Author: Alejandro Malespin

Foothill Montessori of Salt Lake will be hosting an Admissions Open House. Parents are invited to this adult-only event to learn more about the Montessori method, curriculum and philosophy, and how our programs are designed to educate the whole child. You will have the opportunity to visit our classrooms and meet our Montessori teaching staff.

January 16, 2024

7 PM – 8 PM

Program Ages:

• Infants / 3 – 18 Months
• Toddlers / 18 Months – 3 Years
• Early Childhood / 3 – 6 Years
• Elementary / 6 – 12 Years

You are invited, regardless if you have previously made an inquiry to the school or spoken with someone from our dedicated staff. This is an in-person event for adults only. An opportunity for your child to tour is available later.

You may fill out our “Request a Tour” form and specify the January 9 Open House event in order to indicate you will be attending.

We are happy and honored that you have entrusted us with your child’s education and look forward to continuing that relationship for the next academic year.

Re-enrollment for 2024-2025 opens December 15, 2023.

Every family should have received an email from enroll@mcsslc.com by December 15, 2023 called Enrolllment for {your student} for 2024-2025 explaining how to complete the re-enrollment process for the 2024-2025 school year. The email was sent to the same parent/guardian who filled out the application and enrollment forms previously.

Re-enrollment should be completed by January 16th. That is when open enrollment starts for new families. We wish to preserve our current families’ spaces by enrolling your children first. After this date, spaces will be opened to new families and your child’s placement will no longer be guaranteed.

Enrollment details to note for 2024-2025

• The tuition increase this year is 5% across all programs.
• If you are considering the Extended Day option, we encourage you to sign up sooner rather than later. Staffing is based on those who have selected this option during enrollment and we cannot guarantee space for later schedule changes.
• Terms and Conditions updates include use of cameras in the classroom, a rate change in the parent participation replacement cost, and an additional PSA Fee. We also anticipate enforcing the charge for lost access cards and fobs in the coming academic school year.

If your child will not be returning for the 2024-2025 year, please email enroll@mcssl.com to indicate your decisions. Alternativlyl, log into FACTS Family Portal and click Apply/Enroll > Enrollment / Re-enrollment and click the button “Will Not Enroll”.

If your family has elected not to return to FMSL next year, we recommend that you wait to relay that information to your child until closer to the end of the academic year. It has been our experience that children who are told in advance of such a change often lose their focus for the balance of the year, and begin the process of separation long before the change is imminent.

We understand that educational decisions are the result of a thoughtful, intentional process and we appreciate our families taking the time when they are considering re-enrollment for another school year. Do not hesitate to contact us at enroll@mcsslc.com if you have any questions or need assistance in this process.

Last week all of the Montessori classes worked on projects to decorate the dinner tables at the Sarah Daft Home for Thanksgiving. Students decorated pumpkins with flowers, leaves, feathers, acorns and other beautiful items for the centerpieces and made colorful leaf rubbings on paper for decorative placemats. 

Teachers Joshi, Carson and Amanda delivered the items last Friday and set up the decorations on dining tables.  They looked very festive! Employees and residents at Sarah Daft home were so excited and grateful for the decorations. 

The students enjoyed making these items and learning more about the Sarah Daft Home through a flip book Amanda made with pictures from the home, including their dining room where the items would be set up.  FMSL will continue to be involved with the Sarah Daft Home and plan to set up some in-person visits and activities. In December, we will be making decorations for the residents’ doors.

We are celebrating the change in the weather with lessons on assessing the temperature and practicing bundling up. Prepare your family with gathering up the jackets, hats, gloves and boots. Look for our Winter Clothing Exchange comming soon in November.

Our seasonal activities included the Book Fair, Halloween Carnival, and Halloween Parade.

We hope that your fall celebrations are equally awesome!

Jack-o-lantern photo courtsey of Jacob, Uinta student.

by Tori Snarr

You may have heard our Art Studio referred to as a ‘TAB’ Studio. So what is TAB? TAB (or Teaching for Artistic Behavior) is a choice-based approach to Arts Education that regards students as authentic artists and centers their interests and their ideas throughout the artmaking process. Rather than present to students a pre-planned project with a desired outcome, my responsibility as an Art Guide and TAB educator is to create the opportunity for our students to explore their own interests and ideas – to grant them freedom within limits.

Teaching to the “Artistic Behaviors” prepares students to engage in every step of the art-making process and helps them find success along the way. This process begins with exploration and play, followed by observation and idea generation, developing a plan, applying knowledge of art skills and processes, creative problem solving, sharing their artwork with their community, and self-evaluation or reflection. In addition to teaching concrete art skills, TAB aims to nurture within students the skills required to think like an artist: curiosity, imagination, critical thinking, adaptability, perseverance, storytelling, and so many more invaluable qualities, all of which are transferable to other subject areas and to life endeavors outside of the studio.

by Catherine Mathews

For children any change in their routine can be upsetting. The younger the child the more difficult it can be to deal with any changes. Our Guides really appreciate when families share this information with them so we can be as supportive of the child and their needs. Often times parents are surprised at what constitutes a big change for their children so here is a good list to go by:

Every Child:

Separation or Divorce

A parent dating someone new

A parent becoming engaged or getting married

A parent going out of town

A parent coming home from out of town

In split households – a change in who will pick up the child

Prolonged family illness or a major medical diagnosis (grandparents and close family members included)

A family member or pet dying (grandparents and close relatives included)

Moving to a new home

An upcoming vacation

A change in extracurricular activities (includes the addition of tutors)

An upcoming change in schooling plans

Any addition or change to the child’s care team (nannies, babysitters, etc.)

Any illness the child has experienced

Infants and Toddlers

Any time a child’s sleep routine has altered

Any time a child’s bowel movement routine has altered

Teething

Family illness (this can make a lot of difference to a child’s day)

Vaccinations

Changes in the food routine of the child

Early Childhood Students

The loss of a favorite blanket or toy

A forgotten school item or rest time item

A change in the child’s sleep routine

Any event that was particularly hard for the child such as vaccinations, doctor appointments, or being scared by a movie

A friend or family member moving away

A family member or pet getting sick or having an accident (grandparents and close relatives included)

Our own Ruby Chouldjian presented Cooking in the Montessori Classroom at the UMC Fall Conference this past weekend. Sharing her love of cooking, Ruby set up multiple stations to engage her audience: pancake, smoothie, and slicing were a few of the stations.

Practical Life: Practical Life is one of the areas in a Montessori classroom. The works are applicable for all ages, even infants, and vary depending on what the child can do at each stage of development. The work can start with something as simple as pulling up pants or washing hands and can as complicated as baking a dessert, or even planning for a Montessori Market in the elementary or middle school years. These exciting everyday tasks that are visibly part of the human world are empowering for students to master.

Food Preparation: Food preparation and cooking are fun works/activities in a Montessori environment. The Guide can choose to create group or individualized food stations. The children may choose to work on their own or invite a friend to work with.  Examples of works: transferring with tools, setting up, grading, pressing, washing, spreading, and slicing.

Benefits of food preparation.The food preparation tasks, which increase in complexity as a child ages, help children practice motor skills, such as pouring, twisting, and squeezing as well as help develop their pincer grip, coordination, and finger and hand strength.

Benefits of cooking with children:  Lessons, problem solving, independence, order, sequence, coordination, cognitive development, creativity, cultural studies, science, math, language, sensorial, healthy eating habits, grace, and courtesy. It also allows children the opportunity to socialize, communicate, and most of all have fun!