Friday Folder
September 17, 2021
Peace, Passion, Purpose
“If we are among the men of good will who yearn for peace, we must lay the foundation for peace ourselves, by working for the social world of the child.” - Dr. Maria Montessori
Tuesday, September 21st is celebrated as International Day of Peace. International Day of Peace was started in 1981 through the United Nations. For more information click here. This year the focus of the day is "Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World." We invite you to visit the website for ways you can get involved this year. At Eagle Peak Montessori the concepts of equity and sustainability are central to what we do and who we strive to be. Dr. Montessori's words and work guide us in this process. She repeatedly wrote her thoughts on how it is only through changing how we educate children that we can create peace and acceptance amongst people.
Several years ago, when Allison Lloyd was our outstanding music instructor, we held our first gathering where we sang as a school "Light a Candle for Peace". Here is the video which was uploaded at the time: https://youtu.be/0YzaDFehMFQ
From Michelle
Thank you for this time with your children.
Today I will give the remainder of the space to a letter in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Eagle Peak Montessori from our founder, Krista Ericson. Krista had such an incredible vision that it is truly my honor to move forward together with the staff and all of you. Please enjoy her sharing of the history below.
Have a great weekend,
Michelle
A Note From the Founder of Eagle Peak Montessori School
Dear Eagle Peak Students, Parents, and Staff,
Congratulations on your accomplishments over the last 20 years! It is because of your hard work and dedication to Montessori education that the school has continued to thrive through the years.
I know that this past year and a half has been quite a challenge for Eagle Peak and, indeed, for all public schools. It’s important for you to know that, through the years, the EPMS community has overcome many challenges. I have no doubt that the school will continue to flourish as your team of teachers, administrators, parents, board members and students work together embracing your values and remaining faithful to Maria Montessori’s vision.
California’s charter school legislation was signed into law in 1992 and our project began shortly thereafter. For several years, parents of students attending Myrtle Farm Montessori— the private Montessori preschool that I owned— kept pressuring me to expand the school to include elementary grades. Since I was somewhat familiar with the new charter school concept and embraced a vision to expand Montessori education to serve all children regardless of their family’s ability to pay private tuition, I suggested that we convene a “study group” composed of a core group of parents and Montessori educators. Sibyl Buckner was a member of this core group. I told Sibyl that I wouldn’t even consider starting a charter school unless she was on board to be a founding faculty member. Thank goodness she said yes!
For two years we researched charter law, visited Montessori public/charter schools that were already operational, attended workshops and charter school conferences and began a dialog with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. We submitted our charter documents to the district in the fall of 1999 and the Charter for the Eagle Peak Montessori School was approved unanimously by the MDUSD Board in January 2000. I want to acknowledge and thank members of MDUSD staff and school board for their open-mindedness, their willingness to work with us and for the hundreds of hours they spent evaluating the charter documents. The counsel and genuine support of Janet Gatti, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education and Dick Nicolls, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Affairs were especially valuable.
It turns out that getting the charter approved was the easy part! The most difficult task of finding a facility lay before us. It took more than 18 months to secure a location after experiencing many disappointing dead-ends. Finally, we were very grateful to have been granted access to three rooms at Holy Cross Lutheran Church on Alberta Way in Concord. We signed a lease at the end of July 2001 and started classes five weeks later with two classes of 30 lower elementary students each. Four amazing teachers— Sibyl Buckner, Letty Rising, Luz Johnston and Denise May —took up the torch and got classrooms set-up in record time. Parents helped paint the classrooms and build ALL the shelving. We had applied for and were granted a $200,000 Charter School Implementation Grant from the State of California that allowed us to buy a full complement of Montessori materials for each classroom.
Because we were now operational, we qualified for the bond measure that the District floated that fall. (Under the new Proposition 55 legislation, charter schools were eligible to participate in district bond measures for capital improvements.) Had we not found the site at Holy Cross, we would not have qualified. Eagle Peak was one of only a handful of charter schools that were able to take advantage of this new opportunity. After Measure A passed, the district began the process of planning our campus in Walnut Creek which we moved into in the fall of 2004, only a year after it was scheduled. If this campus had not been built with bond money, the evolution of Eagle Peak would have been very different.
Throughout this journey exceptional individuals have given of their time and talents; without them, this project would not be the success it has become. A special thanks to: our founding families and original board members; our dedicated teaching staff; Administrator Michelle Hammons who took the helm from me in 2003 and continues to carry the torch today; Peter Gascoyne, multi-year board president and brilliant economic forecaster who continues to help guide our course from Madison, Wisconsin, long after his children graduated from Eagle Peak; Tina Segrove and Kevin Sullivan who so competently presided over the Board of Directors for many, many years; and office managers Diane Brenum, Sandy Houseman, Constance Edgar, and Sondra Mahraj, who helped hone our administrative systems.
And finally a special heartfelt acknowledgement to the people who really make this endeavor such a success and even remotely possible–the students and their parents/guardians. Thank you to the extraordinary children who embody Montessori values and become life-long learners and leaders. Thank you to the adults who, through the years, have placed their trust in Eagle Peak, enrolled their children and spent countless hours volunteering in many different capacities.
Know that together, you will overcome any obstacle — just as we have done for these past 20 years. Here’s to the next 20!
Yours with thoughts of peace,
Krista Ericson
REMINDERS FROM THE PARENT AND STUDENT HANDBOOK
Cell phones, tablet computers (unless specifically called for with classroom permission), electronic games, music players or other such devices should not be brought to school by the elementary students.
Adolescent students may bring cell phones if they take full risk of the item being lost or damaged. The cell phones for adolescents must not be in the back pack but will be placed in a cell phone locker in the classroom.
As you can imagine, there is no way to keep up with the technology or list of items that would fit in this category. Please recognize that by "other such devices" this includes wearable technology. These items can be a disruption in the classroom. While it may be possible to put them on a "school mode", the teachers do not have a way to verify that each student has set their device to this setting. While we will take this items under consideration, until we are able to create a protocol for wearable devices, please do not send these to school with your child.
THIS WEEK AT EPMS
EAGLE PEAK MONTESSORI SCHOOL
International Day of Peace Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Autumnal Equinox Wednesday, September 22, 2021
REMEMBER NEW SCHOOL HOURS
Elementary Gr 1-6: 8:30am-2:45pm (Gate closes at 8:30am and opens at 2:45pm)
Adolescent Program Gr 7&8: 8:30am-3:15pm
Wednesdays and other Early Dismissal Days- 1:40pm
Counselor's Corner
Hello families! My name is Crystal Penning and I am the new school counselor at Eagle Peak Montessori. I am so excited to be part of this wonderful school community. My husband, Barry Penning taught at this school before getting a teaching position closer to home shortly after we had our second child. We both fell in love with Maria Montessori’s teachings and put our children in Montessori preschool.
I have 16 years of mental health experience supporting students in schools. As we navigate this most challenging time coming back to school after a long period of distance learning as well as uncertainty, I am here ready and willing to help support the students in every way possible. I have two of my own children whom I supported with distance learning last year so I have experienced first-hand the additional stressors placed on families and children. One book/resource I have found particularly helpful recently is No Drama Discipline: The Whole Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. This book has really helped changed my approach when interacting with my own children after they become upset and I have seen such positive changes in our family by implementing the strategies outlined. The ideas in the book really coincide with Montessori teachings and reminded me of this quote:
“Respect all the reasonable forms of activity in which the child engages and try to understand them” Maria Montessori
Feelings are always important to pay attention to, but they are profoundly important during these times of hardship and uncertainty. We need to connect and understand the child first before we try to teach or correct. At times children may not have the words to describe their feelings or understand how they are feeling. They also may not know what to do with those feelings. It is in these times we can offer guidance and support to help them grow their understanding of their own feelings as well as foster positive coping strategies.
If I can be of any help to you or your child(ren) in regards to mental health please do not hesitate to reach out. I am on campus Thursdays and Fridays. I am greatly looking forward to working with you all,
Crystal Penning, M.A.
Students Sent Home Sick
Waste Free Wednesdays
Community Connections Committee Welcome Back Update
The Community Connection Committee formed at Eagle Peak several years ago to work on uprooting bias within our school and help Eagle Peak parents and families to form stronger connections across identity groups. While the past 18 months have certainly been a time when examining and uprooting biases is as important as ever, we haven't been able to meet in person, have an in-person International Day, or offer our resource library of books and other materials, and the CCC chairs have been struggling through many family challenges that required basically all of our time and attention. So we are sad to say that although the need for reflection and connection has been there, our ability to support these goals just hasn't been. We apologize for not being able to do more for the EPMS community during this difficult period.
The past 18 months have been challenging to all of us and devastating to some. The world at large has been dealing with a crisis that is unprecedented in our lifetimes, so "doing the right thing" has been a very confusing task for most of us. As parents and also members of a school community, we have sometimes been forced to choose between what our children need and what we always imagined our school would look like and feel like.
Now as we come out of the physical separation and try to recreate some version of the amazing community that Eagle Peak has been in the past, we want to reassess where you are at and what the prevailing needs are of the community as it stands today. Obviously we are still faced with many restrictions in this new school year, but we promise to do our best to provide some useful tools or support to continue moving forward (even if slowly) toward our goals of uprooting bias and strengthening connections at EPMS. Please complete this survey whenever you can:
Dine & Donate - California Pizza Kitchen
Dine & Donate - California Pizza Kitchen
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
News from the Office
A Few Reminders:
Covid Testing- Please note that we must receive the results of a Covid- 19 PCR test. We cannot accept the results of a rapid test. Thank you for your help with this.
We cannot allow childcare pick up between 3p-3:30p. Amy and Leslie are not in the office due to carpool pick up.
Sometimes it may be quicker and easier to walk in and pick up your kids at their classroom if there is parking.
Please remember to send a water bottle with your child's name on it to school with them. They can refill them in the classrooms and the drinking fountain if they run out.
If you need to pick up your child early, please email both the office (Admin@eaglepeakmontessori.org) and the classroom (all email addresses are located in the Parent and Student Handbook located in Transparent Classroom). This will be a great help as the teachers are planning their lessons.
Please always, always use the crosswalk.
Make up picture day is scheduled for October 15, 2021.
Attached is the October Breakfast Calendar. Please Make your selections and return to the office.
Childcare News
LOST AND FOUND
Carpool Help
If you would like to help out with morning or afternoon carpool, please contact Jen Slattengren.
Please remember you must be vaccinated to volunteer at EPMS.
News from PTLG
EPMS Yearbook Committee: The EPMS yearbook is created each school year by a fun group of parent volunteers who are dedicated to creating a yearbook full of wonderful memories for Eagle Peak students. We are always looking for volunteers to join the team! Some of the volunteer opportunities include helping organize yearbook activities, taking photographs of class and school events, designing yearbook pages, and so much more. If you are interested or have questions about joining our fun group of parents, please email Jennifer Womble and Rachel Hallquist at ptlg@eaglepeakmontessori.org
Also, in order to volunteer on campus you must be vaccinated and finger printed.
Got SWAG??
You will find your options on the Donations tab. Once you select your items and your payment is processed the office will be notified. The office will contact you when your SWAG is ready for pick up.
Don't forget about Box Top$ for Education!
Remember to gather your Box Tops for Education.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: Buy participating products and use the Box Tops mobile app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase. The app identifies eligible products and automatically adds Box Tops to Eagle Peak's earnings online. Even if you’re shopping online or doing grocery pickup, you can still submit your e-receipts and earn Box Tops. Your earnings may seem small, but they really do add up. The more people that participate, the bigger the impact we can make. Learn more about how Box Tops works at BTFE.com.
FOR PARENTS
Suicide Prevention 101 for Parents: Recognizing Signs and What to Do Webinar (September 21, 2021 in English and September 23, 2021 in Spanish)
CDE, Directing Change, and TeenLine are partnering to offer free webinars and Facebook Live events for parents, families, and caregivers. Suicide Prevention 101 for Parents: Recognizing Signs and What to Do will be offered in English on September 21, 2021, and in Spanish on September 23, 2021. These webinars will provide information about suicide prevention for parents, including warning signs for suicide, how to have a conversation with their child, actions to take if their child is having a suicidal thoughts, and resources.
Eagle Peak Montessori School
Email: Admin@Eaglepeakmontessori.org
Website: eaglepeakmontessori.org
Location: 800 Hutchinson Road, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Phone: (925)946-0994