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Montessori Buzz – March 31, 2020

Message from Tina, Our Executive Director

Dear MA Families, 

Thank you. Thank you for your patience and being here with us as we continue to find ways to support you and your children. Thank you for sharing your moments of goodness happening in your homes. We realize this past week has not been easy for anyone, as each of us continually try to find what our new normal looks like. This also means there is an underlying current of stress at almost any minute of the day. I’ve been encouraging the school’s teachers and staff to be mindful of taking time for self-care regularly, and I’d like to extend that reminder to all of you as well. Find moments when you can step away, even if only for a minute just to breathe. 

Right now our children are learning so much from the adults in their lives and at a speed like no other; our lives are changing with every new announcement we hear from the government. They are seeing how we communicate, show gratitude, problem solve, show kindness and resilience. They are living through a turning point in our history. There is far more learning happening about humanity, beyond what we can offer them in an academic realm. However, what we can do is continue to provide the consistency and love they know so well from their teachers; to keep their minds active and curious as they start to engage in more lessons over the coming weeks. Help them feel like they are not in this alone as they see their friends are right along there with them. As you try to set new schedules in your homes, keep in mind even when your child is in their classrooms for a full day of school, a large portion of their time is spent working independently, as teachers provide lessons throughout the day that tend to be the beginning of a discovery for them. Our staff are providing Zoom learning, researching and preparing upcoming lessons, collaborating and meeting with their level colleagues, as well as responding to parents via email and touching base with phone calls. I am so grateful for our MA-zing faculty and staff, especially while caring for their own families. 

The MA Board of Governors is monitoring the school closure situation as it unfolds. They are aware of the Emergency Order that was extended to April 13, and its relevance to private schools and daycares. This order can only be put into place for two weeks at a time, and is likely to be extended again. Therefore the Board is in full support to continue to follow the provincial directive that was announced today regarding public school closures until May 4, in order to protect the health and safety of our community. 

Today’s announcement also provided parameters required to review options that uphold the Board’s fiduciary responsibility for the school. All of this must be done, while looking for a way to continue to  support our outstanding staff. Finally and certainly not least, our families need our support as well. A financial analysis is happening today, and the Board will meet Wednesday to review the options and approve one; a follow-up communication will be sent to families on Thursday morning. The Board has a firm understanding of the position parents are facing, but were unable to make any quick decisions with financial implications until a timeline was clear, and details regarding government programs were available. 

Currently, since our billing cycle is about to start again for the upcoming year, any families that require assistance, such as to adjust their upcoming payments or to keep funds available to their own families, need to contact Victoria to do this. Since every family is in a different scenario, she is working one on one with them. 

This quote was shared with me last week from a Montessori training centre. The Book of Joy references the Dalai Lama saying, “Stress and anxiety come from our expectation of how life should be.” None of this is what we thought life should be, but it is what we are facing. Peace comes with acceptance of what is. So I am wishing  you the peace of acceptance as we ride out these challenges and lean in on the strength of our community.  

Sincerely, 

Tina Sartori, 
Executive Director 

Interim Reports available Friday, April 3

Interim Reports will be available Friday by 3 pm through the MA Parent Portal After logging in, select your child’s name in the top left corner.  The Interim Report is available under the “Progress” tab.  

Update your information in the Parent Portal

Please make sure the school has your current contact information so that we can continue to connect with you on a timely basis. 

  • Login to https://montessori.myschoolapp.com/
  • Click on Profile (your name) at the very top Right corner of your screen
  • Click the Contact Card blue tab at the left side of your screen
  • Update your contact information, including phone numbers and email address

Junior High Gifts Project – video trailer…

Every other year, the Junior High students launch their Gifts Project. To generate a bit of excitement with the students about this year’s initiative – despite the physical distancing, JH guides Shawn and Kerry put their creative minds together and came up with this trailer: https://vimeo.com/401992577/359bff1bf3

UE Canada project – Inukshuks

The Upper Elementary students are doing a Canada project for the next couple of weeks. During their ‪Monday morning Zoom meeting our UE1 students were challenged to design and build an Inukshuk out of anything they had handy. “Just be creative and have fun was the instructions.” And so they did have some fun. Here are the creative creations made by Boston and Isla.


Parent Information & Resources 

At-Home Learning Resources

Make sure to check out the At-Home Learning links in the MA Parent Portal under the Resources tab. We’ve added a new list of websites and other links called: Parent Resources – March 30, 2020 (PDF). We will continue to add useful information to this Resource Board as we gather it. 

‘Montessori Minute’ videos

“Science Regrowing Fruits and Vegetables” — Growing your own food has always been a fun activity. But RE-growing your food? Did you know that you can do that? It’s possible! Celery, potatoes, onions, and more can replenish themselves in your kitchen!  

How to Talk to kids about COVID-19

Here’s a cool interactive resource for parents shared with us by a parent (Thanks, Alison!!) – “How to Talk to Kids” about COVID-19: https://lifeology.io/for-kids-how-to-keep-covid-away/

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