Athena Montessori Academy
December 2022 Newsletter
"The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots to responsibility and the wings of independence"
-Maria Montessori
From our Athena Family to yours...
As 2022 comes to an end, our team would like to express our enormous gratitude to each of you for choosing to be part of our very special community. It is the people who choose to walk through these gates that make our school so special–our families, our staff, and most importantly, the children. We are looking towards 2023 with high hopes for more normalcy, stability, and personal connection. It was such a gift to be able to gather together in person at our annual Cultural Fest for the first time in years, and we look forward to planning our next event, Casino Night!
If you have not yet had a chance to meet us, please stop by the office in the coming year and get to know us or online on the faculty page of our website. Our door is always open for you and we look forward to continuing to serve you in 2023!
We wish for all of you, a peaceful, joyful, and healthful year’s end.
Warmly,
Lisl, Mandy, Kimberly, Joy, Peyton, Rocio, Jess, and Shaun
Thank you for making Cultural Fest a Huge Success!
We gathered on the lawn and enjoyed a community meal with delicious food and desserts from around the world! The kids enjoyed the jugglers, facepainting and balloons. It felt so good to be able to all be together again as a community in person and we had our biggest turnout ever! Thank you to all of our staff and parent volunteers who helped with decorations, set up and break down, working the greeter tables, and helping at the food tables! Thank you to all who were able to attend to help make this community event a huge success! We look forward to seeing all of you at our annual Casino Night this Spring!
Thank you so much to our volunteers for helping our event be such a huge success! We couldn’t have done it without YOU!!!!
Carmen Ucelay
Ana Amador
Francesca Leahy
Catalina Limongelli
Julia Zlotnik
Lucy Ziegler
Karen Gartner
Olga Garcia
Bryce Gartner
Morgan Hendricks
Alejandra Catalan Ruiz
Joy Jacobson
Lisa Miele
Lynda McGovern
Jenn Bourgeois
Stephanie Giometti
Bill Bonnefil
Melissa Bradley
Meradith Leebrick
Morgan Delk
Searcy Morgan
Patrick Leahy
Kevin Kurkjian
And everyone else who pitched in wherever a hand was needed!
Special Thank you to our Bar Sponsors!
Community Giving
Supporting and sustaining the sovereign education of today’s Native children is how we write a new future and one way to contribute to restorative justice for the past.
Giving Tuesday lasts for a whole month at Keres!
Keres Children's Learning Center has a matching donation from First Nations Development to match every gift 1:1 until December 31st, up to $10,000.
They are endeavoring to raise $6MM in a year.
Please take a few minutes to read their story on their website!
Holiday Books For Young Readers
Books not only make meaningful gifts, illustrated stories are also an important way we normalize the diversity of our world.
Starting off our winter recommendation list are three sweet books that illustrate the power of giving, helping, connecting, and collaborating.
The Giving Snowman, written by Julia Zheng, and illustrated by Graziella Miligi. This simple story of giving and gratitude told through the interactions of woodland animals, a couple of people and a snowman shows children how kindness really does count.
Snowglobe Wishes, written by Erin Dealy, and illustrated by Clarie Shorrock. This “Top 20 Goodreads Rec of 2019” tells the story of people in a city getting ready for a big snowstorm. The illustrations are charming and the text is simple enough for a three-year-old to grasp, but interesting enough for the 5 and 6 year-old story lovers. Families snuggle down and neighbors come together in the true spirit of community.
Wintercake, written and illustrated by Lynn Rae Perkins. Perkins is a Newberry medalist and New York Times bestselling author/illustrator. Wintercake is about thinking the best of those around you, mistakes as the start of something wonderful, and holiday traditions. Look out for the recipe hiding under the back flap! Lovely to share with all Athena-aged children.
For child’s eye view of how people celebrate holidays and how, we have 2 books for you:
Our Favorite Day of the Year, written by A.E. Ali and illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell. We are over the moon for the illustrations in this wonderful story of kindergarten friendships and differences, written in a way that 4 to 7 year old children will relate to. It will be especially interesting to our kindergarten students, though, because all the characters are in kindergarten together. This is sure to become a staple in all the Athena primary classrooms.
We All Celebrate, written by Chitra Soundar and illustrated by Jenny Bloomfield. This brightly illustrated book shows children that every month around the world, people somewhere are celebrating something special. Full of captivating illustrations for all ages, the facts are interesting and everyone in the family will learn something: adults, too!
For our youngest book lovers, board books are a must for independent enjoyment. Here are four that are sure to please our literary connoisseurs who actually eat their books:
Flip Flop Hanukkah, written by Danny Paller and illustrated by Aya Gordon-Noy. With its rhyming prose and illustrations of very young children, all the little ones will enjoy learning about the festival of lights.
My First Kwanzaa ABC Picture Book by MadGaviette Publishing is for babies and toddlers doing their first learnings about what a joyous Kwanzaa means, in their families, or their friends’ families.
Happy New Year Spot, written and illustrated by Eric Hill. Toddlers will find themselves in the same spot as “Spot”, too young to stay up til midnight on New Year’s Eve, but still celebrating with their family.
Antlers With Candles, written by Chris Barash and illustrated by Melissa Iwai. This gem follows a curious tot through the house at Hanukkah time, tipping over the latkes, making antlers out of the menorah and learning along the way about traditions.
For our slightly older learners, Nonna’s Hanukkah Surprise, written by Karen Fisman and illustrated by Martha Aviles, tells the story of Rachel and her Nonna. Nonna doesn’t celebrate Hanukkah, so Rachel plans to bring Hanukkah to Nonna. Great for ages 5 through 7.
A Christmas tale for ages 5 through 8, Grandma’s Gift, by Eric Velasquez recalls a day the author spent with his Grandma, a day that changed everything.
My Family Celebrates Kwanzaa, written by Lisa Bullard and illustrated by Constanza Basaluzzo is part of the Early Bird Stories series “My Family Celebrates…” There are six books in the holiday series, all fun, informative, and affirming.
The Twelve Days of Christmas gets a modern makeover in A Piñata In A Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas, written by Pat Mora and illustrated by Magalay Morales. Fun for everyone!
The Lucky Grapes: A New Year’s Eve Story, written by Tracey Kyle and illustrated by Marina Astudillo is the story of Rafa’s first time to stay awake with the familia until medianoche and to try to eat 12 grapes as the chimes ring in the new year. Will he make it?
So often, it is difficult to find diverse family make-up represented in children’s books. Three cheers for these two titles!
Over the River and Through the Wood: A Holiday Adventure written by Linda Ashman and illustrated by Kim Smith follows the old song to grandmother’s house, but with lots of fun along the way, and families that give windows and mirrors to all our children. This sing-song book will be fun for everyone at home.
The Christmas Truck, written by JB Blankenship and illustrated by Cassandre Bolan. Can Papa, Dad, and retired Fire Chief Grandma save Christmas for a family they’ve never even met? Find out in this fun holiday romp for ages 4 to 6.
-Kimberly Love
The Christmas Truck
Flip Flop Hanukkah
The Lucky Grapes; A New Years Eve Story
December Birthdays!
Sofia B. 12/1
Nash E. 12/2
Jacinta J. 12/5
Charlie H. 12/10
Raya G. 12/12
Everett R. 12/14
Simone S. 12/16
Bownan C. 12/9
Francis S. 12/22
Siena P. 12/23
Mila P. 12/24
Sadie E. 12/25
Sylvie W. 12/25
Staff:
Denisse Alvarado 12/6 (T3 Support)
Shaun Karlan 12/18 (Facilities Manager)
Important December Dates
Thursday, December 1st
-6th Tuition Installment Due
Saturday, December 3rd
-Gita Jayanti
Friday December 9th
-Parent Workshop/ Lunch and Learn. See RSVP below.
Friday, December 16th
-Early Release (half day pickup)
Last Day of Fall semester
Monday, December 19th-- Tuesday, January 3rd
-School closed for Winter Break
-3rd is a Staff Development Day
Wednesday, December 21st
-Winter Solstice
Sunday, December 25th
-Christmas Day
Monday, December 26th - Sunday, January 1st
-Kwanzaa
Saturday, December 31st
-New Year's Eve
Sunday, January 1st
-New Year's day
Wednesday, January 4th
-First day of Spring semester (returning students)
Thursday, January 5th
-First day of Spring semester (new students)
EARLY RELEASE FRIDAY DECEMBER 16TH
Pick up for P1, P2, P3, T2, and T3 is 11:45 a.m.-12 p.m.
Pick up for P4, P5, P6, and T1 is 12-12:15 p.m.
Siblings can use either window.
Gentle Reminder Regarding Covid
Organic Eats for Kids December Menu
For any questions, please contact Lena@eatsforkids.com
Save the date; Lunch and Learn December with Matrescence OT
Jessica Peterson, OTR, MSOT is an occupational therapist, certified infant massage instructor, and mom of two. She is currently pursuing her post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy at Boston University.
Gayle Schwee, OTR, MOT is an occupational therapist with a professional background in pharmaceutical research. She is a mom of a two and half year old.
IMPORTANT: If you are interested in attending the lunch and learn please RSVP HERE
Important Extracurricular Dates
Life Ki-Do: Last class of the semester, Wednesday, 12/14
Dance with LB: No classes in December
Mariposa Spanish Lessons: Last class of the semester, Wednesday 12/14
Enrollment Notices
Current Athena Families:
Re-enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year is underway! Please see Joy's re-enrollment email for more details. Enrollment of younger siblings of current students will begin in January.
Waiting Pool Families:
January Enrollment: January enrollment is complete. Should we have any unexpected openings, we will be reaching out to individual families as we learn of them. As a reminder, siblings of current students are given priority for enrollment, followed by the general waiting pool.
2023-2024 Enrollment: Enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year has begun, with re-enrollment of current students underway. We will move on to enrolling siblings of current and alumni students in January 2023, followed by general waiting pool enrollment in February and March 2023.
Our continued goal in the admissions process is to be as transparent as possible, and we strive to give you the most accurate information we can during each step of the deliberate process of enrollment. We respect that decisions related to your child's education are important and timely ones, and we will continue to send you general enrollment updates via this monthly newsletter. Thank you for your continued interest, and we encourage you to reach out with specific questions related to your child's enrollment at any time.
Please direct admissions & enrollment questions to our Admissions Director, Joy Jacobson. You can email her directly at Admissions@AthenaMontessoriAcademy.com.
ATHENA IS ALWAYS HIRING!
Looking For a New Forever Home!
They are vaccinated and spayed/neutered. If you are interested in bringing in these two cuddly critters into your home please see the contact information below.
Brimm Walker:
P:512-470-3076
brimm@analogmassage.com
School Supplies
CODE 165595