2024-2025 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.

Fall Festival- October

Our Annual Fall Festival Celebration was a wonderful evening filled with community spirit and seasonal fun. Surrounded by the crisp autumn air and vibrant fall colors, families and friends gathered outdoors to enjoy activities and craft stations, savory treats and homemade cider, a costume share/swap, and an outdoor movie screening under the stars. These seasonal events showcase the joy of coming together as a school and help us strengthen the friendships that make our community truly special.

Thankful Feast- November

Every year all the students across campus come together to share a meal. Each classroom prepares a dish to bring to the feast. This year we made; applesauce, biscuits, pumpkin souPle, cranberry cobbler, we peeled and cut carrots and of course had chicken. We had an amazing amount of parent and caregiver volunteers to support this event. They helped prepare each of the dishes, set up the tables and kept our feast organized. Thank you to all our volunteers!! We truly could not have done it without your support.

Winter Solstice Celebration- December

SMS's Annual Winter Solstice Celebration is a beautiful tradition that honors inclusivity, diversity, and the natural rhythms of the Earth. The Winter Solstice, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year, symbolizes the return of light and embodies universal themes of hope, renewal, and connection to nature. We celebrate this meaningful seasonal transition with songs, stories, and activities that embrace the magic of the season. We look forward to sharing these moments and creating memories with you and your family.

Moving up: What to expect? January

Carriage House (0-3 year program)

We will cover Key Milestones From Toddler to Primary: Developmental benchmarks that indicate readiness for the Primary Program. The Montessori Philosophy: The Three-Year Cycle: Understanding the purpose and benefits of the full three-year cycle in the Primary Program. The Teacher’s Role in the Primary Classroom: The shift in the teacher’s role as children become more self-directed. The Prepared Environment: How the Primary classroom is designed to meet the developmental needs of children aged 2.9 to 6 years.

Work Cycles and Routines: The importance of uninterrupted work cycle and how routines in the Primary classroom support self-discipline and a sense of community.

Children’s House (3–6-year program)

Our Children's House teachers will emphasize the significance of the three-year cycle, with a special focus on the third year (Kindergarten) as a culmination of academic, emotional, social, and personal growth. Key highlights include leadership opportunities, pottery, the afternoon work cycle, reader/writer workshops, kindergarten-specific math lessons, and daily work plans, all of which help build time management and responsibility.

Elementary Ages (6-12 Year Program)

This session will give families the chance to meet the teachers and learn about the Elementary curriculum. Teachers will explain how the program builds a strong foundation while fostering an environment of responsibility, independence and community. Goals, benchmarks and expectations for Elementary will be highlighted.

“Watch me Work”- February

You or a special family member may join your child in their classroom for a hands-on glimpse into their daily learning. This cherished yearly February event is an opportunity to observe your child’s work, engage with them in their environment, and celebrate their growth and independence.

Reading at all ages- March

This event will provide an in-depth look at SMS's literacy development framework, outlining how we nurture language acquisition and early literacy skills across all age groups. Grounded in Montessori principles, our approach emphasizes a hands-on, individualized progression that meets each child where they are in their language journey. We will explore how foundational literacy skills develop in the earliest years— through rich spoken language experiences, storytelling, and exposure to sounds and symbols—before transitioning into more formal reading and writing in Children’s House and Elementary.

Special Visitors Day- May

This is a campus-wide event, welcoming a special member of your family (aunt, uncle, grandparent, etc.) to get an exclusive look inside our classrooms! Go on a child-led walk through the classroom and take an opportunity to work with the materials firsthand with the experts themselves!

Moving Up Ceremony & End of Year Celebration- June