids a chance to think critically, use their language, and reason and decide. It’s in the presence of their trusted adults they will do the most learning. Might as well use a method that involves them! Enjoy reading about how to use questions to help a child work through a mistake or problem.

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. 

Speech, language, and hearing screenings will be taking place Wednesday, September 18th. Let's Talk Speech will be coming in to implement those screenings. If your student is a kindergartener, they can be screened for free as long as the proper form (above) is filled out and turned into the office by the morning of the 18th. If you would like your student screened and they are NOT a kindergartener, it will be $20 for a speech and language screening. Note that hearing screenings will be held on a different day.  Dear Parents,Montessori Community School will be holding speech and language screenings on Wednesday, September 18th. All Kindergarteners will have the opportunity to participate in the screenings. If your child is in another grade and you have concerns, please fill out the bottom portion of this letter. The screenings will be a general, brief measure of your child’s speech and language skills in order to determine if further...

One of the key tenets for the Toddler department at MCS is to foster independence. There are many ways that we help guide our students through their exploration and discovery of their environment. Toddlers love to learn by doing even when it does not look as clean and concise as we might like it to. This article from Psychology Today speaks to the idea of letting our toddlers help in a variety of ways to grow their sense of independence.

Montessori Community School’s current policy on immunizations states that we must have up-to-date immunization records or a completed and signed Utah Department of Health exemption (for medical, religious or personal reasons) on file before each child's first day of attendance. It is the intention of MCS to require a student who has claimed an exemption to all vaccines or to one vaccine to stay home from school if there is good cause to believe that:The student has a vaccine preventable disease,Has been exposed to a vaccine-preventable disease,Or will be exposed to a vaccine-preventable disease as a result of school attendance. An excluded student may not attend school until the local health officer is satisfied that a student is no longer at risk of contracting or transmitting a vaccine-preventable disease. Our records for this academic year indicate that we currently have less than 1% of our total enrollment with a status of exempt. Families with...

The partnership between teachers and parents is the best way to support your child’s educational experience. Nurturing that partnership is important on both ends! Relationships where both parties take equal accountability are the most successful. Give and take, along with clear, consistent communication are crucial to ensuring the most success possible. This short article, from Primary at Montessorium, gives some cool tips for nurturing your parent-teacher relationship!Please note that Montessori Compass, our weekly email newsletter, classroom calendars, email and teachers office hours are a few of the ways we communicate with parents.  Our doors are always open and we invite you to contact us with any questions. 

Parents Web from FACTS is a private and secure parents’ portal that will allow parents to view information specific to their children while protecting their children’s information from others.

Dear MCS Parents,It has been a year of learning and growth as our administrative team have adjusted to new roles and responsibilities. Although many of us have taken on new responsibilities this year, we have been fortunate to make this transition as a committed and familiar team who have worked closely with one another for a number of years.  Robyn has provided a great deal of guidance and even more trust while sharing her vision with our students, staff and parents.  Our staff have continued to provide a quality education, with a deep commitment to the Montessori philosophy and a spirit of community, to ensure a year filled with the kind of success you have come to expect from our school.  We are indeed grateful (and lucky!) to have such a wonderful staff who are committed and trustworthy.  Over the past several years we have been working towards our IMC Accreditation and have...