Springmont School.

Yesterday’s Cross Country meet at Brook Run Park was an impressive showing by our student-athletes. Every Springmont runner posted a personal best time – some by more than 2 full minutes! Our first boy to cross the finish was Takeo in a blistering 13 minutes flat. Our first girl was Clementina in 16:51. Michael, Matthew, Giuliana, Hannah, Teddy, George, Jack, and Samia all improved their times by 2 minutes or more. Congratulations to all! Our runners are showing what consistency and dedication look like, and we are incredibly proud of each of them!!

The 31st Springmont Festival & Montessori Mile is on Saturday, October 17! Early Bird Race Registration & Sponsorships are available through Sunday, September 27!
This year's t-shirt will feature this design created by Upper Elementary student Clementina Pascavage! Here's the link for more info! https://www.springmont.com/community/due-this-sunday-sponsorships--early-bird-race-registration/

Have you ever wondered why young Montessori students spend so much time matching objects with classification cards? As children explore collections of miniature farm animals, sea creatures, insects, or household objects, they are developing their ability to make connections, recognize similarities and differences, and organize information- all skills fundamental to future academic learning. Extraordinary!

Thank you to the SSPD for hosting our students!

Today is the first official day of fall…and at Springmont, fall means trips to our beautiful Landschool campus in North Georgia! Last week, the Juniper Class spent 3 days and 2 nights building community and exploring the natural world at this amazing property. This week, the Sycamore Class is there, and this weekend, our Trustees and volunteer families will do some maintenance work and spend Saturday night in the lodge. The Landschool offers students and families a chance to disconnect from city life and technology, and an opportunity to connect with classmates, other families, and nature. Extraordinary!

Established by the United Nations in 1981, today is the official International Day of Peace. At Springmont, our students learn about the world and practice the skills and habits that make peace possible every day. Young students learn to care for and respect others - spontaneously offering a classmate help with a shoe, patiently waiting their turn, exploring the world via puzzle maps, and helping to care for their environment. Elementary students prepare to be the peacemakers of the future - working together, exploring economic geography and the natural world, and sharing meal-preparation tasks at the Landschool. We join Dr. Montessori in hoping that each of these experiences is a small but meaningful step on the path to a more peaceful world.

Yesterday, Springmont’s Cross Country team ran their second meet at Mill Springs. Every single team member improved their 2-mile time, some significantly! Our first girl to cross the finish line was Ellery (with an improvement of almost 2 minutes!), and our first boy was Takeo (coming in at 14:02, a 20 second improvement). We are so incredibly proud of our runners and their grit and dedication! Come cheer them on next Thursday when they race at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody (girls at 4:45, boys at 5:15)! Thanks to Jessica Rubio for the photos!

After an initial lesson from the teacher, Montessori math materials in both Primary and Elementary classrooms let students guide their own learning and correct their own mistakes. The tactile nature of the materials lets children see and feel abstract concepts like place value or long division, leading to "ah-ha" moments of self-discovery rather than formula memorization. Some materials have a built-in “control of error,” meaning the physical pieces fit or match correctly only if the math is done right. If a piece is left over or doesn't fit, the student can immediately see the error and fix it without the teacher’s help, nurturing problem-solving, independence, and self- confidence. Extraordinary!

Yesterday, Upper Elementary students spent part of the afternoon with Dr. Tobias of Nathan's Ark Mobile Vet, who was on campus for our goats’ and rabbits’ annual check-ups. Like anxious parents, students watched the injections and exams, eager to soothe their animal friends, including the turkeys who won’t have their exam until the spring. Dr. Tobias also spent time answering all the students’ questions, from “What is the smallest animal she ever treated?” (a hermit crab) to " What animals made her want to become a vet? (dolphins). Thank you for your Gift of Time, Dr. Tobias!

In Springmont’s Elementary program, you won’t see rows of desks or teachers standing at the front of the room lecturing the whole class. Instead, teachers give lessons to small groups, and students complete follow-up work with classmates, often in pairs or small groups. Students see teachers as mentors, rather than authority figures, and they view classmates as team members, rather than competitors. Collaboration, discovery, and an individualized pace make learning robust and joyful!