SWIMS February Newsletter 2025
Mark Your Calendar!
February
14th…Half Day Dismissal and Party Day!
Valentine Party Details
Owlets & Ducklings Infant Classes – See class sign-up for special snacks. No sugar or nuts, please. No Valentines please.
Bumblebees, Chickadees, Sunflowers & Tadpoles Toddler Classes – See class sign-ups for needed supplies. Valentines are optional – add who they are from, but not who they are to, please, so toddlers can drop one in each mailbox without having to match the names. No sugar or nuts.
Bluebirds, Ladybugs, Turquoise &Wildflowers EC Classes – Parties are held during the morning. See class sign-ups for needed supplies. We recommend sitting down with the family and lots of paper, scissors, glue, stickers, ribbons, etc. to make valentines for classmates. Only children who read and write independently should address them and can deliver valentines to appropriate mailboxes. Students not yet reading can add who the valentine is from, but not who it is to. No sugar or nuts, please. See below for names for valentines.
Wasatch Elementary, Evergreen Middle School & Bridgemont High School Classes will celebrate with class parties on Friday morning. See class sign-ups for needed supplies. No sugar or nuts, please. See below for names for valentines.
14th…Half Day Before Presidents Week Holiday
11:30 – 11:45 am dismissal: Ducklings Infant Class, Bumblebees & Sunflowers Toddler Classes, Ladybugs and Turquoise Early Childhood Classes
11:45 – noon dismissal: Owlets Infant Class, Chickadees & Tadpoles Toddler Classes, Bluebirds & Wildflowers EC Classes, Wasatch/Evergreen Elementary and Bridgemont Secondary School Classes
17th – 21st…Presidents’ Week Break – No School
18th…Happy Birthday, Hollis!
27th…3:00pm. Creating Safe and Positive Digital Citizens – a Parent Presentation by Harry Adelson. Join us for a presentation on screen time – how are families and educators handling this as screens become ever-more present in our children’s lives? Harry is a doctor, Beatrice and Vicky’s dad and interested in starting a conversation with all parents of Soaring Wings. Please reply by February 12th to duna@soaringwings.org with the number of adults and children in your party. Childcare will be provided.
28th & March 7th…Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School Sign-ups to follow. Wasatch and Evergreen students attend conferences with their parents to set goals for the remainder of the school year.
March
4th…What’s Next? 10:00am Want to learn more about what comes after infant and toddler classes? How can your child gather those all-important executive function skills? You’ve heard that our ec graduates are often months or years ahead of their peers in traditional schools. Join us for a look at how that happens! Please reply to duna@soaringwings.org by February 26th with the number of adults in your party.
7th…No School – Parent/Teacher Conferences Sign-ups to follow. Wasatch and Evergreen students attend conferences with their parents to set goals for the remainder of the school year.
5th…Happy Birthday, Kassidy!
8th…Happy Birthday, Gretta!
School Bulletin Board
January flew by punctuated by good long work periods and celebrations. We delight in the lengthening days and planning the next round of work, play and celebrating in balanced measure.
If you follow the posts on Facebook and Instagram you’re noticing how students are making progress from the basics in the fall to ever more complex skills. Even just walking through the halls you see infants who are now toddlers, toddlers who can set their places, serve themselves lunch and toilet independently, early childhood students who are turning on the reading and math skills, elementary students who can solve almost any problem peacefully, lead the whole school in celebrations and understand academics at a level beyond their years. And, of course, our secondary students, 6th – 10th grade, keep astonishing us with their command of very complex concepts in high school and college level subjects. In the 1920s Dr. Montessori recognized how well her method was working and called for a revolution in education so that every child could have this opportunity. Montessorians began to speak out about their advantages in life that they attributed to their Montessori schooling. The list includes Steph Curry, Gabriel Garcia Marques, Katharine Graham, Dakota Fanning, Beyonce Knowles, Taylor Swift, Yo-Yo Ma, Princes William and Harry, Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Jimmy Wales, Peter Drucker, Jacqueline Onassis, Erik Erikson and many, many more. In 2021 Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hansen joined the call for educational reform in her book, The Future of Smart. In 2023 Dr. Angeline Lillard followed up also calling for revolution in our school systems, replacing what is not working with the method that has worked beautifully for 118 years. Today the revolution in education marches onward. Thank you for carrying our banner!
In February we look forward to Valentine’s Day honoring love in every class. You will notice the decor and mailboxes starting to appear as students decorate their classrooms for the coming parties. They will be working on expressions of love for family and friends, preparing foods and decor for their parties, practicing dance etiquette and some will even make corsages for the fancy dress parties. Along the way we will be reviewing presidents and possibly baking cherry tarts in the name of honesty and freedom. You will also see signs of the Asian Celebration that will come right after Presidents Week Break – aka Ski Week!
Summer School classes are nearly full for this year. Thank you for your prompt enrollment. We look forward to those warm summer days to come.
Administrative Notes
One thing we as administrators are continuously keeping up with are government decisions affecting our schools and our community. We recognize that school choice is extremely important from birth all the way through high school. Education is a choice that is rooted in family decisions and is tied to more than just what we see here at school. We recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach to education does not meet the diverse needs of every student. Public schools follow standardized curricula and teaching methods designed to serve broad populations, but many students thrive in alternative learning environments customized for each student.
We are honored to offer families the ability to choose an education that aligns with their child’s unique learning style, interests, and needs. For example, Montessori education prioritizes hands-on, self-directed learning, allowing children to explore subjects at their own pace rather than conforming to rigid grade-level expectations. This model is beneficial for all students and particularly so for students who may need a little more time with a subject or who require more advanced challenges beyond the standard curriculum.
As a private school Soaring Wings has the ability to provide specialized programs that meet every student’s needs. This is where individualized attention, stronger teacher-student relationships and a love of learning are built. Thanks for choosing Soaring Wings!
Lowdown from Lower School - What's Happening in Infant, Toddler and Early Childhood Classes
Infant & Toddler Impressions – News from the Ducklings & Owlets Infant Classes, Bumblebees, Chickadees, Sunflowers & Tadpoles Toddler Classes
We have enjoyed the long quiet work periods of January. Every student has made significant progress in completing work cycles, physical development, social and emotional development and broadening our awareness of the world beyond our classrooms with our Carnaval Celebration. We’ve studied fishes, made rainbow people to honor Martin Luther King, Jr and toured the Maria Montessori Museum on the 118th anniversary of the first Montessori school.
With the in-class practice of large and fine motor skills, memorization of sequences, concentration and independence, these young children are adding more steps to their processes. Anyone who is walking steadily is setting their place for snacks and lunch, clearing and washing their dishes, working on food preparation skills, and the details of cleaning up. Infants and toddlers particularly love Practical Life skills that are aimed at learning these skills. Try giving your mobile infant some simple food prep such as tearing lettuce for the family salad. Toddlers are now quite adept at slicing fruit, juicing oranges and spreading jams, cream cheese and butters on bread and crackers.
February brings studies of amphibians, Asia and celebrating our love for each other on Valentine’s Day. See the class sign-ups for party supplies. No nuts or sugar, please. Valentines are not needed for infant classes. Valentines are optional for toddler classes and can include who they are from, but not who they are to so toddlers can easily deliver one valentine to each mailbox.
Excellence from Early Childhood – Every Day in the Bluebirds, Ladybugs, Turquoise & Wildflowers Classes
Baby, it’s been cold outside this winter and indoor recess was a necessary novelty! Only in a Montessori school can 80 children between 3 and 6 years old sit quietly in the hall playing cooperatively for an extended period of time!
Early childhood classes have been enjoying the long winter work periods where their concentration, fine motor coordination, organizational skills and independence accelerate as they master academic and social concepts.
In February we will study amphibians, moving from a “key experience” with a real amphibian to morphology of the amphibian, species and adaptations of amphibians. We keep a veritable zoo on campus, but if you have an amphibian to share we would love a visit!
We will also study Music, Time, Asia, Poetry and celebrate love at our last Party Day of the school year on February 14th. February concludes with our Asian Celebration on February 26th for which we invite your child to dress in their Asian best!
Maribel visits each class to work on Spanish vocabulary with objects to name and games to play in Spanish. Students know Maribel as a favorite teaching assistant and her Spanish lessons are a hit! Try greeting your child with “Hola. Como estas?” and see what you get!
Check class sign-ups for Valentine Party supplies. Valentines should be signed, but not labelled who they are to unless your child is able to read and write well enough to successfully deliver the messages to a specific mail box.
Bluebirds: Avery, Claire, Elizabeth, Gaia, Hayes, Jordan, Katia, Lawson, Leona, Leonardo, Lily, Louise, Matilda, Peter, Rickie, Rollins, Sasha, Sophia, Susie, Theo, Laura & Tiffany
Ladybugs: Alexander, Bennett, Charlie, Elliott, Elouise, Emma, Ezra, Finn, Hazel, Julian, Kellen, Mallory, MJ, Moshe, Nora, Oliver, Saoirse, Sienna, Vesper, Wyatt, Kassidy & Lily
Turquoise: Alec, Ani, Asher, Ava, Avery, Beckett, Caspar, Chloe, Declan, Elliott, Grace, Haessly, Kennedy, Lawson, Levi, Oisin, Ramsey, Schuyler, Will, Winter, Wolfe, Annie & Gretta
Wildflowers: Anabelle, Arthur, Atlan, Beau, Daisy, Elizabeth, Finn, Giovanni, Kimberly, Luke, Neeve, Sebastien, Siana, Sloan, Tatiana, West, Wrenn, Zoe, Hollis & Vlada.
Updates from Upper School - News from our Elementary and Secondary School Classes
Elements of Wasatch Elementary & Evergreen Middle School Classes
Elementary and middle school classes took the lead in the March on Washington in January in celebration of Martine Luther King, Jr Day. They created a Washington Monument and presented their own versions of the I Have a Dream Speech, including carving for the Earth and working toward peace. The entire student body gathered to listen, sing and declare their dreams.
Then our Evergreen students helped us create 220 tote bags for our teacher conference! The recipients were delighted to know students had helped to make our conference a success.
Later in January these oldest students led the student body in a Carnaval parade with the float they had created and their own dance steps.
Students have spent the long winter work periods practicing their academic skills, collaborating on projects and keeping their Wild Pine Designs business stocked. Maribel visits regularly with games and stories in Spanish. You never know what you will witness when you enter the Wasatch or Evergreen Classes. Students may be working hard on their academics, art, science, entrepreneurial projects or planning the next field trip or school event. Lately they have begun practicing for their class spelling bees. From here they will try their spelling skills at the Park City Spelling Bee. Good luck, Wasatch and Evergreen!
These classes will celebrate Valentines Day during the morning on February 14th with their friends at Montessori Community School in Salt Lake City. See class sign-ups for needed supplies.
For your Valentine making pleasure-
Wasatch/Evergreen: Amelia, Beatrice, Benny, Brooklyn, Colt, Eliyah, Emily, Jacey, Juliet, Lola, Luna, Morgan, Noah, Rafael, Sloane, Quinn, Vicky, Agnes & Audrey
Highlights from High School – News from the Bridgemont Secondary School Class
We are pretty proud of our Bridgemont students. The Montessori children who had never taken tests before are making straight As in their very rigorous classes with Bridgemont International School. These students are athletes, travelers and education fans who have grown used to moving through the curriculum at their own pace. When they run into something tough they have time to work through it. When the work is too easy, they sail along until they get to something more challenging. The combination of online learning with professors from across the country along with students from around the world makes for a powerful morning in class. The afternoons are for working on homework with faculty, materials and students and for planning field trips and school events.
Our five Bridgemont students each have their offices where they take takes classes and complete their work before planning their next adventure. When they go home in the afternoon their homework is already done so they have time for sports, friends and family.
Bridgemont is planning to celebrate Valentines Day with friends from another Montessori school at a Valentines Dance.
For your Valentine making pleasure –
Bridgemont: Chloe, Darya, Emma, Lada, Winter, Eden & Audrey
The Art and Science of Everything!
Our team of mad scientists, artists, book characters and even Dr. Montessori herself came together to host our 22nd Annual Conference of the Utah Montessori Council featuring keynote Dr. Susan Zoll, expert on the science of reading. As they always do, our faculty brought the party to our Weird Science Dance Party! We are fortunate to have collected such a talented, educated and fun faculty who are passionate about everything they do. And we do a little of everything every day at school! The congratulations poured in from our attendees to Emily, the UMC Director, the presenters and to Soaring Wings for throwing another fantastic event. Science, art, music, literature, math, geography history and party-throwing. Just a few of our talents. Thank you for supporting our mad team!