MMA Montessori Moments
October 7th, 2019
Fall Festival - Thank You!
Thank you Junior High and 6th grade students and staff for the fantastic Haunted House which was creative, well done, and scary. Thank you to 6th graders who set-up shop in artisan alley. The food trucks served up delicious food; please patronize their food trucks in the future.
My favorite part of the festival was seeing staff significant others and staff children (who do not attend MMA) meeting MMA students and MMA staff family.
We have an awesome community! Thank you for being part of it!
Ms. Misha
Ms. Amanda
Ms. Misha
What three traits define you? Patient, energetic and kind
What would you like to be your greatest accomplishment? I would like my greatest accomplishment to be raising my four 12 year old daughters into happy, healthy, well rounded adults.... and for me to survive their teenage years.
What's one thing you couldn't live without? Laughter
What is one thing you cannot resist? Chocolate cake, chocolate, hot chocolate, chocolate covered raisins.
What is your favorite thing to do? As much as I complain about it, I love cleaning and shopping by myself. My family and I spend a lot of time going to concerts, camping, hiking, and fire dancing.
Where is the most interesting place you've traveled to and why? Crystal Park, Montana. The area is breathtaking. I went on a week vacation to rock hound (find quartz crystals) with my family. Every morning we would wake up to AMAZING views of the mountains. Each evening we would drive just down the road from our camp to watch hundreds of elk come into an open meadow surrounded by huge mountains and pine trees. Ahh, take me back.
Who is your biggest inspiration? My biggest inspiration is my daughter Ashley. She has been through so much in her life medically and has still come out the other side a happy, funny, and HEALTHY girl.
What advice do you have for kids who are struggling at school? Don't give up, ask for help, and be willing to try something new.
How do you define success? I think a successful person is a happy person. In life, you should strive to be truly happy in all aspects.
What do the students think of Ms. Misha?
1. What is the best thing about Ms. Misha? Ms. Misha is very pretty. She makes us laugh a lot.
2. Why do you think Ms. Misha is a good fit for MMA? She is the best assistant, I mean teacher, here. She helps us grow and learn when we don't want to.
Ms. Amanda
1. What three traits define you? 1.My love for orange. 2.My sarcastic humor. 3. See 1 and 2.
2.What would you like to be your greatest accomplishment? Adding relief and laughter to the lives of those I love.
3. What's one thing you couldn't live without? Probably air.
4. What is the one thing you cannot resist? Caffeine...or making a sarcastic comment.
5. What is your favorite thing to do? Learn.
6. Where is the most interesting place you've traveled to and why? Rome, Italy. The art, and the history behind it.
7. Who is your biggest inspiration? Ayn Rand. We take care of each other by first taking care of ourselves.
8. What advice do you have for kids who are struggling at school? Academic Struggles: Practice, practice, practice! And if you're scared to ask for help, ask anyway. Social Struggles: Know who you are. Know that who you are is enough.
9. How do you define success? Learning from your mistakes, so you can keep moving forward.
What do the students think about Ms. Amanda?
1. What is the best thing about Ms. Amanda? Ms. Amanda always makes us laugh.
2. Why do you think Ms. Amanda is a good fit for MMA? Because Ms. Amanda just seems like one of us.Lock Down Thursday
Please email René if you have additional suggestions for handling these types of situations from your parent perspective.
Elementary Theater After School
Dear Parents,
We are excited to begin an after school theater group for 3rd through 6th grade students. Theatre practice will begin October 16th and will be held every Wednesday and Thursday after school from 3:05-4pm. In the spring we will perform “Annie, Jr.” the musical combined with junior high students. We will need both boys and girls for orphans as well as other roles.
Students must commit to being at every scheduled rehearsal and performance date (listed below) as every member is needed for a successful practice and performance! Auditions will be held as part of class in a group setting and every member of theatre will be given a part. Parts range from chorus (no speaking roles) to speaking parts, and vocal solos. I will do my best to help each child feel comfortable in the role they have been given.
Students will be responsible for providing their own costumes after roles are assigned. Since most elementary students will be playing a role of an orphan (both boys and girls), I recommend shopping at Deseret Industries or finding old, worn out, second hand clothing as costumes. Keep in mind that this play is set in the Great Depression time period (about 1933) in New York. Hope to see your student there!
Practice Dates – Every Wednesday and Thursday from 3:05pm – 4pm starting October 16th
Performance Dates – April 22nd and 23rd at 5:30pm
Ms. Sarah
Calling all Models and Testimonials!
If you would like to provide a testimonial describing what you most appreciate about MMA (in writing or in a video), also email René this week.
Coach's Corner
Do you ever wonder what your child is talking about when they come home? What is this lingo that they are speaking? This is a great resource of Montessori terminology a library of terms: https://montessori-ami.org/resource-library/facts/glossary-montessori-terms
Concrete to Abstract
A progression both logical and developmentally appropriate. The child is introduced first to a concrete material that embodies an abstract idea such as size or color. Given hands-on experience, the child's mind grasps the idea inherent in the material and forms an abstraction. Only as the child develops, is she gradually able to comprehend the same idea in symbolic form.
Control of Error
A way of providing instant feedback. Every Montessori activity provides the child with some way of assessing his own progress. This puts the control in the hands of the learner and protects the young child's self-esteem and self-motivation. Control of error is an essential aspect of auto-education.
Jr High Grading
The purpose for grading in junior high is to communicate what a student has learned. The audience for grades includes the student, their parents/guardian, and the next school or teacher to work with the student.
Students submit work and teachers will provide a score of 1-4 and feedback about the quality and accuracy of the student's work. Check out the Jr High Handbook, starting on page 5, for more information about 1 to 4 scoring of assignments.
Students should receive feedback on formative (“while learning”) and summative (“after learning”) within 7 days of submitting the assignment. Only summative assessments will be counted when calculating the student's final quarter grade using Logic Rules. Consult the Jr High Handbook, starting on page 5, for more information about how Logic Rules turn 1-4 summative assignment scores into A-F report card grades.
Students will be issued report cards at the end of every term. The online Canvas progress report will both formative and summative scores inputted into Canvas. The Aspire report card will include only a single letter grade for each course, as well as the course credit earned.
Consequences for Missing Assignments
Skipping or ignoring summative assessments is not acceptable. If a student has not completed a summative assessment by the deadline the teacher has set, they will receive an I (“Incomplete”) for the assignment. (Canvas does not have the ability to show Is; this will display as blank). Students have until the end of the term to turn in the missing work, or do alternative make-up work as determined by the teacher. At the end of the term, any I grades will translate into an F quarter grade and no credit awarded. To be very clear: even one missing summative assessment will cause a student to fail the entire course.
In order to remediate an I grade on a term report cards, the student and their parents/guardians will meet with the teacher, school counselor, and administration and write a contract. The contract will detail how the student will (on their own time) demonstrate mastery of all of the power standards for the term.
Re-assessing Assignments
Students may re-assess summative assessments. In order to re-assess any score, students must demonstrate that they have improved their learning. Before re-assessing a summative assessment, students need to have submitted all formative work. Each teacher may impose additional, reasonable requirements for students to demonstrate their improved learning before re-assessing. Examples may include extra practice problems or additional individual or small group lessons after school. Students must re-assess within one week of receiving their graded assignment back. This could be extended up to two weeks, upon teacher approval in writing to the student.
Original work must be turned in by the deadlines set by teachers in order to be eligible for re-assessment. The new (re-assessment) score will completely replace the old score, with no penalty for the re-take.
If a student has missed a deadline, they may still turn in the work until the last day of the quarter; however, students will not be given the opportunity to re-assess any work that is turned in late.
Once grades have locked at the end of the term, students may not re-assess any of that term’s grades. Teachers are welcome to offer them another opportunity to assess on those standards; however, the new grade will be reflected in the current term, not in the locked term.
If you or your child have any questions about grading in junior high, please contact your child's advisory teacher.
October
8--Chick Fil A Spirit Night, 5-8pm
8--MMA Board Meeting, 5:30pm
16--End of Quarter
17-18--Fall Break; No School
22--Picture Day
23-30--Red Ribbon Week
24-25--Junior High Intersession
24--Box Top Store (11:00am-1:00pm)
28--Junior High Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-ups Open
28--Boosterthon (Fun Run) donations open
November
1--MAPA Meeting @ 8:45am
4--Boosterthon (Fun Run) Pep Rally
8--Classic Skating Spirit Night (5:00pm-9:00pm)
12--MMA Board Meeting, 5:30pm
13--Boosterthon Fun Run
14--Parent Education Night 5:30-7:00pm (school wide event sign-up)
18--Elementary Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-ups Open
21-22--Junior High Parent-Teacher Conferences 3:00-7:00pm
21--MAPA Gratitude Feast @ 12:00pm
22--Cultural Festival 1-3pm
25-26--Teacher Compensation Day; No School
27-29--Thanksgiving Break; No School
Quick Links
Track It Forward - school events calendar and volunteer sign-ups
Maria Montessori Academy
Email: info@mariamontessoriacademy.org
Website: www.mariamontessoriacademy.org
Location: 2505 N 200 E, North Ogden, UT, United States
Phone: 801.827.0150
Facebook: facebook.com/MMAofUT
Twitter: @MMAofUT