MMA Montessori Moments
February 3, 2020
Message from our Director
Dear MMA Community,
I loved the chili cookoff that was held Thursday night. What a great community event. It is so beneficial to me to have activities like this so that I can get to know our educational community better.
Our students are the best. I have found so many qualities that are exemplary of very successful individuals. To know that grace and courtesy are such an important part of the curriculum that is taught here is comforting. The students have been so friendly and polite. Definitely a skill that is appreciated in today's world.
We truly love working with our students. They are what makes the school such a great place to be.
Best regards,
Mr. Mike
Chili Cook-off
Open Enrollment for 2020-2021 is now open!
Re-enrollment for current students
Know a child that you think would thrive at MMA? Bring them to shadow your student on February 14 and Feel the Love!
Share the Love at MMA!
What does MMA have to offer for Early Childhood? (Pre-k and K)
Early Childhood education lays the foundation for all learning that will follow. Montessori early childhood education is unique in many aspects. It takes into account the developmental periods that children are passing through as well as focusing on the development of emotional, social and academic intelligence of the child. Some key aspects of Montessori early childhood education are
The practical life area of the classroom allows the child to develop their coordination, concentration, independence and sense of order. Often these activities are seen as play, but they are vital to the development of the child. One of the activities you will see in this area is food preparation such as making toast, hot chocolate and more. We all assume that the reason these activities are so popular is the product they result in. Montessori philosophy has a very different idea. Paula Polk Lillard said in Montessori a Modern Approach “Instead of opportunities for serious accomplishment in our culture, we supply our children with expensive toys, hoping that these will occupy them. . ..Instead of giving the child toys that have no meaning for him, the adult must prepare special activities within his environment that will aid in the child’s development. . . The parent must observe the child closely, and watch for the kinds of activities he chooses spontaneously . . . and then make them more available with variations and expansions of them” (p. 116).
We refer to the activities in our classrooms as work. Maria Montessori explained why the work of a child is so important. “A child’s desire to work represents a vital instinct since he cannot organize his personality without working: a man builds himself through working. There can be no substitute for work. . . a man builds himself by carrying out manual labor in which he uses his hands as the instruments of his personality and as expressions of his intellect and will, helping him to dominate his environment . . . work becomes fascinating and irresistible and raises a man above his diverted self . . . enabling him to express his own individuality” The secret of childhood p. 186.
Jen Hall
Early Childhood Lead Teacher
What does MMA have to offer for Lower Elementary? (Grades 1-3)
Maria Montessori Academy has some amazing things to offer in the lower elementary setting, and the following are just a few that set us apart from other schools:
Teachers do not just teach children academics, but teach the whole child. They teach grace and courtesy, manners, acceptance and include all as a continual part of day to day activity and education. It is taught and modeled continually.
Our classrooms are mixed age, with 3 levels or grades in each room. Lower elementary consists of first, second, and third grades. This allows students to interact with children of many ages and learn with and from these children. It allows for many leadership opportunities for the older children as well as the younger children. Watching the dynamics of friendships among these different ages is an exciting part of being a teacher at this level.
Teachers are guides in the classroom who lead and teach but then allow students to take on roles as part of the classroom community. They are given jobs such as watering the plants, doing snack dishes, and sweeping the floor. They are encouraged to participate in these as a way of helping their environment and preparing to be part of all the different communities they will experience growing up.
The instruction is individualized for each student. Teachers don’t limit the child, but allow them to move at their own pace. Students are not kept from moving forward in any area if they understand what is being taught and are ready to move to the next thing. Students are also not pushed forward to new things if they are not ready to move on. If a student needs more time to practice something, they are allowed to continue working where they need, while still being taught grade level curriculum. After they are given lessons on work, students are allowed the freedom to choose from those works in the order that they want to complete them. This is all done with guidance from the teacher.
Lower Elementary classrooms are filled with many different hands-on materials for students to learn with. Children are taught from a very concrete way of doing things to abstract ways of doing things. There are a variety of materials to teach one thing, so if a student does not understand a concept with one material, they can be shown with others. Children are also taught the why behind the how.
Jalee Schofield
Lower Elementary Lead Teacher
What does MMA have to offer for Upper Elementary? (Grades 4-6)
Kirsten Gonzales
Upper Elementary Lead Teacher
What does MMA have to offer for Jr. High? (Grades 7-9)
MMA’s Junior High Program is awesome! Miss Sarah is leading our drama and choir classes in a production of the musical “Annie”. Miss Dore’s College and Career Awareness classes are learning about video production and creating their own broadcasts. 9th grade ELA classes are taking the role of teacher and teaching important literary elements from short stories. Mr. Giuseppe’s classes are getting ready for science fair, and have some amazing experiments in the works. They are also writing research papers as part of their science displays. Miss Taylor’s Utah Studies class learned about the importance of our pioneer forebears and made pioneer cornbread to contribute to the chili cook-off. Mr. Craig’s math classes are making great progress and we are excited to see the gains that students are making. We are so proud of our junior high students and teachers!
Andrea Eggett
MMA School Counselor
Emergency Kits
Famous Montessorians
Did you know that the founders of Google Sergey Brin & Larry Page credit part of their success to their Montessori education?
You can’t understand Google unless you know that both Larry and Sergey were Montessori kids. ... In Montessori school you go paint because you have something to express or you just want to do it that afternoon, not because the teacher said so. This is really baked into how Larry and Sergey approach problems. They’re always asking ‘Why should it be like that?’
— Marissa Mayer, former VP of Google
Time to order yearbooks!
All questions regarding yearbooks and pictures must be made through Life touch. The office does not receive any information about orders. Please call 800-453-9764 with questions.
Click on the link below to order and enter our school ID code 13283720
Junior High Fees
HOPE Week February 18-21!
Weather recess guidelines
Unless the weather is extreme, or the air quality poor, it is our policy that students will go outside each day. Even when it is raining and snowing. Please make sure your student is dressed for the weather and has access to a coat, waterproof boots, snow pants, gloves and a hat for daily recess.
It's flu season!
Don't miss the WSU Storytelling Festival!
Messages from MAPA
Sports Club is currently full
Save the Date! Our 10th Annual Gala is coming soon!
MAPA meeting this Friday!
February
6 Science Fair
7 MAPA Meeting, 8:45 am
11-MMA Board Meeting, 5:30 pm
17 President's Day- No School
18-21 Hope Week
20 Redwoods Chaperone Meeting, 5:30 pm
21 MMA Family night at Classic Fun Center, 5-9:00 pm
24-28 Literacy Week
25 School wide Spelling Bee
27-MMA Literacy Night, 5:30-7:00 pm
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