Author: Alejandro Malespin

In order for us to refine our plans for a potential school wide closure we ask that you kindly complete the questionnaire included here. Your response will provide us with information necessary to continue to operate and provide services to our community at the highest risk level of our safety plan. In order for us to adequately staff Distance Learning classrooms and provide childcare for our essential workers we need to know your intention should we shift to Red. Please complete the questionnaire by January 21. Reach out to Margaret, margaretmcdonald@mcsslc.com, should you have any questions regarding this questionnaire or the Red Risk level in general.

Red Risk Level Form

One of the great strengths of our school is its community of parents, students, and staff. We appreciate and are grateful for the word of mouth referrals by our current families. We want to inform you about our upcoming general admissions meeting in the event that you would like to pass that information along to friends or family interested in Montessori education. This event will be virtual.  The “Join Meeting” button above will connect you on the day of the event.

• Thursday, January 21, 2021
• 6:30-7:30pm

This event is a required step for beginning the application process and will count as a tour while we are operating under COVID-19 safety protocols. Unless they have done so already, families interested in attending should begin by filling out the Admissions Inquiry Form on the FMSL website.

Foothill Montessori of Salt Lake serves children aged 18 months through 6th grade. The application period for 2021-2022 opens on January 22, 2021. We have rolling admissions, and will schedule parent interviews in the order in which applications are received.

Our mission is to provide an authentic Montessori experience that nurtures the natural unfolding of the whole individual, instills a love of learning, encourages acts of peace, and empowers all.

Please share this event on Facebook with friends or family.

Hello There FMSL Community!

This is Gracie, that weird Toddler Dept. teacher who wears the big hood. I just wanted to pop by and say ‘Hi from inside the hood!’ Your wonderful kids have all been pretty curious about my hood and I’m happy to talk about it with all of you. My hood is a compromise. My family had reservations about me returning to in-person teaching during the pandemic, but not coming back to FMSL just wasn’t an option for me. I love my job. I love my coworkers. I love your kids.

My bubble, my immediate family, are all in high risk groups for Covid-19. My parents, who I live with, are in their 60’s. My sister has a congenital defect of her respiratory system which makes Covid a death sentence, and her husband, my sweet brother-in-law, has been battling Stage 4 esophageal cancer for a little over a year now. Because of the greater risk to the members of my family, we worked out a deal; I could return to work, but would have to take some pretty extreme precautions. Those of you in the medical field are probably doing most of these too.

My daily routine when returning home is this:

1. Remove my shoes on the back porch and put them in a Tupperware. (I don’t want to be surprised by a sheltering spider in the morning!)
2. Undress in our mudroom and put my scrubs and hood in a sheet. I then put on a robe and take all of my clothing bundled in the sheet to the washing machine.
3. Wipe off everything that went to school with me with alcohol.
4. Take a shower.
5. Make sure my scrubs and ppe are ready for the next day.

That part isn’t so bad. I’m used to it now, but life in the hood isn’t much fun. Its basically a sauna for your head. A sauna of your own breath. But hey, it’s a pandemic better my own breath than anyone else’s, right?! It’s stuffy and my screen fogs up all the time and I have to put dish soap on it to keep it clear. I also have to wear a scarf over my hair or the hood rubs on my head and I have big knots and matted spots when I get home. It’s not ideal, and it’s not maybe even significantly more effective than just a mask and a face shield; but that’s not really what it’s all about is it? It’s about my compromise, and my promise to my family to do whatever it takes to keep them safe.

I know there are so many new inconveniences in life, so many more worries and things to keep us up at night; but we’re in it together. I wouldn’t have returned to work if I worked anywhere else, but I feel a tremendous amount of trust in our community. This is a feeling of safety and trust I can not feel in wider world at the moment, so I am tremendously grateful for it. Here I see us all doing our part everyday to keep each other safe. Maybe my hood is silly, it certainly has made me take myself less seriously, and be a bit less vain. I mean, who cares if you’re wearing makeup or did your hair in your spacesuit anyway?

My students mostly cannot wear masks, and even before Covid they were not great at catching sneezes and coughs in the crook of their arms. Toddler teachers are accustomed to the fine spray of a sneeze misting lightly over us like summer dew. You name it, and I can guarantee a toddler teacher has definitely had it on their person at some point. You’ve all been forewarned we’re terrible dinner party guests, and don’t ask about our day unless you have a strong stomach. But we don’t mind. We really don’t. We love what we do, and we love your children. But they can’t protect us, so you have to. Please be willing to get covid testing, even for toddlers, when it is prudent to do so. When a student has a symptom of Covid, we worry. We worry that we held them too close to our face when we picked them up after they scraped their knee. We worry about that time we bent down to hear their story and they sneezed right into our face. We worry that we’re going to get sick, and that we might get the people we love sick. Every-time a student goes home sick I start a self quarantine at home because the risk for me is too high not to. My world is much smaller now; I only see my immediate family and FMSL family in person. For now that is enough, and I feel blessed to have you all; but it would hurt all the more if even one person from that short list was gone. Please be safe. Please keep your promises. Please be willing to keep us safe.

With Fond Regards,

Gracie Reitz

The Health and Safety Committee met on December 4, 2020 to discuss modifications to our quarantine policy. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends a quarantine period of 14 days, they have determined that, with certain parameters, the period may be reduced. The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) recently aligned their quarantine guidelines to that of the CDC. Our committee deliberated the recent updates and considered how modifications might affect FMSL.

After examining the material, and taking into account the high compliance to date that the FMSL community has shown with all of the school’s COVID-19 policies and protocols, we have determined that in certain circumstances the quarantine period for school exposures may be reduced to 10 days.

The following changes will be effective January 2021:

Low Risk Exposure, Test and Return Protocols

A student or staff member, who was exposed in the school setting to someone who tested positive, may return to in-person learning or work after a minimum 10 day quarantine if he or she meets ALL of the following:

1. The school verifies the student or staff member who was exposed and the person who tested positive were both wearing a face mask as defined by the State Public Health Order on masks in schools.
2. The quarantined student or staff member has a negative COVID-19 PCR test result. The test result must be from at least 7 days after the last exposure. Antigen tests (often called a rapid test) and antibody tests will not be accepted in this circumstance.
3. The student or staff member does not have symptoms of COVID-19.

If the student or staff member who was exposed meets all three criteria he or she may return on the date the school and Health Department determines as appropriate.

If the individual does not meet all three criteria or chooses not to get tested, he or she should quarantine at home for 14 days from the last day of exposure.

Anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19 and comes back to school must continue to watch for symptoms. If employees or students get symptoms, they should isolate at home and call their healthcare provider.

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 do not need to quarantine or get tested again for up to 3 months as long as they do not develop symptoms again. People who develop symptoms again within 3 months of their first bout of COVID-19 may need to be tested again if there is no other cause identified for their symptoms.

The Low Risk Exposure,Test and Return Protocols do not apply to the Toddler program.

Exposures that occur outside of the school setting will need to be examined on a case by case basis to determine the appropriate length of a quarantine period.

The PSA have set up Giving Trees at the school’s entry points. Each tree is adorned with ornaments that will allow you to support two of our Holiday Giving projects. Families can choose items to purchase by picking labeled ornaments from the trees. Once gifts are purchased, return them UNWRAPPED with the ornaments attached and a copy of the receipt, if possible. Please put gift cards in an envelope. We will have a big red bin outside by the trees for receiving the donations (weather permitting). All items are due Monday, December 14. Thank you!

This year FMSL is sponsoring two refugee families from the Democratic Republic of the Congo through the International Rescue Committee’s Light One Candle Program. The first is a family of four with two sons, 16 and 20 years old. The second is a single mom and her 6 year old daughter. Both families arrived in the U.S. this spring.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, located in Central Africa, has spent decades in the grip of violent conflict and economic unrest. Security has severely deteriorated since 2017, displacing over 5 million people and leaving 15.6 million in need of humanitarian assistance. Congo also has been confronted with several Ebola outbreaks since 2018. The IRC helps vulnerable Congolese meet urgent needs and provides support to rebuild communities.

Each year, IRC offers community members the unique opportunity to fulfill holiday wish lists for recently arrived refugee families and individuals, supporting their efforts to gain control of their future and become an integral part of our community.

Learn more about the International Rescue Committee and their efforts here:

https://www.rescue.org/

https://www.rescue.org/announcement/become-light-one-candle-sponsor

https://www.rescue.org/country/democratic-republic-congo

We are also collecting much needed items for the Inn Between, a local organization that provides a home environment that enables adults experiencing homelessness to gain access to professional hospice care. Like many nonprofits, The Inn Between is suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and needs our help to continue caring for terminally ill and medically frail residents.

Please read more about the Inn Between here:

https://tibhospice.org/

Don’t forget about our food drive for the Salvation Army! We have a large white collection barrel outside the Main entrance of the school (parking lot side) for canned and packaged non-perishable food items.

FMSL and the PSA thank you in advance for your generosity and support with these projects.

The dividing line between the nation of adults and the nation of children runs through a place called “Time.” On the adult side time is measured in nano seconds so much to do, places to go, places to be but on the child’s side there is no measurement of time because there is no real internal or external clock. Time for children, if measured, is almost considered eternal, endless stretching out to some far horizon. Even learning to tell time is an accommodation to the adult world because time is a foreign word that has no meaning yet.

The conflict between the two worlds is painful and full of frustration for both adult and child. And ironically, it is only the “passing of time” that mitigates the conflict as the child sadly surrenders his childhood to the adult world. The child’s world (not the world of bills and jobs, responsibilities and obligations) is full of discovery and adventure where memories are few and possibilities are endless. The adult measures memories in a chronological diary while staying focused on now, today, this week … It is during this conflict that children learn why they have a middle name – adult patience has run out and you better hop to it NOW. It is also during this time that the child gets confused over his new name or title. It is traumatic enough to hear “John William” but now it is prefaced by “Hurry Up.” For the first two or three years of their lives children have been used to hearing only one name and now circumstances gives them FOUR names. Hurry Up John William (apologies to all the John Williams out there.) Hurry up brush your teeth. Hurry up put on your shoes. Hurry up eat your breakfast. Forget your name is John. Your name is now Hurry Up. (If you are grimacing while you read this you are recognizing your own world but also if you are reading this it means that your child is in all likelihood enrolled in a place “Where time stands still.”

Your Montessori school is a haven from the tyranny of time. It is a place of leisurely discovery and at the same time a laboratory of intense work (that is not governed by the clock.) The adult frustration of running out of time only visits a Montessori school when the adult clock says it is time to go home. But there is the promise that tomorrow I can pick up exactly where I left off – the intervening time does not make me miss the joy of discovery and work, unlike poor Mom and Dad if they miss the plane or the appointment or the deadline.

Now, there is another irony of this place where time stands still and it is time travel. Montessori is a place where three-year-olds can visit the world of fours and fives. Where four-year-olds catapult themselves into the future of learning. Nobody checks their passport for age. They get to explore the lands of writing, reading, math, science, geometry and geography and no one says you are too young (someone else’s concept of time.) Montessori children easily move back and forth through this environment where time stands still.

Can time stand still at home? A difficult challenge but you can mitigate the time wars and frustration to you and your children. Again, there is an irony here. It will take time. If a child needs thirty minutes to finish a process – brushing her teeth, putting on her shoes etc. – plan on thirty minutes not the five you can do it in. “Plan” is an adult word. That is what adults do – they plan. Plan time, lots of it for your children because they are not yet “blessed” with that gene. So, it is up to the adults to navigate the time reality and not complain about children not yet speaking the foreign language called time. Hopefully, some day, the only time “hurry up” will be heard in your house is when the children say, “I wish Christmas would hurry up and get here.”

Edward Fidellow

Utah continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases. This rise in cases is putting a strain on our medical system. Intensive care unit beds and staffing are severely limited in many of our hospitals and we all need to do our part in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Utah is now using the “transmission index” rather than the phased guidelines of “red, orange, yellow, green”. Counties are now placed in 1 of 3 transmission levels: high, moderate, low. These levels correspond directly to case rates, positivity rates, and ICU utilization. Salt Lake County and all surrounding counties are currently at the “high” transmission level. See Utah Department of Health website for what this means in public spaces: https://coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels/

As we approach the cold winter months and the holiday season, it’s important to keep the following in mind:

• Small gatherings have been responsible for a large proportion of COVID-19 cases. This is particularly of concern with indoor gatherings without masks. Consistent masking is difficult during gatherings involving food. Per Gov. Herbert’s recent public health order, gatherings are limited to those within the same household until Nov 23rd. Consider virtual Thanksgiving and holiday dinners this year and limit indoor gatherings as much as possible with consistent masking of all if gathering is necessary.
• Get your flu shot if you haven’t already. Influenza accounts for many hospitalizations, particularly for our vulnerable populations.
• If you are diagnosed with influenza, you may have COVID-19 at the same time and should consider testing for both.
• Masks with exhalation valves should not be worn. Though they may protect the wearer, the exhalation valve exposes others to viral particles. Bandannas and gaiters have not been shown to be effective face coverings, particularly if the fabric is transparent. Please review CDC mask recommendations:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.htmlhttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html

Welcome to Autumn in Utah, where the weather can change on a dime. We believe in integrating nature and large motor movement into every child’s experience at school. In our Outdoor Classroom, students are offered a wide variety of opportunities to extend their learning beyond the physical classroom and, in keeping with the Montessori philosophy, students are invited to experience nature as a hands on experience. As an extension of the classroom, science, botany, zoology, geography and even history are explored as part of our Outdoor Classroom experience. The playground, on the other hand, is a place for large, full body play where children can challenge themselves both socially and physically. In any outdoor environment at FMSL, open ended and collaborative play are valued and encouraged. Opportunities to practice practical life skills like building with wood working products, caring for plants and animals, digging, or even snow removal can be available on any given day. Rain or shine, we remain committed to dedicated time outside every day.

Nature is a beautiful gift that is best enjoyed when it is respected. Our children love to spend time in the outdoors but nothing can ruin a good outdoor adventure like being wet, cold, or otherwise uncomfortable because of poor clothing preparation.

Parents, please help your students develop a healthy respect for nature by encouraging them to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature has to offer on any given day, especially here at school! Children should come prepared to go outside in any circumstances. Layers, good shoes, and water resistant outer clothing are a great start.

We love the phrase “there is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing.”

*Pro-Tip: Label all clothing items to ensure they find their way back home.