Author: Alejandro Malespin

Dear FMSL Parents,

What a year we have had! I want to thank all of you for your love and support. The past few months, in particular, have been trying and you have been incredibly gracious and patient with our school and our administrative team.  While the future of COVID-19 remains somewhat uncertain, we are comforted by the newfound realization that our community will endure trials together and that in collaboration we will continue to move forward. I want to especially thank the parents on our Health and Safety Committee who have worked with our admin team to prepare for the future. And I would like to recognize Brandi Allen, Margaret Mc Donald, Jemmyn Buchanan and Jordan Newbould for their quick implementation of a Distance Learning program.  They have supported parents and staff through this difficult transition.

As we look at the future, you can expect some changes in our administrative team moving forward.  It is with great trust and confidence that I announce that Brandi Allen and Margaret

Mc Donald will work together as Co-Directors of Montessori Community School, beginning this summer and moving forward, with Candace Wiseman as our Summer Camp Director.  While I will remain part of the admin team and will consult with and support them for many months, possibly years, to come, I will no longer carry the title of School Director.  I have a strong desire for increased time spent with my family as I move towards a part time schedule.

Please note that this transition began before COVID-19 impacted our on-site instruction and that our team has been working to prepare for this transition for some time. Each and every member of our administrative team is prepared to support our students, parents and staff in whichever ways possible to ensure a smooth and stable transition.  I will be working closely with the team throughout the summer, preparing for the fall, and next year when we all gather together again on campus. As you have probably noticed, Brandi and Margaret have each taken on more and more responsibility throughout the year and particularly with the onset of COVID-19.  As our Uinta Parents have already been informed, a new teacher, Joshi Haskell, will join Christian full time in the Upper Elementary classroom this coming fall.

In addition to my support of the admin team, I am pleased to announce that Cherie Mockli, LCSW, and former FMSL employee, will be joining FMSL in the fall to provide support to students, parents and staff.  We realize that there is no way to know exactly how the stress of COVID-19 and the extended time away from classes will have impacted our student body. We are pleased that Cherie will be here to provide support. More information about Cherie is forthcoming but please note that I plan to work closely with her as she navigates her way through FMSL.

Our team will spend the coming months clearly outlining these new roles and responsibilities and we appreciate your support as we do so.  While it might be unnecessary, it feels important for me to let you know that this transition is in no way related to COVID-19, it does not reflect a personal concern about FMSL in any way, and that this is an inevitable transition for which I have been preparing since 2018. My commitment to FMSL has been to help them transition to a dedicated admin team and I am pleased that Margaret and Brandi, with the support of Robyn Eriwata-Buchanan, Jemmyn Buchanan, Ramira Alamilla and Nanette Cenaruzabeitia, have decided to step into this role at the most fitting time for us all.  My love for and dedication to Montessori Community School is as strong as ever.  However, my personal circumstances have changed more quickly than anticipated and I am looking forward to increased time with my family.

My position as School Director, like all my time at FMSL, has stretched me in unimaginable ways.  I have learned so much about collaboration, trust, advocacy, compassion, forgiveness, connection, and humility. I feel honored to have helped implement the vision that Robyn and her family so lovingly share with our community.  And, I thank you for being my partners in helping our community strive to be strong and supportive of the children whom we all love so deeply.

And it is with deep gratitude and a full heart that I bid farewell to 2019-2020. Please do reach out with any questions as I remain a devoted member of our admin team.

In deep gratitude,

Britney

Dear FMSL Staff and Families,

Teaching music at FMSL for the last few years has been so rewarding and I am so thankful.  As time is short, I have decided to spend more of it with my kids and teaching private violin lessons. I have had a chance to work with all the Early Childhood, Lower Elementary, and Upper Elementary students.  They are gracious, kind, eager to learn, and wonderful students.   I will really miss singing and playing instruments with them, seeing their eyes light up when we make music together, and watching their interest in music grow.  It has been a blessing working with amazing, supportive teachers, administration and parents. Memories from this time will carry with me.  Wishing you the best!

Sincerely,

Ana Bunce

Music Specialist

Joshi has worked as a Montessori Middle School Teacher since 2009. A former Montessori student, she received a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Utah in 2005. In 2012 she completed the NAMTA/AMI Introduction to Adolescent Studies in Cleveland, OH. In 2016 she completed the CMSTEP Curriculum course. She has enjoyed working with students throughout her life as a Secondary Montessori Teacher, Physio-Neuro Therapist, nanny, tutor, as well as an art and physical education specialist.

In her spare time, Joshi enjoys being outdoors, creating art, and spending time with her husband, family and friends.”

Dear Parents and Students,

It is with mixed emotions that I write to tell you I will not be returning to teach in Uinta next year as I am moving into administration full time. For the past several years, my time has been split between the upper elementary classroom and administration and I am grateful for the opportunity that has afforded me to work, not only, with the Uinta students and families but, also, the greater school community and FMSL itself. While the day has arrived for me to leave the classroom I know that that the classroom will not completely leave me; I will continue to draw on the lessons I learned there and the experience I gained from working alongside you and your children as I enter my new role. I thank you for your generosity, partnership and support.

I am happy to announce that we have hired a wonderful individual to join Christan in upper elementary. Joshi Haskell is a teacher with 13 years of classroom experience, 8 years of which were actually here at FMSL. Joshi and I have worked closely together in the past and I know that her skills, passions and creativity will be a wonderful addition to not only Uinta but also the entire elementary program. Just so you know, Joshi was instrumental in starting our Business Ventures and Market and she contributed to establishing many of the milestones and traditions of the Upper Elementary year such as team building at CLAS Ropes course and the collaborative effort that is the Valentine Social. I am excited to see what she will bring to our program.

Christian will continue to steer the ship that is Uinta. He has been an amazing co-teacher and I know that, moving forward, Uinta class is in very capable hands. I have the utmost confidence in him to continue the program that you have grown accustomed to while also holding space for it to grow and morph as each new community of students needs. He is an intuitive and humble Montessori guide that honours the Child and the potential each holds within. With his leadership, guidance and his amazing capacity to collaborate I know that he and Joshi will make a great teaching team. The children are very lucky.

Words cannot express how much each of your children has touched my heart and taught me how to be a better person through their caring thoughts and actions. I truly want you to know how much I appreciate all of you. Please do reach out if you have any questions or concerns. I would be happy to talk with you.

I really feel blessed to have been able to teach at FMSL for the past 25 years and contribute to its growth and development. I have had a wonderful time teaching children, watching them grow, and being inspired by their creative and thoughtful minds. I look forward to the new ways I will contribute to the future generations of students and the future of FMSL.

With gratitude,

Margaret

Dear FMSL Families,

As we approach the last day of the academic year, we wanted to provide you with an update on our planning for 2020-2021 and to share some context for how we are assimilating information and making decisions. While it is premature to state exactly what the school experience will be like in August, please rest assured that we are striving for flexibility and transparency in our process.

When formulating our plans, FMSL continues to take into consideration the guidelines and regulations provided by the state of Utah and the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We are in regular communication with school leaders, both locally and nationwide, so as to review best practises and standards of care in regards to this pandemic. Our very own Utah Montessori Council (UMC) has proven to be a source of practical advice as well as much needed moral boosting. Heads of School in the Montessori private and public sectors have been most generous in their sharing of tools and their time. In addition, we review the guidelines from the Utah State Board of Education and avail of the services and resources from the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and National Business Officers Association (NBOA).

As we work towards developing a safe and comprehensive plan for the fall we are focusing on the three following areas:

• The health and safety of our community.
• The educational experience of our students.
• The financial health of the school.

This is a dynamic situation and, as such, it requires adaptive planning that evolves as new information emerges and as circumstances shift. Specific decisions and details regarding on-campus modifications and protocols will be worked on over the next few months and shared with the community as promptly as practicable. Despite the uncertainty, we are developing plans based on the following assumptions informed by current projections:

• School will open for the 2020–2021 academic year with the understanding that we must prepare for the potential of returning to the more stringent state guidelines and “Stay at Home” recommendations.
• Waves of localized infections may result in rolling closures for 14–28 days and therefore intermittent transitions to distance learning may be necessary.
• Many aspects of our school, including our physical campus, our academic calendar, daily schedules,

programming, and social habits, will require modifications which will include at a minimum: physical distancing, health screening and precautions, and frequent disinfecting of the campus and materials.

Outlined below is an overview of the preliminary plans we are working on for each of Utah’s color coded risk levels. At each level, the community will be asked to follow specific health precautions in accordance with our local, state, and federal requirements and may include the following:

• Students and staff must attest to being symptom-free each day.
• Temperature checks will occur.
• Adults will wear masks when social distancing is not possible.
• Facilities staff will disinfect high touch surfaces, spaces and equipment frequently.
• We will reduce or, in some cases, eliminate shared materials. Teaching staff will clean and sanitize shared Montessori materials daily.
• We will reimagine celebrations, and community gatherings.
• We will examine how to minimize or eliminate the mixing of groups through the day and week.

Level 4 Green, “New Normal” & Level 3 Yellow, Low Risk

At these levels, programs would run close to normal yet modifications and protocols would be in place to reinforce good hygiene, allow for social distancing, and curtail the mixing of groups. We recognize that there may be scenarios where the campus would be open, but some families or staff may not be comfortable or able to return at that time, or families or staff may be in quarantine/isolation due to circumstances related to COVID-19. In this case our goal is to provide an option for those who cannot attend and make instruction available to all students during these periods. Blended learning, where some students are receiving instruction via our distance learning platform and some are receiving instruction on campus, does not change our commitment to providing a rich Montessori educational experience. FMSL’s blended learning model will combine synchronous (live) instruction with asynchronous (accessible anytime) instruction and materials in a schedule intentionally designed to provide a healthy school/life balance.

Level 2 Orange, Moderate Risk

At the Orange level, priority would be given to enabling Toddler and Early Childhood students to remain on campus. Additional classrooms would be set up to facilitate smaller group sizes. Elementary classes would follow a modified schedule to allow for smaller groups to attend. Blended learning would also be offered. 

Level 1 Red Level, High Risk

In the event our local community experiences a spike in COVID-19 cases and an interruption of physical operations occurs, we will promptly shift to campus-wide distance learning via our distance learning platform. We shall look to offer on site childcare for the families of essential workers.

We will be sending out the End of Year Survey soon; your feedback on your family’s experience with Distance Learning will help inform our decisions for Distance Learning 2.0. You are also invited to join our Health and Safety Committee to review the plans being developed for the upcoming school year. We anticipate this taking place in mid to late June. Please email margaretmcdonald@mcsslc.com should you be willing to collaborate: providing perspective or offering your expertise to this process. We greatly value the counsel of our community.

Regardless of the mode we may find ourselves in at any given time, we will continue to honour our school’s mission 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.

We are looking forward to being able to welcome all students and staff back to our campus the week of August 24,

FMSL Admin

The transition of the state from the phased color guidelines to the new COVID 19 Transmission Index has not necessitated an alteration of our COVID policy and procedures. We have been operating at the Orange Risk Level of our plan since the start of the school year and have been very fortunate to have had to quarantine only one class to date. This success is due in no small measure to the precautions being taken by our staff, students and their families. We are grateful for the community’s compliance and ongoing attention to remaining vigilant to mitigation efforts.

We will move our school to the Red Risk Level of our plan if the city or state deems it necessary for public health, or if we reach the points where we have community spread within our school, or if we cannot maintain sufficient staffing in which to safely operate.

The Utah Department of Health and Utah’s 13 local health departments provide guidelines to help school administrators determine when in-person learning needs to be suspended because there is spread of COVID-19 in the school. We are in regular communication with the Health Department; our contact at the SLHD has been very helpful and patient with our many questions. We will continue to work closely with health officials to determine the appropriate course of action for FMSL should our case count increase.

• The Health Department does not consider a single case of COVID-19 (meaning only one person tested positive for COVID-19) in a school or classroom to be an outbreak.
• 2 cases of COVID-19 among students or staff within a 14-day period is considered an outbreak. If there are 2 positive cases in a setting and exposure period, this is the point Utah public health advises schools to be on heightened awareness. Note: People living in the same home are not considered an outbreak.
• 3 people who are connected by the same setting, exposure, and 2-week time period is considered a classroom outbreak.
• 15 people tested positive for COVID-19 across multiple settings in the school (more than one classroom) and are connected by the same time period or 10% of the student population, whichever is lower, is considered a school outbreak. *We have a number of siblings and staff families in multiple programs. We have determined that, should we have 3 people testing positive, across multiple settings, in the same time period, we would consider the wisdom of shifting departments or the whole school to Red.

Appropriate staff to child ratios must be maintained in order for us to safely operate. The pandemic has resulted in high staff absentee rates. There have been several instances where we haven’t had enough substitutes to fill the gaps and have had to extend shifts. Extending shifts is a last resort, it is exhausting for our staff and cannot be sustained long term. Should we reach a point where many staff are quarantining, and we cannot cover their absence, we will need to shift to the Red Risk Level.

In advance of a switch to Red, we would send out a school wide notification of the impending move. Elementary students would be automatically switched to Distance Learning. Distance learning is optional for Toddler and Early Childhood students. On-site childcare would be offered to our essential workers if we are not in a quarantine scenario.

The length of time spent in Red would be dependent on a variety of factors. It would be our intention to resume on-site instruction as soon as it would be safe to do so.

FMSL has developed a particular set of protocols for operating during the re-entry phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. These decisions have been made in anticipation of reopening for Summer 2020. The protocols take into consideration current public health guidance, local regulations, our school’s mission and culture, and the community’s safety. We shall revisit these protocols in preparation for the 2020-21 academic year as information and appropriate safety measures continue to evolve and change.

Click here to view our RE-ENTRY-RUBRIC.

Dear FMSL Parents,

I would like to start by thanking you for your ongoing support of our teachers, our administration and of your children.  It seems that no one has been dealt an easy hand in all of this and we are continually amazed at the love and support of our community.

As we move into the last leg of the academic year, we wanted to give you some updates as to what our administration has been focusing on in preparation for summer and for the upcoming school year.   We appreciate your patience as we work to be as transparent as possible and appreciate your understanding that the circumstances around COVID-19 and our financial situation are changing on an almost daily basis, hence making updates a difficult thing to communicate. Like many other businesses and individuals, we are at the mercy of a long line of unknowns and changing circumstances.  However, we met again today as a team to reevaluate our situation and we feel confident 1) about our current circumstances and 2) about the options still available to us.

As mentioned in previous communications, we have applied for the PPP. We were not fortunate enough to have been approved with the first wave of funding but feel hopeful that we will be with the next wave.  We are on a list waiting to hear about how the additional funding will play out.  We have also applied for a disaster loan fund and have filed a claim with our insurance for “business interruption.” We thank those who have sent links for other potential funding and I assure you our bookkeeper, Lindy,  and Robyn are working to turn every stone in order to give us the cushion that additional funding will provide.  We feel the additional funding will allow us opportunities and choices that might not be available to us otherwise.

To date, refunds for Extended Day, student withdrawals and Tuition Assistance are being prepared or have been issued as follows:

• Extended Day refunds = $59,000
• Withdrawal Refunds (Academic and Summer Camp) = $29,000
• Tuition Assistance (Academic and Summer Camp) = $31,000

We have committed  to paying our staff their full salaries through the remainder of the academic year.  We expect approximately $123,500 additional income through the remainder of this year’s tuition payments. Please note that tuition payments are our only source of income.

We currently have 71 students enrolled in our Summer Camp and 173 students currently committed for the 2020-2021 academic year, with more pending. Our typical enrollment is right around 200 students. Queries about enrollment for next year continue to trickle in. These numbers are encouraging and we believe that your commitment to FMSL has made it possible for us to confidently continue our plans for next year.  We are looking at ways FMSL can make adjustments, if necessary, to ensure the success of our program in the future and with regard to how coronavirus might impact us later on.

While FMSL has been able to make these commitments in support of our staff and our FMSL families, we must look at ways to recoup some of the funds we have lost due to COVID-19 circumstances.  We are looking into a Tuition Assistance fund that others can donate to in the future and we are, as mentioned above,  exploring options for outside funding.

We would like to publicly thank those who have contacted FMSL to say they do not expect a refund for Extended Day.  We realize this is not possible for every family.  While we are committed to making these refunds, we do welcome donations from families who are able to spare the funds. If you are able to spare all or a part of your refund, please let us know by emailing billing@mcsslc.com.  Donations of any amount are welcomed and will be used to support other families in need.

Many have had questions about what to expect from Summer Camp.  We recognize the difficulty of not having answers and we apologize that we have not been able to make a commitment about Summer Camp yet.  We are hopeful that we can offer this service to our families and we are exploring how to best make that happen in a manner that meets the necessary requirements for safety.  Some of our Summer Camp considerations include:

• Original dates for camp are June 15 – August 7.  We are considering adjusting the dates to be June 22 – August 14.  This allows us one extra week for circumstances to improve and allows us to still offer a full camp. Please note: this does not include Interim Camp.

• Child Care Licensing has current requirements for Child Care facilities wish to be open and would require us to adjust our curriculum and our approach to how we prepare our environment. Our team is looking carefully at those requirements and exploring how they would populate at FMSL Summer Camp.

• Candace, our Camp Director, has been working diligently on preparing a camp curriculum as we hope that Camp will be offered.

We realize that many of you are seeking certainty and we simply cannot offer it right now.  We are extremely committed to doing all we can to offer services to our families as soon as possible and we realize that this might mean a roll out of services in a manner that is different from what you have come to expect from FMSL.  This could look like an adjusted drop off and pick up procedure, a change in class sizes and student to teacher ratios, or an adjustment in how we prepare the environment.  It is possible that preparing for this program could include costs that we don’t typically consider for camps.  As we consider the many details necessary to prepare for our re-opening, we ask you to have continued patience.

In order to be able to answer questions about the future with confidence, a reliable budget is a necessity.  Please note that we have offered withdrawals from FMSL with no fees attached, despite our regular withdrawal policy.  These withdrawals are applicable to the academic year.

Lastly, please note that Thursday, April 30th is the last day to apply for Tuition Assistance for the remainder of the academic year.  This is for no reason other than to allow us to make future plans with financial certainty. You can email britneypeterson@mcsslc.com for instructions on applying for assistance.

If you are considering withdrawal from Summer Camp, please note that you must contact us individually and we will ask you to fill out a questionnaire helping us understand your circumstances so that we can prepare to work together in the best interest of our students and our community.

We realize the difficulty of the unknown and we, again, thank you for your patience.  As soon as information becomes available to us, we will be sure to update you.

We have worked to maintain the important balance of focusing on self care and mental health while also giving proper time and attention to the academic needs of our students.  The reality is, the needs of our students vary as much now as they always have.  And the time and attention each parent has to give to their child’s education is equally variant.  We want you to know that we honor each individual situation and appreciate that each parent, child and teacher are doing their best. We thank you for your patience and support.  We are committed to supporting your child right where they are at when they return to us. We urge you to focus on their mental health as your number one priority for helping them be prepared for our return to school.

As always, we send our love and appreciation for your support. We wish you health, peace and comfort as you navigate current circumstances.

Warm wishes,

Britney