Nuts & Bolts
February 4, 2019
Thank you!
This was a successful week for fundraising at MMA. The Chili Cook-off was ah-mazing this year. Thank you, Kirsten, for your efforts and time in leading this endeavor. Thank you to those teachers who made chili and cornbread with your classes. After accounting for our expenses, we made around $400 from the Chili Cook-off.
I thought the Fun Run was a blast and the elementary kids seemed to enjoy their time in the glowing gym. JH was definitely a tougher crowd. Thank your for your flexibility and time in making this fundraiser a success. I know that you did not have much time to mentally prepare. It was your emails, showing of the videos, support of the Boosterthon people visiting your classroom, and overall excitement that made this fundraiser so successful. If all pledges are collected, we are looking at profiting around $12,000.
I apologize if you did not know that Friday students were allowed to dress in athletic clothing. That info was emailed to parents, was in the One Call, on the MAPA FB page, and I now realize that not all teachers receive these types of communication. Please accept my apologies.
Please email me or talk to your lead teacher if you have feedback regarding the Fun Run fundraiser (should we do it again? what went well? what could be improved?). The advisory committee will discuss your feedback and make appropriate plans for fundraising next school year.
Enjoy the Utah Montessori Conference on Saturday, February 9th.
Have an extraordinary week,
René
Staff Meeting Monday
Parent Teacher Conferences - Next Week
You should have these conferences posted and open for families to sign up by now. If not, please have these posted and out to parents by Monday. Remember, the format of these conferences is different than in the fall. This time, the conference will be led by our students using their portfolios. Remind parents to bring their students.
Ensure that there are appointment times available all the way through 6:45pm on all three days to give working families ample opportunities to attend after work. Having 30 time slots for 30 students is not sufficient.
Your time spend staying late on PTCs is off-set by the teacher compensation days built into the school calendar. Teacher compensation days are the days during Thanksgiving break and January 2nd - where students are off school and teachers are also off but get paid.
Elementary teachers - If you have appointment slots available through the entire PTC night and no one signs up for those appointments, you may leave early. For example, if you do not have anyone signed up for the 6:30pm or 6:45pm time slot, you may leave after your 6:15pm appointment concludes and if no one is waiting to speak to you who did not sign up. You may not take the later appointment times off your Track if Forward schedule. This means you may have to check your Track it Forward page during the night for changes.
I realize that your schedule may result in having blocks of time where no one is signed up to attend conferences. You can see these blocks of time as extra, paid time in your classroom to work on lessons or change out shelf work, for example.
Jr High Parent Teacher Conferences
The intent and reason for this change is to accommodate families who want to visit with more than one JH teacher in one night - which can be difficult to set up appointment times near each other when students have 5-7 teachers in a day. Also, this should make it easier for parents who have children in JH and elementary to meet with teachers in an efficient way that honors their time.
This means that JH teachers will be expected to stay at their tables, available to talk to families until 7pm each night.
DIBELS Guardian Letters
6th Graders Shadow in JH
Doing Our Part
Everyone needs to do their part to support MMA's JH and overall student enrollment. In regards to keeping our 6th graders to build a substantial JH program, UE teachers should be talking to students and parents, especially, explaining the advantages of staying at MMA during JH, which include:
- continuation of the Montessori learning experience
- familiarity of students and staff
- JH staff that value social-emotional health and put student needs first
- small community where issues between students are noticed, addressed, and not just blown off as JH drama
- closeness of UE teachers who have known your child for 3 years who can provide support and guidance
- wide variety of electives (currently Erd Kinder, art, music, guitar, weight training, yearbook)
- presence of a FT school counselor
- beautiful new building
- focus on field experiences that culminate in the awesome Crow Canyon experience
- emphasis on community building and peace education
- presence of elementary children and the expectation that JH students serve as the positive leaders of the school, modeling for elementary students
All UE teachers need to discuss and counsel 6th graders to stay at MMA for Junior High all year and especially during PTCs next week. Parents trust and love their teachers. If MMA teachers and assistants show that they support and trust our JH program, families will want to stay through JH. JH teachers should share and publicly celebrate JH success stories so this positive news can be heard by all through MMA newsletters and social media.
JH teachers and assistants will do their part by teaching fantastic, engaging, student-centered, Montessori lessons every day, especially when 6th graders shadow next week. JH teachers need to connect with our 6th graders to establish that trust and desire to attend MMA JH. JH teachers will maintain consistent and positive communication with parents to maintain that trust.
LE and EC teachers and assistants will do their part by showing their trust and support of MMA's JH program. They should be familiar with the advantages outlined above. LE and EC teachers and assistants should talk to students and families with the assumption that their students will attend MMA's JH.
MMA front office, support staff, and administration will show their trust and support of MMA. They will celebrate MMA's successes on social media, establish, and maintain positive parent relations. They will continue putting JH-specific news and events in the MMM to solidify that MMA is one, contiguous K-9 school and for parents to preview what is in store for their younger children once they reach adolescence. This staff will attend community events touting the unique benefits of a public Montessori education. They will analyze data and collaboratively create goals for academic excellence. They will support staff and students in their individual growth, development, and progress toward achieving these goals.
All MMA staff should stay fresh professionally by attending PD, reading, and trying new things. All MMA staff should perform self-care because we do hard, emotional work each day and you cannot pour from an empty vessel.
Thank you for doing your part in making MMA awesome and supporting our students and their families.
Fire Drill Feedback
Parent and fire fighter, Ben Nielson, was in the building for a Celebration of Life noticed that several doors were left open. He said we could quote him when communicating this information with you all when we remind you to close and lock your doors on your way out. "You would be surprised in how having doors closed helps us fight fires. Doors left open allow oxygen into the rooms and oxygen feeds the fire."
Thanks for your hard work and great time in getting out of the building and organized.
Earthquake Drill Tuesday
National History Week
MMA is celebrating National History Week School-wide on February 25- March 1. The committee (Adrian, Andrea, Kat, & Nicoletta) would like to communicate that some changes were made the schedule posted last week in the N&B. The revised info is below.
Theme: Triumph and Tragedy
Topics Ideas: to discuss and integrate into class
- African Americans
- War
- Native Americans
- Civil RIghts- pick a person or an event
- Westward Expansion (Tragedy of Native Americans and Triumph of United States)
- Presidents of America
- Women's History
- Art History
- Inventors
- Progressive Movement
Class projects (LE, UE, 9th) : Please have your students do a project of your choice covering the theme of Triumph and Tragedy. Ideas of presentations are these will be within the classroom, your choice of structure. Ideas include:
- documentary/ film
- Make a website
- Performance
- Museum Exhibit
- Trifold board
ACTION Requested for Staff:
Look for speakers/ presenters with historic expertise or experience who would be interested in sharing their passion with students of K-9th grade. Please contact Mr. Adrian at AStumpp@mariamontessoriacademy.org if you or anyone you know would be interested.
**More information to come: we are looking to have self exploration history, presenters/ speakers, etc.
MMA History Museum
The History Museum will be on Tuesday, March 5th. This is an opportunity for EC, LE, UE and 9th grade to come watch 7th and 8th graders present their projects. ***7th graders will be judged in the afternoon for the National History Fair from 12:30-2:30pm.
Locations:
7th grade Addition Large Gym
8th grade Addition Commons Area
Time: 9:30-11:30am
There will be sign up sheets for classes to come and walk the History Museum.
WSU Storytelling Festival
Come one, come all and join us for the 23rd Annual Weber State University Storytelling Festival, Monday through Wednesday, February 25–27, 2019, with performances by nationally and internationally acclaimed storytellers Noa Baum, Jasmin Cardenas, Antonia Rocha, and Ed Stivendar, plus many Utah and youth tellers!
PDPro Courses Available to You
All of Davis School District’s PDPro courses are available every month! That’s 24, self-paced, online courses that you can use to build your professional skillset, earn credits for salary level changes, or accumulate points for relicensing.
The next session begins February 4! See the Course Catalogue below for descriptions and registration information. Please contact Alicia Madsen or Tracie Yamashita if you have any questions or need help with MIDAS. There is a $50 out of district fee for each course.
Upcoming Events
2/2/19 - UMC
2/3/19 - Open Enrollment Closes
2/4/19 - Staff Meeting, 3:30pm, Commons
2/5/19 - Earthquake Drill
2/5/19 - PLC Meetings
2/11/19 - SIT Meeting
2/12/19 - PLC Meetings
2/12/19 - Board Meeting
2/13/19 - PTCs, early release
2/14/19 - PTCs, early release
2/15/19 - PTCs, early release
2/18/19 - School closed
2/19/19 - PLC Meetings
2/19/19 - Classic Skate Night 5-8:30pm
2/20/19 - Box Top Store
2/21/19 - Parent Ed Night on Executive Functioning
2/25/19 - History Week
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