Mountain West Montessori Newsletter

Editor-in-Chief: Ms. Angie, Director

Author: Ms. Sheri, Assistant Director

- NO SCHOOL, WINTER BREAK: Friday, Dec. 17th - Friday, Dec. 31st

- NO SCHOOL, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY: Monday, January 17th

- NO SCHOOL,TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEV: Friday, February 25th

- EARLY RELEASE, PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES: Wednesday, March 2nd & Thursday, March 3rd

- NO SCHOOL, TEACHER COMP. DAY: Friday, March 4th

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Ms. Angie, Principal

Several years ago we started a holiday tradition here at MWMA—connecting school families who are in need of support with parents who would like to donate to help them during the holiday season. We collect donations and then provide food and clothing assistance. We have been highly successful in providing for some specific needs, and we are continuing the tradition this year! We will be focusing on supporting families in need of basic food over the winter break and/or warm winter children’s clothing.

I have been pleased each year with the generosity of our parents and the satisfaction of helping meet the needs of others. If you would like to support this effort and donate to help out these families, you can do so in the front office or here:

https://secureinstantpayments.com?Event=4518

If you are in need of help with food support for your family over the winter break, or coats, boots, hats, etc. for your children, please email me at ajohnson@mwmacademy.org.

All donations and requests for help will remain confidential.

Thanks,
Ms. Angie

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Join Angie and Alisha as they talk about strategies for raising independent and self-confident children. The material from this episode is based on the book, Raising Independent, Self-Confident Kids: Nine Essential Skills by Donald A. Moses and Wendy Moss.

https://www.mwmacademy.org/podcast/episode/122?episode_number=35

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

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Ms. Sheri, Assistant Principal

We have the best students and families in the State. Thanks to your support and generosity, we exceeded our $15,000 goal and recieved $18,000 in donations! In addition, Ms. Jess, Ms. Becca, Ms. Autumn, and Ms. Emily all earned $200 to spend on classroom supplies!

We look forward to utilizing donations to enhance our computer science initiative and to purchase moveable outdoor equipment for kindergarten.

Thank you!

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We have some of the best kids in the world at Mountain West Montessori. Unfortunately, not all kids feel that they are the best. Some kids struggle with confidence and self-esteem. So, how can we foster high self-esteem in our kids? Here are a few things we can do to help our kids realize just how awesome they are.

● Encourage and help your child learn to do new things

● Praise your child’s effort, not necessarily the final result

● Be a good role model

● Ban harsh criticism

● Focus on kids' strengths

● Provide opportunities for your kids to serve and help others

Kids with high self-esteem are more likely to participate in school, to set goals, to try new things, to make friends, and to feel understood and accepted. By working together, we can help each child to feel good about themselves.

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Mr. Alden, Computer Science Lead

Thank you for your support in our recent fundraiser. We will be using your generous donations to improve computer science instruction for everyone at our school. We continue to work on making computer science a part of our entire range of curriculum. Students have been learning about computer science through history, geography, science, math, writing, and reading.

Elementary students are currently learning about how to build a basic website to share what they are exploring in their cultural studies. It is exciting to watch them progress from learning the basics of how computers work, to writing their first line of code! I look forward to when we can share their finished webpages with you.

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Ms. Sarah, MS Theatre Teacher

There is a constant battle between selfishness and generosity inside our heads. Most of the time, it will be just fine for you to have the last one of something, but sometimes you may need to share the last breadstick. In the end, being gracious is much more important than half a roll.

~ Slightly adapted from Brooke Romney

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This time of year I'm reminded of what I love about being a librarian. For me it's about connections... connecting with others about books we love, finding connections between books, and making connections between books and the world at large. As our nights become longer and the world celebrates light and hope in so many ways, I love to find those connections and share them with your students through books.

I recently read an article by the Harvard Graduate School on how we can nurture empathy in our children (https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/resources-for-families/5-tips-cultivating-empathy). One of the points it makes is that we can cultivate empathy by expanding our student's awareness. This happens naturally in any Montessori classroom... as we study geography we learn about the cultures and backgrounds of people around the world, including their celebrations and traditions. And when so many holidays occur in one short season, it gives us a lot to examine and enjoy.

This week is Hanukkah and I've enjoyed sharing stories about its origins and traditions with some of your students. I've given away my latke recipe enough times that I thought I'd share it (and some other resources) with you.

Here is a great recipe for latkes if you want to give them a try: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/potato-recipes/basic-latkes/

KSL has a list of Hanukkah activities happening throughout Salt Lake this week if you're up for an outing: https://kslnewsradio.com/1960175/chanukah-celebrations-scheduled-throughout-salt-lake-city/

And to read about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule or any other winter holiday, try out epic books: https://www.getepic.com/app/read/41377

I hope your holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, are cozy and filled with connection.

Ms. Melissa

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Ms. Leticia is the Reading Specialist at MWMA. She has a passion for helping children who hate or struggle with reading find a love for it. She gets to work with Kinder, Lower El, and Upper El. Ms. Leticia has been part of MWMA for 2 years. During Covid Ms. Leticia was the online liaison for all of Kinder and Lower Elementary. She is a child advocate and focuses on what would be best for each child individually. Ms. Leticia loves identifying students who hide their struggles with reading, meets them where they are, provides intervention, and also showcases students' strengths in order for them to understand how truly amazing they are.

Ms. Leticia has always had a passion for teaching. She has a Bachelor's degree in the Art of Education with a minor in teaching English as a Second Language and has worked in various schools in Utah for 12 years. She started in Montessori 9 years ago and hasn’t ever left. She began by delving deep into the foundational pieces of early childhood education. She went back to school in 2018 to get a Masters in Montessori Administration with a focus on Lower Elementary. She loves knowing that learning doesn’t have a limit, and that her Montessori journey continues to grow and develop.

Ms. Leticia comes from a big family, 4 of which were adopted. She helped her siblings learn English at a young age. Ms. Leticia grew up speaking both English and Spanish in the home, which helps her relate and support students who are learning English as a second or third language.

Together with her husband, Ms. Leticia has two boys who attend MWMA. Ms. Leticia loves reading (of course), playing, and traveling with her family. She loves that she gets to be close to who she loves while doing what she loves.

Being in a school is her dream job and she loves coming to work everyday!

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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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