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School closure updates and information

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.

Read the entire press release

As part of our commitment to supporting families during this time of remote learning, MMS will present “Parenting Through a Pandemic-The Montessori Way,” an all-school MMS Parent University Zoom event and conversation 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. Please check your email and add this event to your calendar.

Katie holds a Montessori Elementary I & II AMS credential, and worked for seven years as an Montessori upper elementary directress in Minnesota and California. Starting in 2008, she spent four years working as a Montessori teacher trainer in St. Catherine University’s Center for Contemporary Montessori Programs, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she was the instructor for upper elementary geography, history and biology curricula, as well as elementary art, and elementary literature and writing. In addition, she co-developed and co-instructed in the Montessori STEM Graduate Certificate Program. Since 2008, Katie has worked as a Montessori pedagogical consultant and STEAM consultant, as a Professional Certified Leadership Coach and Montessori pedagogical consultant for several schools across the country.

Jenny is a long-time Montessori teacher and parent educator. In addition to guiding children at the preschool, elementary, and Junior High levels, she has taught parent education workshops for 15 years and the Positive Discipline approach for the last three years. Jenny helps caregivers see their strengths and build on them to help solve common parenting struggles. Through the Positive Discipline approach, parents help children develop self-discipline, responsibility, cooperation, and problem-solving skills. Jenny is certified in Positive Discipline for the Montessori Classroom and Positive Discipline Parent Education. She has a B.A. in English, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, an Association Montessori International primary teaching diploma (ages 3 to 6), and a Masters in Education.

To join the conversation:

Where: https://zoom.us/j/327790165

Hangouts Meet meet.google.com/ivr-utdn-uxd

Join by phone +1 352-720-0249 (PIN: 635010358)

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)

“Together with Mountaineer Montessori School: Share. Support. Thrive.” is a just-released toolkit prepared by our staff to guide and support Montessori at home. It includes practical advice for establishing a home learning environment, child development considerations, and authentic, high-quality, curriculum–aligned Montessori activities to extend education beyond the classroom walls. Copies are available free of charge on our website.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve learned that Montessori schools never “close” because Montessori is an aid to life and a way of life–much more than a building or even the beautiful manipulative materials found in the classroom

“What is really important is meeting children as they are and where they are and providing the support and inspiration they need to develop to their fullest potential, says Jennifer. These two new resources are designed to help all of us serve the child in the days ahead.

As always, we are grateful for your patience, support and understanding as we sustain our mission in face of our “new normal.”

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:

aal-qudwah@mountaineermontessori.org	jwinesburg@mountaineermontessori.org
shalstead@mountaineermontessori.org	ebeal@mountaineermontessori.org
julie.margolis@mountaineermontessori.org	negratica2@gmail.com (Maria)

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.

MMS Families and Faculty

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

Closure Announcement March 13, 2020

Dear MMS Parents,

Governor Justice has announced the decision to close all schools across the state, and Mountaineer Montessori School will comply out of civic duty, and to ensure your family’s health and safety to the best of our ability. As I write this email, the Governor’s orders do not include an end date for the school closures. This is a very difficult time of uncertainty for all of us.

We will continue with normal dismissal today and the Plus Program will operate until 5:30 today. Starting Monday, March 16, the school and Plus program will be closed. We are also postponing the following activities/events:

parent conferences (originally scheduled for March 19 and 20) will be rescheduled once school is back in session

the Middle School’s mystery dinner theater event (originally scheduled for March 21) will be rescheduled

our annual gala, “An Epic Evening” (originally scheduled for March 28) will be held on May 30

after-school lessons (guitar, ukulele) will be rescheduled once school is back in session

we will continue to monitor this ever-evolving situation and make decisions about other events as we learn more

Our MMS faculty and staff are working hard to prepare, and we will continue to support you as much as possible while we are closed. We will meet this afternoon and next week to plan for delivery of learning activities for your children to engage with at home. Our goal is to help provide structure for the days at home and to ensure that students are making adequate progress toward curriculum outcomes, particularly our older students who are preparing for the transition to middle school and high school. Expect to hear more details about home learning activities by Wednesday, 3/18. This is one of the measures we are taking to stay in contact, in a meaningful way, while we are forced to exercise social distancing out of extreme caution. We want your children to know how much we value them as students and to support them while we are unable to do so in person. We are going to miss our work with you and your children. We care deeply about your health and safety, and hope that each of you has all the resources that you will need during this time.

The Board of Directors and I are committed to making sure we are up and running as soon our current situation permits. We will be ready when that occurs and will let you know as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, we will stay in touch with regular communication, and be here to answer your questions and help you in any way possible.

Please reach out to me anytime by email, jcarriger@mountaineermontessori.org, or by calling the school phone, 304-342-7870. I will continue to check email and phone messages regularly and encourage you to ask questions as they arise.

Be safe and be well,

Jennifer Carriger

MMS Director

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