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Mountain West Montessori Newsletter
April, 2021
Editor-in-Chief: Ms. Angie, Director
Author: Ms. Sheri, Assistant Director
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APRIL'S QUOTE
We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity. ~ Dr. Maria Montessori
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DATES TO REMEMBER
-EARTH DAY: Thursday, April 22nd
-EARLY RELEASE: Thursday, April 29th
-EARLY RELEASE, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: Thursday, May 27th
-MWMA's 2021/2022 Calendar:
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The Potential for Acceleration in Montessori
I was excited to hear that two of our former Mountain West Montessori students were Sterling Scholars for mathematics this year, including the top winner for the entire state of Utah, Jude Horsley, who is also a National Merit Scholar. We are so proud of all of our students and their achievements!
It reminded me of the importance we place on letting students work to their potential, which is so vital in keeping their intellectual curiosity alive. Often, students who are interested in math can finish the upper elementary 4th through 6th grade math curriculum in two years and take Math 7H in our middle school during 6th grade, or even earlier.
Every child has interests and talents, and if we focus on everyone making progress and finding their passions, rather than on everyone merely meeting basic proficiency, we give students the gift of a lifelong passion for learning and keep them excited about challenging themselves. A big thanks to our teachers who know and love our students so dearly, and guide and mentor them so well.
Best,
Ms. Angie
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Ms. Sheri, Assistant Director
Utah Refugee Connection
Thanks to your generosity, we were able to support MANY refugee families!
With Covid cases greatly reduced, our middle school students are now able to mentor LE students. These middle school student-mentors set an example of kindness and build positive and nurturing relationships with their younger mentees. In addition, mentors read regularly with LE kiddos building self-confidence and reading mastery. We appreciate our middle school mentors!
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MS. MARIANNE, SCHOOL COUNSELOR
This last month I have been taught so much about kindness, friendship, and the power of giving of oneself to others and the community. Our students and parents are so inspiring, so this section of the newsletter is dedicated to you.
I wanted to start with my heartfelt thanks for the many, many donations we received to help local refugees. Together we are teaching the students to think about others, help those in need, and give back to their community. This project provided an opportunity for the littlest to the oldest in our school to serve. The HOPE Squad was able to actively participate in this project and was even recognized in a national newsletter for their efforts to make our community better. This project would not have been such a success without all of you. Thank you!
I would also like to recognize the students that have gone above and beyond to lift other students. With the many changes brought on by the pandemic there has been an increase in anxiety and loneliness in our students. I am so proud of the students who have left their comfort zones to include other students. I have been truly inspired by the kindness and love that our students have given to each other. Thank you for teaching your kids to look out for their neighbor and to give kindness freely. These students give me hope for a brighter future.
As we wrap up this year, let’s all continue to support and lift each other up. One by one we can all continue to make a difference to other individuals, our school, and our larger community.
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Jordan Family Education Center
The Jordan Family Education Center provides FREE support services and classes for families and students in Jordan School District. Their services are provided by JSD school psychologists, counselors and school psychology interns.
- Classes
- Support Groups
- Short-term counseling on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings
- A Lending Library, with over 1000 books to support family needs in a variety of areas
For information or questions about classes, support groups, and counseling, call 801-565-7442.
Spring 2021 Family Education Center Class Schedule: https://guidance.jordandistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/A-0316-Jordan-Family-Ed-Center-Class-List-1.27.2021.pdf
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MEDIA MINUTE
Ms. Melissa
Dear MWMA Students and Caregivers,
I wear many hats at our school, one of which is Assessment Director. One thing I love about this role is that it gives me additional perspective on the educational needs of your students, providing me with more options for what I do with our library visits. This year that included using robots to help upper elementary classes work on finding the main idea, summarizing, and identifying the tone of a story (and it was awesome). The drawback of my many hats is that after Spring Break the library functions as the hub of assessment and library visits and book checkouts come to a close.
With that being said, it is time to round up any overdue books and get them back to the library. Please help your student look for any lost/missing books around the house and return them once finished to our school library. If you are unable to find them, or if they are damaged, please pay at the front office or replace the book on Amazon and drop it off at our library. If your student is still reading, they are welcome to finish their book before returning it.
Our goal is to have 100% of books returned or replaced by May 1 so I can begin my end-of-year inventory.
I appreciate your help in getting our books returned and truly cherish the time I get to spend with your students!
Ms. Melissa,
Librarian
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Ms. Alyssa, UE Educational Assistant
As a little girl, I always dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. I was always told that only a very small percentage of women make it past the high school level. All this did was give me the motivation to work hard and prove the stats wrong.
I made the varsity team my freshman year in high school, and worked hard to make sure my grades were in order to make it to college. Sophomore year in high school, I was playing for the U-16 National Team, was on my local club team, and traveling for our regional ODP team. With all this exposure, I was thankfully put on a ton of college coaches' radar. I was receiving letters left and right from colleges who wanted me to play for them and offering me a full-ride scholarships. When I finally received the letter I was longing for, it was not a hard decision to make. Santa Clara University has a top 10, D1 college soccer program and Brandi Chastain (all time US women’s national player) was their assistant coach. She was my idol growing up, so I thought to myself how cool it would be to play under her wing and learn from one of the best.
Getting to college was a whole different experience. I had to learn to manage my time with playing a sport that traveled every weekend for games, on top of studying for school. It was a very hard skill to master, and I tried my best to balance the two. I ended up being a full time starter playing 90 minutes of every game as an outside back. Sadly, my college career was cut short due to a bad injury when I broke my left foot in our first conference game for my senior season. This led me to taking on more of a coaching role for the younger players, and focusing on my studies a bit more.
I ended up graduating from Santa Clara with a degree in Psychology, and getting drafted to the Portland Thorns in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League). I was very excited to continue my career in soccer as a professional. My first season I played for the Portland Thorns. I got traded to Washington Spirit for the next two seasons, and finished my career for the Seattle Reign. There was a lot of emotions throughout those 4 seasons, some good and some bad. In the off seasons, I made a point to get some experience working with kids. I was always nervous soccer would be my only passion in life, and I wouldn’t be satisfied doing anything else.
During my time working for schools, and working with kids, I knew that this was something I was meant to do. I also spent 3 years working for an autism program doing ABA work. It was life-changing! These kids had the biggest hearts, and it was so rewarding to see them learn and grow. After getting all this experience with kids, I decided to become a nurse to help people. So over the last year or so, I have been finishing up some pre-requisites for the nursing program and hoping to get accepted next fall. I am aiming for pediatric nursing, but who knows where this journey will take me! 😊
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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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