2023-2024 Family Connection Series

SMS Family Connection Events are informative evenings scheduled throughout the school year to support families and our community. These events are designed for you to learn more about Montessori education and offer facilitated discussions around various Montessori and child- centered topics. It’s also a great time to meet and mingle with others in our community. Our SMS educators and administrators strive to create and maintain strong partnerships with families and encourage you to always reach out if you have questions or concerns.

November 30th: ”The Montessori 3-year cycle”

This will be a roundtable discussion session where we will focus on the Montessori 3-year cycle. We will divide ourselves into age groups; 0-3, -6, and 6-12. We want to address common questions, such as:

• “Will my child get bored being in the same classroom for 3+ years?”
• “How will my child benefit from being the oldest/youngest in the classroom?”
• “How will my child’s needs be met if they have mastered the materials by the 3rd year?”
• “Why do I see some of the same materials in the next aged classroom?”

January 25th: “Estate Planning for Parents.”

Learn about options to protect your family in the case of the death or illness of a parent. Danielle Nudelman-McGonigle of Bletzer and Bletzer, P.C. will talk about estate planning, health care proxies, and trusts and how you can make arrangements for your children and family.

February 15th: “Exploring the written word through a Montessori lens.”

Explore the Montessori approach to reading; including a strong foundation in phonics, comprehension based on visualization and whole language, or learning to read for meaning and using context clues.

March 21st: “What to expect: Children’s House 3rd year & Carriage House transition.”

An open discussion on what the third year means for your child. Did you know the third year is Kindergarten? As the oldest members of the class, they will have the opportunity to be leaders and role models for the younger children. Your child will be involved in an afternoon work cycle; readers/writers’ workshop and Kindergarten specific math lessons and extensions. At times, your child will have the opportunity to combine with our Elementary for a variety of Montessori age-appropriate activities.

Carriage House Transition

Transitioning to any new classroom requires change for children, parents/caregivers, even teachers, who are eager to meet and learn the unique personality of each child. When a child begins to show signs that they are outgrowing their small, intimate community, we prepare them for the next phase of their Montessori journey.

May 23rd: “Preparing a “Yes” environment.”

Tired of constantly saying “No!” and redirecting? Creating a "YES" space is a gift to both children and parents/caregivers. It offers children ownership of a safe place that encourages play, learning, creativity, agency, and a strong sense of self. What are the benefits of setting up a "yes" space and how can you get started?