Picture this: "Chestnuts roasting by an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your toes, Yuletide carols being sung by the... MSA CHOIR?" Well, they may not be the exact lyrics as committed by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé back in 1945, but the beauty, simplicity, and nostalgia are the same. This coming Tuesday evening at 6:30 in the beautiful sanctuary of Boulevard Baptist Church, you will be treated to that same kind of warm feelings and songs that remind you that "the world is good."

All MSA children from Primary up through 12th grade have been practicing for the past few weeks in order to give a gift that keeps on giving from the moment received that night and long into the new year. Come to think of it – as one of our graduates reminisced – “the holiday program is a part of my many happy memories of MSA: the singing, dancing, watching the little ones wiggle and giggle, the Peace Pole presentation, and the glow of candlelight always makes me want to 'come home' for the holidays."

So, with a predicted balmy 62 degrees promised for the day, we can still remember the snowfall that didn't quite occur last week and trust that our MSA family will put us in the holiday spirit -- without those flakes gently falling, there will be no need for folks “dressing up like Eskimos.”

See you there!

The tree is full of warm, thoughtful donations and looking great! Wednesday is the last day for dropping off gifts for the tree, so please remember to drop off anything you would like to give to those in need. Thank you everyone for your kindness and generosity!

As the holiday season approaches, we look to the spirit of giving and service to others. Once again this year, MSA will be sponsoring the “Operation: Share the Warmth” Tree.

Here’s how the service project works. I will be placing a Christmas tree in the front office of the Montessori Administrative building during the Thanksgiving break. The Christmas tree will only have a ribbon on the top of tree and lights. Our students, families, MSA classrooms and clubs are asked to provide the decorations.

The decorations should consist of new mittens, gloves, socks and scarves. If you have gently used jackets, coats and shoes they will gladly be accepted. Some of you may remember how beautiful the tree looked last year, all decked out in warm clothing finery!!!

The tree will remain on campus until the December 19th when the school closes for the Winter Holiday. The items will then be donated a local charity organization, Anderson Interfaith Ministries. This project allows our Montessori students and families to provide the basic need of warmth to those who may not have the ability to stay warm during the cold winter months. Thank you in advance for your generosity!!!

Susanna Merriman, RN

Here are some of Amber's favorite memories at MSA:

My clearest memories come from my elementary years. In Lower El, I remember catching crickets at recess to feed to our class tarantula, Fuzzy. We would all take turns feeding our class birds, Romeo and Juliet, as well as our tiny water frog. I also remember having King Cake for Mardi Gras thanks to a student in our class who had just moved to Anderson from New Orleans. I spent many days visiting the peace table with classmates, some of whom remain my very closest friends today. We learned to knit in Lower El, too, which quickly became an obsession for most of us who joined Knitting Club. This continued into Upper El, when we all received tin boxes to store our knitting supplies. Mine was yellow and purple with the Rugrats cartoon on the top, and I still have it to this day! In Upper El, I loved when it was my turn to go to the grocery store and help prepare our classroom meal. We were so excited that Ms. Molly had moved up from Lower El to Upper El with us, too! Junior Great Books with Ms. Holt helped foster my love for reading, which has continued with me throughout my life. I can still picture us all gathered in a circle in the Upper El cubby room, reading The Jungle Book, taking notes in my orange notebook. I also remember how much fun we all had together going to Morningside Assisted Living to sing Christmas carols to the residents. These memories are only a handful of the incredible times I remember from my days as an MSA student!

Amber's recommendations to students:

I would recommend that students not take their time at MSA for granted. The memories you're making today will stick with you for a lifetime. Take the time to enjoy every moment.

And her recommendations to our current families:

I would recommend that families encourage their child to continue his or her learning at home. MSA opens so many creative doors for students to continue their studies outside the classroom, and I think it's important that families help to foster their child's love for learning.