School closure updates and information
MMS Postcard May 11, 2020
Color us blue…or red or yellow. At MMS, we bring the M, you bring the color!
Download extra M coloring sheets:MMS Coloring Sheet
Mountaineer Montessori Message, May 6, 2020
MMS Postcard, May 1, 2020
May MMS Newsletter, May 1, 2020
The latest issue of the M news is out. Be sure to take a look to stay on top of important school closure information, event updates and plans for summer and beyond at MMS.
MMS Postcard April 26, 2020
New Positive Discipline series starts Thursday, April 23
Following last week’s “Parenting During a Pandemic: The Montessori Way” Parent University event, MMS is continuing the conversation with a new virtual Positive Discipline program series starting this Thursday, April 23, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Parents, please check your emails for updates on weekly programs. They will be held each Thursday from 5:30-6:30 p.m.)
“We understand the need for continued support and connection, as families balance working from home, parenting, and continuing to facilitate for your child’s remote learning,” says Samantha Van Den Berghe, who will lead the sessions in partnership with Susie Newhouse. “There is a lot on all of our plates and we want to help relieve some of the pressure you may be feeling!” Samantha and Susie are both AMS certified early childhood educators.
Parents are requested to take a short survey and rank the potential topics so that our faculty can prepare a meeting that will best suit your needs and interest:
Please take the survey!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QPX8FJG
The Zoom link and password for Thursday’s 5:30 p.m. meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/94492440311?pwd=d2R1VExnZi9lMmxscTNwc3EveTlXdz09
Meeting ID: 944 9244 0311
Password: MMSparents
Mountaineer Montessori Message, April 23, 2020
Dear MMS Families,
As you may be aware, Governor Justice announced yesterday that schools in West Virginia will continue remote learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Although this news was not surprising, it is still hard to accept, as we all wish to return to our normal days at MMS.
As we move forward with remote learning, we are also considering how to keep as many of our traditions and end-of-year events as possible. The MMS staff and Board of Directors will be meeting over the course of the next week to discuss and develop creative solutions for holding parent-teacher conferences, the Epic Evening Gala, our 8th year graduation ceremony, step-up days, step-up parent education, and other events remotely.
Meanwhile, we will continue to provide remote learning plans for all levels, and we will continue also to seek your family’s feedback to guide us as we continue this new path together. Parents have opportunities for phone call check-ins with lead teachers, and Beth and I welcome your ideas and feedback anytime.
Starting tomorrow, Thursday, April 23, we will begin our Positive Discipline for Parents Zoom series, hosted by Samantha VanDenBerghe-Lynch and Susie Newhouse. Samantha and Susie will host this series every Thursday from 5:30-6:30 pm with new topics each week, as well as time for Q&A. Please use the link the password below to join:
https://zoom.us/j/94492440311?pwd=d2R1VExnZi9lMmxscTNwc3EveTlXdz09
Password: MMSparents
We will continue to keep you updated and are here for you if you need anything. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Best wishes,
Jennifer
MMS Postcard April 20, 2020
Virtual tours and Zoom admissions sessions underway
Virtual school tours and private Zoom admission sessions for enrollment for the 2020-21 school year are now underway. Please follow this link for more information and to start your Montessori journey with us!
Writing through the pandemic
MMMS student Derek Bell is staying in touch with loved ones by reviving the lost art of letter writing.
MMS Update April 15, 2020
Dear MMS families,
I hope you are safe and well as we move through week four of our period of remote learning. As you may know, the school building closure in West Virginia has been extended to April 30. Therefore, our new schedule, week by week includes:
- April 13-17: remote learning for MMS
- April 20-24: remote learning for MMS
- April 27-May 1: remote learning for MMS
- May 4: tentative date for reopening of MMS school buildings
I continue to be inspired and impressed by the dedication and commitment of our faculty, students and parents as we work together to continually build and refine our remote learning offerings. Thank you for sharing pictures and stories with us via email and through our private MMS Faculty and Families Facebook page.
If you have not had a chance to download our Together with Mountaineer Montessori Handbook, please follow this link.
Graphic adapted from the ‘Positive Discipline in the Classroom” guide. Copyright by Jane Nelson and Lynn Lott.
Also, I was happy to see many of you at our executive function/positive discipline parent session with Katie Ibes and Jenny Thompson. We are exploring options for ongoing parent support and I’ll be in touch about that soon! Meanwhile, Jenny and our own Susie Newhouse, both Positive Discipline Parent Educators, shared some excellent resources with me that you will find below and also attached to this email.
https://www.
We will continue to keep you updated and are here for you if you need anything. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Best wishes,
Jennifer
Positive Discipline Alternatives to Logical Consequences
Positive Discipline Praise vs. Encouragement
Postcard from MMS, April 13, 2020
MMS Director Jennifer Carriger WSAZ-3 interview
MMS Director Jennifer Carriger shares tips for families now experiencing education at home with WSAZ-3 on April 7, 2020.
Postcard from MMS, April 6, 2020
MMS publishes learning at home toolkit
In the face of continuing school closures, MMS has created a toolkit for families thrust into homeschooling. “Together with Mountaineer Montessori: Share. Support. Thrive” is a road map for bringing education into the home. It includes practical advice for establishing a home learning environment, child development considerations, digital citizenship policies, and authentic, high-quality, curriculum–aligned Montessori activities to extend education beyond the classroom walls.
The toolkit was created by MMS faculty for parents of the 142 students ages 3-14 currently enrolled at the school, but the tips and strategies included can enhance learning at home for all children. Copies are available free of charge on the school website.
In addition to quality at-home academic lessons, the handbook places an emphasis on age-appropriate “practical life” activities that nurture intellectual, emotional and social development. These range from food preparation to tidying the home, from gardening to pet care.
Practical life activities provide a way for even the youngest children to contribute to family life. Inherent in these activities is the development of key executive functions: decision making, organization, problem-solving, impulse control, collaboration and communication. These skills form the foundation of a child’s academic learning. For example, sequencing is a pre-reading skill.
Practical life is engaging for children at all stages of development and tasks are designed according to their level of coordination and independence. Families can organize a job chart or list of family projects to help guide their children. Planning and gathering resources to complete the tasks is purposeful work. These ideas foster a sense of contribution, responsibility, shared experiences and satisfaction. As children get older, these activities lead naturally to volunteer experiences and beginnings of community work. For adolescents, many of these practical life experiences are the foundation of their sense of belonging and personal vision.
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Mountaineer Montessori Message April 3 ,2020
In today’s MMM, Director Jennifer Carriger announces two new important resources for our school community.
- “Parenting During a Pandemic the Montessori Way,” an all-school MMS Parent University Zoom event to be held on Tuesday, April 7, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Katie Ibes, our curriculum consultant and coach, and Jenny Thompson, a long time Montessori teacher and parent educator, will share strategies to support executive function and Positive Discipline tips in this special program. Ample time will be available to address specific concerns you may have at this time. Add to your calendar!
Where: https://zoom.us/j/327790165
Hangouts Meet meet.google.com/ivr-utdn-uxd
Join by phone +1 352-720-0249 (PIN: 635010358)
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Message from MMS Director Jennifer Carriger, March 31, 2020
Dear MMS families,
I am writing with an update in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on our school.
As you may know, Governor Justice has now extended the school building closures until April 20. Mountaineer Montessori School will continue our remote learning plan until that time. Here’s what that will look like, week by week:
- March 30-April 3: remote learning for MMS
- April 6-10: Spring Break (as scheduled)
- April 13-17: remote learning for MMS
- April 20: tentative date for reopening of school buildings, including MMS
The MMS faculty and staff have been in continuous communication with each other and with students/parents during this time of remote learning. We have also engaged with the broader Montessori community through our membership with the American Montessori Society. Everyone has been creatively and practically thinking of ways to connect and make learning meaningful in these unique and challenging times. The feedback I have received from families, teachers and staff is that we are all grateful and appreciative of each other. I am so amazed by the dedication of our staff as they have completely immersed themselves in learning what is needed to transition to remote learning. It’s been wonderful to see the photos you’ve shared of your children and to hear updates from you – please keep them coming!
Primary and Lower Elementary families should have received a link to sign up for a support/check-in phone call with your child’s lead guide. If you haven’t signed up yet, I encourage you to do so. The links are below:
Primary I (Kathryn): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a094fafa72aa4fc1-weekly
Primary II (Isabelle): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0948aaae2ea4f49-weekly
Lower Elementary I (Tara): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a094daaae28aafd0-checkin
Lower Elementary II (Becca): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a094ca5af22aaff2-student
If you need to reach Upper Elementary or Middle School guides, their email addresses are below:
Thank you for your patience with us as we are working daily to adjust to this mode of learning and connection. We will continue to keep you updated and are here for you if you need anything. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Best wishes,
Jennifer
Postcard from Mountaineer Montessori, March 28, 2020
Mountaineer Montessori Message March 24, 2020
In today’s MMM. Director Jennifer Carriger shares why she is proud of and inspired by our amazing school community!
Mountaineer Montessori Message March 22, 2020
If you can’t share a hug, share a smile!
Mountaineer Montessori Message March 20, 2020
You’re on our minds and in our hearts!
Today’s Mountaineer Montessori Message is brought to you by our wonderful Primary team, who have a sweet and special message for our students and a preview of what’s to come on new online platform created just for our school community.
Starting Monday, March 23, MMS faculty and families can begin sharing lessons, activities and supporting each other on a new Facebook group created just for us.
The group will be closed/private and admission will be upon approval only. Criteria for adding members and ground rules for interaction are outlined on the group page. The page is an extension of our classroom and all communication should be guided by the Montessori peace philosophy.
Be kind and be peaceful.
This group was created to connect and support our community and is an extension of the MMS classroom, programming and school values. Please model the Montessori peace philosophy in your interactions.
Respect privacy
MMS will not share your posts without permission. If you are comfortable sharing your photos or other content on our main page or elsewhere, please let us know by noting “Shareable.” In return, group members must agree not to share posts unless they are likewise noted.
Be creative, positive and fun!
Your photos, ideas and thoughts are welcome. Now more than ever, we need to connect, share and lift each other up!
No commercial posts or spam.
Please feel free to share tips on community or online resources, products and activities.of interest to our families. However, no direct sales posts are allowed.
Be appropriate.
This page is not the place for specific questions about individual assignments or details of school operations that can be answered by classroom teachers or administrators. Our staff is accessible and welcomes any questions you may have.
You’re on our mind and in our hearts….we look forward to connecting with our MMS Families and Faculty starting Monday. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact Jennifer, Beth or our teachers with any questions!
Mountaineer Montessori Message March 19, 2020
Director Message March 18, 2020
Dear MMS Parents,
Today, I write to you thinking about your children. The staff is here at school without them, and they are missed. Our teachers, assistant, and specialists have been working these past few days to begin setting up systems for providing continuity in the educational experience of our students, and they will continue to do so as long as schools remain closed.
We know this can be a confusing and challenging time for the children, as their (and your) lives have been significantly altered in the last week. I am sharing below a few links with parent resources about talking with young people about the coronavirus. I hope they can provide some helpful information as you adjust to our new circumstances.
- NPR: Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus
- Child Mind: Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus
- New York Times: How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus
- USA Today: How Do You Talk to Your Children About Coronavirus?
- American Psychological Association: Talking to Kids About Difficult News
- Common Sense Media: Explaining the News to Our Kids
Please note that our parent-teacher conferences will not take place this week. I apologize for any confusion as you may have received reminders from the signup service we use.
You should have received, by 10:00 AM today, information from your child’s classroom teacher(s) outlining learning from home lessons and guidance. If you have not received communication from your child’s teacher(s), please let me know right away so we can make sure they can connect with you. If you have specific questions about assignments, please email your child’s lead teacher. Each has reserved “office hours” so that they have time dedicated to responding to your questions and comments.
I will continue to keep in touch with you regularly. Please contact me anytime with questions. The lead teachers and I are checking email daily and are available and happy to arrange a phone call as well – we are here for you and the students.
Warmly,
Jennifer
Mountaineer Montessori Message March 17, 2020
— J
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