
Mountain West Montessori Newsletter
October 2021
Editor-in-Chief: Ms. Angie, Director
Author: Ms. Sheri, Assistant Director
DATES TO REMEMBER
-NO SCHOOL, FALL BREAK: Monday, October 18th - Friday, October 22nd
-SCHOOL-WIDE DANCE-FIT FUNDRAISER WEEK: Tuesday, Nov. 2nd - Thursday, Nov. 11th
-DANCE-FIT EVENT: Thursday, Nov. 11th
-NO SCHOOL, THANKSGIVING RECESS: Monday, Nov. 22nd - Friday, Nov. 26th
-NO SCHOOL, WINTER BREAK: Friday, Dec. 17th - Friday, Dec. 31st
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021/2022 THEME: FINDING JOY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEPENDENCE
Ms. Angie, Principal
Independence
As you navigate the daily ins and outs of parenting, keep in mind that you have the ability to give your child a priceless gift—and that is the gift of independence. In fact you might say that becoming independent is the goal of childhood and the mark of a successful adult. But as you think about ways to model and cultivate independence in your child, take note of this: independence does not mean doing everything yourself, going it alone, or standing as a solitary island. In fact, independence really means knowing where to get help; it’s problem solving. Think about it—as adults, most of us don’t have someone waiting in the wings to rescue us when things go wrong, but neither do we repair our own cell phone when it breaks. (Heck, most of us can’t even put a new cover on that thing.) So…figuring out where to find the help that is needed, and developing the skills to acquire that help, or to ask for it successfully, is the path forward to independence for our children.
I always wonder what in the world adults are thinking when they commit what I call the “double whammy”. This sometimes happens when a kid gets into a bit of a scrape: first…the adult will do all the thinking for them and fix the problem, and THEN…they will get frustrated and sigh and feel put upon and inconvenienced or resentful. Why not skip the whole thing and let the child figure out how to solve it? The child gets to practice their skills, the adult gets to skip the irritation, and as a bonus the kiddo builds a feeling of capability instead of absorbing the message that the adults don’t think they can handle it.
I saw an example of this on a charter bus taking 90 students to a camp in the redwood forests of California recently. After 10 hours on a bus, you might imagine there was some garbage on the floor. The bus driver got quite upset, picked up all the garbage himself while the kids were off the bus eating dinner, swept the bus, and then unleashed a temper tantrum and lecture on the adults about the kids being slobs (my words, not his, but hey if the shoe fits). It would have been so much better all the way around if we had just told the kids, “Hey, the bus is getting dirty; fix it and then we can go.” We could have sat back and watched with interest to see who emerged as a leader and who worked hard and who wasn’t sure what to do. (What we wouldn’t have been doing was cleaning the bus ourselves.) Simple, skill-building, no angst on the part of adults, and no shame on the part of the kids. Believe me, life is too short for the double whammy! And besides, please remember not to underestimate your children—sometimes we have NO IDEA what they are capable of. They surprise me every time.
Therefore, the next time you let them fly solo to tie their own shoes, clean up the spill, sort out that disagreement with a friend, get up the nerve to go talk to the (extremely nice) principal, slog through that paper they procrastinated, or work through their fears to survive and thrive at a week long camp in the redwood forest…remind yourself that a good parent doesn’t swoop in and solve things. A good parent allows difficult (but not overwhelming) challenges and watches the struggle make their kids strong. And in the process, helps them think about where they can find help along the way.
Come to think of it, maybe independence is not a gift that you give them, but one that you help them earn for themselves.
Best,
Angie Johnson
___________________________________________________________________________________________
MWMA PODCAST, "DO YOU SEE"
We are so excited to announce that our school, podcast, “Do You See?” is back! You can now find it on iTunes, Spotify, Spreaker, and many of the platforms where you might go to get your podcasting fix! Go to your podcast platform of choice and search, “Do You See? Montessori” to find us and listen to our latest episodes. You can also find the podcast by clicking on the tiny microphone in the upper right-hand side of our website https://www.mwmacademy.org/podcast
If you are new to MWMA or would like to re-listen to 1 or all 33 past episodes this is the perfct time to sit down as a family and listen!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DANCE-FIT FUNDRAISER: BUSINESS PARTNERS NEEDED
Our 2021/2022 school theme, "finding joy" is also the theme for our Dance-Fit Event and fundraiser. Our fundraiser will be fun, exciting and joyful. Dance-Fit will get students moving and grooving as they raise funds to support our school. For more information, please watch this short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJSQVsee1A.
WE NEED BUSINESS PARTNERS! If you own or work for a business that can support our school, please reach out to Ms. Sheri, assistant principal sebert@mwmacacemy.org! Business partners can donate via check, credit card, or cash in the front office. If you would like to donate via Pay Pal, email Ms. Sheri and she will share our Pay Pal link.
As our thanks for business partner donations, we provide excellent advertising opportunities! Please see this link for more information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AGM0FdeXGPtqVPvDaIvkYMcj3sC7bvr3/view?usp=sharing.
- Goal: $15,000.00
- Purpose: The majority of donations will be utilized to fund our computer science initiative. We want students to master the computer science standards, widen their career options, and increase their problem-solving and logic skills. In addition, we hope to purchase additional outdoor movable recess equipment for our youngest students!
If you have questions or would like to help, email assistant principal, Sheri Ebert sebert@mwmacacemy.org.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCHOOL COUNSELOR
What do you want to be when you grow up? Are you thinking about college? How can you prepare now for the person you want to be when you are an adult? These are all very important questions that we need to ask our kids sooner rather than later. Children are so full of confidence when they are in kindergarten and lower elementary school. However, in upper elementary, they start to question their abilities and what their futures may hold. By middle school many students are confused as to what jobs are out there and if they have the ability to get the proper education and training for those jobs. This is why it is vital to talk to your kids. Here are a few ways to start the conversation.
● I really love (or dislike) my job because of __________________. It’s important you enjoy your job, have you thought about some things that you might enjoy doing when you are older?
● I am so glad that I went to college/trade school/on the job training. Here are some ways that I grew beyond just academics. Have you thought about how you are going to get experience for your future career?
● A lot of jobs nowadays require college. Have you thought about attending college when you are older?
● I really like (insert favorite university). If you could go to any college or university, which one would you choose?
● Is it more important to you to love what you do or to make lots of money? Why?
● I really enjoy (or dislike) working for someone else because ___________________. Do you think you would like to work for yourself or work for a business that is already established?
● You know, when I was a kid a lot of jobs that we see today like an app developer, 3D game designer, and social media influencer didn’t even exist. What kind of jobs do you think will be important when you are older?
These conversations can take place casually as you are eating dinner or driving in the car together. The most important thing is that you talk to your kids about their future and let them know that they have the power and ability to realize their dreams.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMPUTER SCIENCE INSTRUCTION
Mr. Alden, Computer Science Lead
Several years ago, when the state of Utah began seriously exploring computer science education for all students, they created the vision statement above. Every school in the state is expected to begin teaching computer science in the 2022-23 school year. Given the fact that our implementation process began last year and that we are accelerating it this year, our students are two years ahead! Even our kindergarteners are receiving a foundation in computer science.
I'm so excited about what students will be creating and achieving in the coming years.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEDIA MINUTE
During Parent Teacher Conferences my library was flooded with book-shoppers. As I helped families find new books I kept hearing the same question pop up again and again, “How can I get my kid to stop re-reading _______ (Wimpy Kid, Baby Sitters Club… you get the idea). It was such a common question that I thought it would make an excellent newsletter article (and stay tuned for a future podcast on the topic, too!)
Many of you have students who you feel are “stuck” re-reading the same book/series, that seem too easy for them. You wonder how you can coax them to move on to something more challenging! After all, how much can a person really gain from re-reading Wimpy Kid 3+ times? (Side note… I’m going to stick with Wimpy Kid as a reference, but just know that it could be the Sisters/Smile books, Baby Sitters Club, or any number of other popular books out there).
Pardon me while I "poke the bear" for a minute… because we know that repetition helps young children learn. We’ve all read Rainbow Fish or that one Elephant and Piggie book EVERY-SINGLE-NIGHT when our kid was little. They were learning new words and new ideas, gaining comprehension and fluency, and also getting to exercise a bit of control and predictability in a world where they had very little actual control. So (poke, poke) is there a time when that stops for our kids… when they master new words and ideas immediately and feel in control of their lives?
Wimpy Kid may seem like fluff, but here’s the thing… It tackles complex peer and adult relationships; issues of trust, loyalty, and friendship; fitting in, popularity, and bullying… and at a 900-1000 lexile level it’s a solid choice for upper elementary students. Add to that the fact that our upper elementary and middle school students are already reading required novels for class, books/texts that are complex, rigorous, and challenging and can really push their thinking. Conversely, it is easy to understand why some students want to return to the comfortable covers of their favorite book… not unlike how we might unwind from a long day by watching our favorite movie or TV show.
So I guess what I’m saying is that our need for predictability and comfort never goes away; nor does our need to think through or imagine social situations that are challenging, and re-reading books gives our students the opportunity to do both things. That said, I did promise you some ideas for how to help your students branch out when they are ready:
- Find more challenging/mature books by the same author, illustrator or in the same genre.
- If your student isn’t open to your suggestions, try leaving the books laying around in obvious places and maybe they’ll pick them up (this one was a Ms. Angie's favorite back in the day)!
- Google “if you liked…” and include the book/series name. Here is a list from a blog I LOVE, Read Brightly, of what to read if you liked Wimpy Kid: https://www.readbrightly.com/10-books-kids-want-read-diary-wimpy-kid/
- Re-introduce the read aloud! Instead of, or to earn screen time, read with your student for 20 minutes each night. You get to pick the book, so you’re exposing them to the kinds of things you want them to read.
Best of luck! And you’re always welcome to drop by or email me if you would like some suggestions,
Ms. Melissa
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS
The next time you are in the school, we invite you to come see and be inspired by this beautiful mural!
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MS. HILARY, ART TEACHER
Ms. Hilary is our amazing art teacher. She teaches lower elementary and middle school art, and these are a few of her favorite things:
- Her grandma’s fresh peach pie
- Handmade treasures
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Getting lost in research rabbit holes
- Arguing with lawyers
- The photography of Gertrude Käsebier
- Moments of perfect stillness in the middle of the forest
- Designing and making handmade toys
- Topographical maps
- Learning new artistic mediums
- Science fiction and fantasy audiobooks
- Being immersed in all the joy and enthusiasm young students bring to the art room
- Helping middle school kids develop and find joy in new creative skills
- Dreaming up large collaborative projects that also celebrate the things that make individuals unique and interesting
Ms. Hilary is grateful that she gets to work with a lot of really incredible people every day, but thinks she definitely has the best job in the school.
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
_______________________________________________________________________________________