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Mountain West Montessori Newsletter
March, 2021
Editor-in-Chief: Ms. Angie, Director
Author: Ms. Sheri, Assistant Director
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MARCH'S QUOTE
The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.
~Coretta Scott King
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DATES TO REMEMBER
-MS STUDENTS RETURN ONSITE 4-DAYS A WEEK: Monday, March 1st
-LE & UE STUDENTS RETURN ONSITE 4-DAYS A WEEK: Monday, March 15th
-K STUDENTS RETURN SCHEDULE: TBD
-SPIRIT WEEK: Monday, March 22nd - Thursday, March 25th
-TERM 4 BEGINS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL: Wednesday, March 24th
-NO SCHOOL, SPRING BREAK: Monday, March 29th - Friday, April 2nd
-EARTH DAY: Thursday, April 22nd
-EARLY RELEASE: Thursday, April 29th
-MWMA's 2021/2022 Calendar:
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PROPOSAL TO LOWER MS FEES
Dear Parents,
In my time as principal here at MWMA, I have been greatly impressed with our teachers’ ability in managing to do so much with the financial resources that we have, and to be efficient and economical. I have also marveled at the generosity of parents in donating to fundraisers and toward field trips (often not just in behalf of their own child, but with extra funds for those who may not have been able to donate at the time). This efficiency, gratitude for what we have, and generosity is a very precious part of this community, and I find joy and fulfillment in my job working with your children and our staff; I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, doing anything else. I hope that we never take it for granted.
I’m proud of the work ethic of all of our staff members and of the good budgeting, solid accounting, wise use of funds, and transparency with which we have managed taxpayer dollars at our school. At our February board meeting, our Board of Directors received the independent audit report on our school finances and we are proud to say that it was sparkling clean, with no findings or concerns of any kind.
Because our budget looks good, we are excited to announce that we are proposing to the Mountain West Montessori Academy Board of Directors that our Middle School fees be lowered for next year. We welcome your input on our fees, and invite you to email me at ajohnson@mwmacademy.org with any comments. You are also welcome to attend our next board meeting, on March 22nd @ 6:00 pm in the school library, if you would like to give input or feedback to the board. Here is a link to the proposed fee schedule for next year:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hJDEaj7vUYMGaqSSeEZx_9-p3ADzQxcX/view?usp=sharing
With warm regards,
Ms. Angie
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SPIRIT WEEK: March 22 - 25
Ms. Sheri, Assistant Director
We have so much to be grateful for. By March 15th most students will be back attending school 4 days a week and the majority of staff members have received their 2nd Covid-19 vaccines. In addition, as a Montessori community, we know who we are as individuals, as family members, school community members, and ultimately as a citizens of the world. We are stronger together than we are apart!
It is time to celebrate being back together , stronger than ever, with a special Spirit Week! During Spirit Week, students can celebrate their school pride (by participating in fun activities) AND by donating items to support Utah Refugee Connection. https://serverefugees.org/
Let’s show our school pride AND donate to a very worthy cause!
What to Wear
- Monday, March 22nd: FREE Dress Day (See link for specifics https://www.mwmacademy.org/dress_code)
- Tuesday, March 23rd: Dress Like a Teacher Day (dress up like your favorite teacher)
- Wednesday, March 24th: Wacky Hair Day (wear your hair the wackiest way possible)
- Thursday, March 25th: Hat Day (wear your favorite baseball cap, beanie etc.)
What to Donate: Donate one, a few, or several items
- Pump hand sanitizer
- Sanitizing wipes
- Laundry detergent (90-120 oz.)
- Pump hand soap
- Paper towels
- Colored dish soap (12-16 oz.)
- Sponge
- Sturdy re-useable bag
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Self Care for Teens
This year at MWMA we have been advocating for student self-care. Many people may mistakenly believe that this means taking a bubble bath and binging on Netflix. Though that may bring temporary relief this isn’t true self-care. Self-care entails taking care of our mind, our emotions, and our bodies so that we can function at our optimum level.
Being a teenager can be one of the most stressful times of a child's life and it has been magnified during a worldwide pandemic. Many of the normal teen coping mechanisms such as parties, hanging out with friends, and sporting events have been cancelled. Teens are social creatures and this has been really tough. What can your teen do to take care of themselves?
- For a start, teens should take care of their physical health including eating mostly healthy (with a treat here and there to round things out). Teens also need to get enough sleep. It is recommended that a typical teenager needs 8 -10 hours of sleep every night. Though it may not be cool, your teen should set a reasonable bedtime for themselves and if they can’t, you as a parent may need to intervene. Teens need to get out and exercise. Competitive sports may be out at many locations, but a teenager can still go for a walk, ride a bike, go for a hike, or even put on a Youtube workout. The experts recommend that an average teenager gets 1 hour of exercise a day.
- Next, teens need to take care of their emotional health. Do you remember being a teenager and the intense emotions you experienced? Little things can make your teen feel uneasy, teary-eyed, angry, or overly exuberant. It is recommended that teens have safe, appropriate ways to express their emotions. This is often by talking, texting, or hanging out with friends. Teens understand each other and can relate to the emotions their friends are experiencing. If a teen can’t talk to others their age, it is recommended that they keep a journal. It is also important to foster a safe environment where a teen can be their extreme self and talk about their feelings with you. The more support you can offer a teen the better.
- Also, self-care is taking care of mental health. Teens are learning at a rate that they will never see again. It is important that teens focus on school, reading good books, exploring, and being curious. Spending hours at a time on social media may help them learn, but is it what you really want them learning? Encourage your teen to set aside time each day for homework, reading something they enjoy, and exploring their interests. This will help them with their own self-worth as they grow in a direction that makes them proud of themselves.
Encouraging teens to develop healthy habits now will have long-term positive effects well into adulthood.
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MEDIA MINUTE
Ms. Melissa
Hello MWMA Families,
As our school embraces Peace Education Week and Black History Month I’ve been thinking about the common ground they share and the role our library plays in teaching peace, history and growing compassionate readers. As a librarian, I strive to cultivate books that serve as a mirror for students, where they can see characters and situations that reflect their life experiences. I also want to provide windows into the lives of others so that our students can build empathy and see the value of those who are different from themselves.
There is a wonderful quote by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop...a professor, librarian, and advocate for multicultural children's literature, "Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange… Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books."
Adding more diversity and representation to our library is a big job and a long-term process I am committed to. The resources I’m using are great for building a school library, but for reading at home it might feel like trying to drink an ocean when you want a cup of water. If you are looking for diverse books to read with your family, I recommend trying Our Story, a new app from the nonprofit group, We Need Diverse Books. You can learn more about the app here: https://youtu.be/Ax3dPIvGz_Q.
As always, I welcome your thoughts and book recommendations. You can reach me at mzuckerman@mwmacademy.org.
Keep Calm and Read On,
Ms. Melissa, Teacher-Librarian
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Ms. Alisa, UE Educational Assistant
Ms. Alisa is one of our educational assistants working in upper elementary. She has been with MWMA since it opened in 2013. She started out as a substitute teacher working in K-9 classrooms and covered a few long term sub positions until new teachers were hired. She then move into a more permanent position as an educational assistant working with Ms. Laura R.
Ms. Alisa wanted to be a teacher for as long as she could remember. As a child, she would ask her teacher for extra copies (ditto sheets, if anyone remembers those) of math and other various subjects so that she could play "school" at home with her siblings and neighborhood friends. She was always the teacher, of course. She would make up names for each of her students, list them in her gradebook, make up spelling lists, give them assignments, and then grade them. She even scheduled in P.E time. So, it was no surprise when she decided to major in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. She graduated with her Bachelors in Education from BYU in 1994 after serving a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Argentina, Spanish speaking.
After graduation, she worked in the Provo School District as a literacy specialist working with students K-6. She then taught kindergarten for 6 years. These were some of her favorite memories. She absolutely loved helping her 5-year old friends discover, make connections, become more independent, and learn through play. During these years, she was on the frontlines as a new literacy approach was adopted by the school district. She became a trainer and liaison between the other teachers at her school and the school district. She also got an ESL Endorsement during that time, as well.
She never thought she would find herself working in an upper el emantary classroom, since her heart has always been with "the littles". However, she LOVES it and has been so impressed with the focus, love of learning, and growth she sees in these students. She is especially impressed with their resilience and "grit" as they deal with these unprecedented times in education during the Covid pandemic. They are her heroes!!! Alisa is also the #1 cheerleader for all her students, as well. She has been known to do a "happy dance" or two when celebrating a student's achievement, big or small. She recognizes and appreciates the various strengths and unique talents they each bring. Intelligence is more than academic. It is all about using what you have been given to make the world around you a little better. She wants each of them to dig deep and find the courage it takes to be their best selves.
Alisa and her family like to spend time in the outdoors...camping, paddleboarding, riding bikes, and taking walks. They like to sing together, too. They go see A LOT of theatre shows...it's kind of in their DNA. She and her husband, Darin, have been married for 25 years and have four beautiful daughters, Brooklyn (21), Makenna (18), Dakota (17), and Oakley (14). They are all amazingly talented. Brooklyn and Makenna are both students at UVU pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre. Dakota also loves theatre and is heavily involved at her high school. She also plays the cello. Oakley loves to dance and spends hours in the studio each week. Darin is a phenomenal artist who is often found in his art studio painting commissions or teaching his art students (after he does his full-time work at Beachbody as the Senior Director of Recognition). Alisa is their biggest cheerleader and is happy to sit on the sidelines (as she obnoxiously screams, claps, fist pumps...whatever it takes to make sure they know how proud she is of them.) When she is not doing that, Alisa likes to read (usually a few books at a time), cook yummy foods, eat, and then exercise to work it all off. She also loves photography.
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THANK YOU for SUPPORTING COMMUNITY HEALTH!
MOUNTAIN WEST MONTESSORI ACADEMY
Email: admin@mwmacademy.org
Website: https://www.mwmacademy.org/
Location: 4125 Foxview Drive, South Jordan, UT, USA
Phone: 801-566-6962
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