SWIMS August Newsletter
August
27…Open House! 3:00 – 4:30pm. Swing by the school to see your student’s classroom and visit with faculty and other families. We look forward to seeing you!
28…First day of the 2023-2024 school year!
31…Parent Orientation 3:00 – 4:00pm. Join us for an introduction by level to what your student will be doing in school this year including Q & A with teachers. Childcare provided. Please respond to duna@soaringwings.org by August 28th with the number of adults and children in your party.
September
1…Half day for all students!
Bumblebees and Sunflowers Toddler Classes, Ladybugs and Turquoise Early Childhood Classes dismiss 11:30 – 11:45am.
El Nido Infant Class, Chickadees and Tadpoles Toddler Classes and Bluebirds Early Childhood Class, Wasatch Elementary, Evergreen Middle School and Bridgemont High School Classes dismiss 11:45 – noon.
4…No School, Labor Day!
6…Cider Social 2:30 – 3:30pm
14 – 15…Elementary/Middle School Fall Family Campout!
Back to School!
As we trickle back into town and dust the sand off our feet we turn our thoughts to the new school year.
Construction will begin soon on the north end of the building to house a new infant class! We began this class 7 years ago and parents in Park City didn’t really understand what school for infants is. Not daycare, but education for infants. Now they understand, thanks to our incredibly talented teachers, and the demand is high!
We are also starting our first high school class. When we realized that some of our middle school graduates were going to online schools that basically consist of tables and chairs where students bring their computers and work online, we realized we can do that, only in a school environment with friends, school events, hands-on experiences and in-person faculty members to complement their experience! We have aligned with a Montessori high school program founded by one of our leaders in adolescent Montessori, Dr. Robin Howe. The Bridgemont program will be facilitated by our multi-talented Emily Squadroni. We are very excite to watch this program grow, too!
This summer our school was once again selected as a model school to host the Center for Guided Montessori Studies (CGMS) interns from all over the world this summer. We had over 70 of the most wonderful Montessorians with us for three weeks and it was fabulous opportunity to visit with instructors and students. Montessorians are the perfect guests! We are planning this for next summer so if you would like to host a teacher intern, please let us know!
Emily and Leith went to Florida a few weeks ago to work on their CGMS Leadership credentials, also mingling with some Montessori greats and returning full of wonderful ideas.
Kassidy began her Master’s in Montessori at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. Her thesis project is about ChatGPT – ask her about it!
Hollis, Katie and Richelle completed their summer residencies with the CGMS group at Soaring Wings, and they are all full of terrific ideas, too!
Laura and Leah facilitated for CGMS in preparing our school for their adult learners.
Leah, Duna and Emily (yes, she’s a busy one!) did their Summer Residencies for their doctoral program in Montessori at the University of Wisconsin, mingling with more of the country’s leaders in education.
And Leith completed his training the the World Peace Game which he will organize with Montessori elementary students from across the state. The object of the game is for elementary students to solve a myriad of crises in just 5 days and bring peace to a future world. Well done, Leith.
Congratulations to all of our motivated faculty who just never seem to stop growing.
Getting Back into Routines
Drop-off/Pick-up
Drop-off and pick-up times are staggered to support traffic flow:
8:15 – 8:30am drop-off, 2:45 – 3:00pm pick-up:
Bridgemont High School Class, Evergreen Middle School & Wasatch Elementary Classes at front doors
8:30 – 8:45am drop-off, 11:30 – 11:45 or 2:30 – 2:45 pick-up:
Bumblebees & Sunflowers Toddler Classes, Ladybugs & Turquoise Early Childhood Classes at patio gates
8:45-9:00 drop-off, 11:45 – 2:00 or 2:45 – 3:00pm pick-up:
El Nido Infant Class, Chickadees & Tadpole Toddler Classes, Bluebirds Early Childhood class at patio gates
Please note that Bluebirds/El Nido and Ladybugs/Turquoise have switched schedules from the past few years!
Transitioning Back to School
We allow the first 6 weeks of school for normalization as we all settle back into the routines of the school year. We will all be more tired these first few weeks. This is a good time to move bedtime a little earlier to accommodate the sleep your student needs through the winter.
Infants 3 – 12 months need 14-16 hrs, including naps
Toddlers 1 – 3 yrs need 11 – 14 hrs
Early childhood students 3 – 6 yrs need 10 – 13 hrs
Elementary, middle school and high school students need 9 – 12 hrs sleep each night.
Bigger Kids, More Responsibility
Students are a few months older now and ready to expand their independence which brings them such joy and confidence.
Infants who can walk can carry their backpacks into school now.
Toddlers can set and clear off their places at the family table.
Early childhood students can help prepare a salad or side dish for the family meal.
Elementary, middle school and high school students can cook a meal once a week, be in charge of their own laundry, and clean their own bedroom and bathroom.
Be sure to give your student lots of positive feedback as they gain new skills, such as, “I noticed how hard you worked on cleaning the mirror – it really shines!” We try to avoid validations like “good job” because we want students to feel their own pride in their work rather than looking to others for approval. For more on this look at Positive Discipline by Jane Nelsen or How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Faber and Mazlish.
Dog Days
Teachers will be sending out welcome messages in the next few weeks with further details. Plan to stop by between 3:00 and 4:30pm on Sunday, the 27th, so your student can see the classroom, find their locker, talk to faculty and classmates and be ready to start school again on the 28th. In the meantime, enjoy these last dog days of a very beautiful summer. Take some time to smell the flowers, roll down a grassy hill or watch the clouds or stars with your child. Summer will be a fond memory too soon!