Mountain West Montessori Newsletter
December 2020
Editor-in-Chief: Ms. Angie, Director
Author: Ms. Sheri, Assistant Director
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DECEMBER'S QUOTE
It takes a village to raise a child. A child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth. ~African Proverb
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DATES TO REMEMBER
-NO SCHOOL, WINTER RECESS: Friday, December 18th - Friday, January 1st
-NO SCHOOL,MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY: Monday, January 18th
-MS TERM 3 BEGINS: Tuesday, January 19th
-MWMA/s 2020-2021 Calendar: https://www.mwmacademy.org/uploads/document/attachment/179/2020-2021_MWMA_AMENDED_School_Calendar__BOARD_APPROVED_7-23-20_.pdf
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Ms. Angie
GET TEENS OFF SCREENS!
With the pandemic and social distancing, we may worry now more than ever about our teens, their friendships, and their social and emotional health. It might seem like common sense, but a new study from the University of British Columbia shows that less screen time and more extracurricular activity improves the mental health of teens, especially girls. Less than two hours of screen time after school and participation in extracurricular activities were both associated with higher life satisfaction and optimism. Longer screen time had a significantly more pronounced association with poor mental health, including anxiety and depression. The study was conducted before the pandemic, but has even more relevance in these days of Covid-19.
Today, teenage recreational screen time is on the rise, with 46% of the teens in the study exceeding the recommended two hour per day maximum. The take-away? Get teens off screens! Consider limiting your teenager’s recreational screen time to two hours or less each day, and get them involved in sports, music, the arts, cooking, board games, puzzles, book groups, hobbies, etc. Please note that it is okay for them to be bored. And…don’t forget that adequate sleep is also important for mental well-being!
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"It Takes a Village" Mural Fundraiser Update
Ms. Sheri, Assistant Director
When Ms. Hilary, Ms. Marianne and I discussed the possibility of a school mural fundraiser, we had high hopes that families would be excited to participate. The great news is that participation greatly exceeded our expectations with over 120 tiles being purchased! We are humbled and extremely grateful to all students, families and staff members that donated!
In addition, it has been exciting to see the unique, creative and ingenious tile designs that students are returning. The mural will be created over the Winter Break, so if you haven't yet returned your tile(s), please do so by December 16th!
Finally, we look forward to sharing with you how donations are being utilized to promote emotional health and suicide prevention and to enrich arts education at MWMA!
A few amazing returned tiles below.
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SCHOOL COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Ms. Marianne Noble
The holidays are upon us. Many of us are excited to celebrate, but feel a bit of sadness that our gatherings may not include everyone due to Covid-19 precautions. We may be feeling stressed as we face the unknown regarding Covid-19 restrictions and our ability to keep everyone safe. Though I cannot stop a pandemic, I can suggest a few things that may make coping with the added stress easier for you and your family.
● Listen: Listen to each other, to relaxing music, to a funny podcast or anything else that helps to put you at ease.
● Eat: It is still the holidays, go ahead and eat your favorite treat and don’t feel guilty. Just make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks on hand to keep your body running during the holidays.
● Breathe: Take deep, slow breaths when you are stressed. Four counts in and six counts out will help your body to relax.
● Clean: I am not talking about frantic cleaning for company. I am talking about slow, methodical cleaning to make you feel better and more organized.
● Meditate: Take five minutes to clear your head and send positivity out to yourself and the world.
● Learn: If you or a loved one is dealing with a physical or mental health disorder on top of the stress that is 2020, learn as much as you can about the disorder so you can offer greater understanding and more compassion. Knowledge is power!
● Hydrate: Being hydrated helps us function at our best. Drink plenty of water and stay healthy.
● Sleep: I cannot emphasize this enough. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep and kids and teens need even more. Put the devices away and get some sleep.
● Connect: Connect where you can. Use technology to chat, send pictures, and to stay connected to those you love most this season.
Have a happy and healthy holiday season!
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MEDIA MINUTE: Cozy Tales to Read Aloud
Ms. Melissa
Winter mornings you can find me wrapped up by the fireplace with a cup of tea (usually cold, thanks to having a toddler, unless it's 5 a.m.) reading (or re-reading) a good book. There is nothing cozier than a tale that warms the heart and carries the reader away, and while these books are not all winter-themed, they're sure to deliver a warm fuzzy feeling. Side note: If you're looking for wintertime picture books, check out my recommendations in the November newsletter.
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. This is one of the most eloquent and tender stories I've ever read. It is quite possibly perfect and is a gorgeous read-aloud. Chapters are short, which is great for bedtime, and anyone capable of sitting still for a story will enjoy it. You may want to have some tissues nearby.
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt. Deep down in Louisiana swamp land two well-intentioned raccoons, a 12-year-old boy, and the mythical Sugar Man's stories intertwine in a charming and humorous tale. Recommended for grades 4 and up.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal, the illustrations in Selznick's tale are just as important and beautiful as the language. Recommended for grades 2 and up.
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. This one is for the animal lovers out there! This timeless tale is one your children are sure to love! Recommended for kindergarten and up.
What are your favorite books to read aloud? Email me at: mzuckerman@mwmacademy.org
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STAFF HIGHLIGHTS
Ms. Terra, Head Secretary
Ms. Terra, is lovingly referred to as the "Chaos Manager". She has been with Mountain West Montessori since the beginning, 7 years now and she shares, "What a joy it has been to see just how much we have grown."
Montessori has been a part of Ms. Terra's life for over 15 years. She is a Montessorian through and through. Opening up this building and watching it grow from the ground up has been so fulfilling for Ms. Terra. It fills Ms. Terra's heart with joy to see the Montessori method offered to children for free, and to observe how it has blessed the lives of so many families.
Ms. Terra shares that Maria Montessori was an amazing woman and paved the way for hands-on individualized education. She managed to encourage fostering natural growth, recognizing responsibility and supporting choices, all while doing it in a loving, peaceful and understanding way. When a child feels loved they value a love for learning and growth.Terra adores each and every student at Mountain West and appreciates that we have such a loving community of families.
Connection with people is something Ms. Terra treasures. She loves to connect with the students and their families and to get to know them on an individual basis. Ms. Terra says, "What can I say, I love my job, although it doesn’t feel like a job when you LOVE what you do! "
Ms. Terra's family, her husband Chris, (Mr. Terra, as he is called, it gives him hallway cred) and their three beautiful girls share her love for Montessori and together, they are Montessorians. Ms. Terra's girls have experienced Montessori since they were little starting in the toddler class at 16 months. It makes her mama's heart happy to see how a Montessori education has fostered a love for learning and independence in her girls. Ms. Terra and her husband, Chris, know the value of a Montessori education and are grateful for Terra's sister Teresa who introduced them to the Montessori method over 15 years ago. She is why Ms.Terra values this method of learning today.
When Ms. Terra is not eating, sleeping or breathing Montessori, she likes to spend time with her family playing games and laughing together. She enjoys time to herself, which is rare, but when she does have the time, she enjoys crafting, baking, graphic design projects and searching Pinterest for a project to enlist her Hubby to make. Thank goodness he is patient and willing. Ms. Terra also LOVES food, and her husband and kids are great cooks! Ms. Terra shares that life is meant to be enjoyed, and she is grateful for her family because they bring so much joy into her life.
Ms. Laura B., UE Teacher
Ms. Laura B. is the second Laura on the Upper Elementary team at MWMA. The students call her, ‘Ms. Laura B.’ Ms. Laura is originally from upstate New York and fell in love with the West while camping in Colorado at age 10. She moved to Colorado to attend college, earning a degree in American History and Political Science with a minor in Art. Later, Ms. Laura became interested in the Montessori method of teaching and obtained her Montessori credentials at Westminster College. She enjoys teaching the interdisciplinary curriculum and loves the hands-on learning that takes place in the classroom. Maria Montessori believed in following the child’s interests and Laura strives to act as a guide by exposing students to multiple subjects so they can find their passions early in life. Her teaching goal will always be to help develop life-long learners!
In her free time she loves to garden and learn about native plants as well as drought tolerant plants from all over the world. She has a long term goal of developing a water-wise, native habitat in her yard capable of supporting wildlife, especially bird species. Ms. Laura has three indoor cats named Rosie, Dash and Mr. Blue. She loves to hike, snowshoe, ice-skate, cross country ski and walk fast. She enjoys cooking, watching foreign films and listening to music. Ms. Laura is a bibliophile and owns many books. For her, books are a window into another world and she hopes her students feel the same way when they’re in her classroom.
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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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