End of Year Newsletter
April 30th, 2024
"Here is the aim of the truly new education; first of all to discover the child and effect his liberation."
-Maria Montessori
A Letter From Our Director, Mandy Waid
Dear Athena Community,
The last day of the 2023 - 2024 school year has come and gone. It is always bittersweet to say goodbye to our friends that are transitioning to new schools. Some of our families have been with us for over five years with multiple children passing through our gates; both the gates that lead into Athena, later the Gates of Life, as they move on to what is next for them. Our gratitude for you all is never far away from our hearts, and we wish you all well! For all of our families just beginning on their Athena journey, or who are somewhere in the middle, we are so looking forward to the milestones yet to come.
This year I have observed:
In our Movers and Shakers class students go from crawling to walking, from not knowing there was another baby in the space, into emerging friendships and caring for each other with hugs and love. To watch a student grow and blossom in our infant class will bring anyone to tears. They are living proof that even the youngest of children have the motivation to be independent, connect, and care for themselves, care for others, and to care for the environment. We are so fortunate to be a part of this wonder!
In our Tots program children have become more vocal (as you parents have surely noticed!) and have learned to be part of a community outside of their family unit. They can now speak up for themselves, while also beginning to understand a peer’s boundary. I have seen our Tots students take on lots of cleaning! They love to wash some windows! If you are needing a summer activity for your young child, a spray bottle and a squeegee will be your best friend. Their ability to complete tasks and then restore the environment is something they could not do on their first day, and now they are confidently completing multi-step tasks.
In our Primary program, students have developed both academically as well as socially. These young scientists are in a developmental stage where they just want to learn it all! From reading to cooking, I have observed deep concentration and motivation across the curriculum. Watching the Gates of Life ceremonies is always moving, and even more so in Primary, where they have grown roots for three years! All the adults around them can remember their first day and how much they have grown. Part of the beauty of Montessori is that the guides have the time to deeply know your children and attune to them. When children are in an environment where they feel seen and heard, they can do magical things.
And of course, a HUGE thank you to all of our guides! They show up each day ready to meet each child in their care, exactly where they need to be. It’s no secret that educators are undervalued in our country, but that is not true here at Athena!
To those of you joining us for summer camp… Athena staff will be on campus this week breaking down classrooms and preparing for summer camp. The first day of camp is Wednesday, June 5th. Just as a reminder there is no camp on June 19th, July 4th or 5th. Our last day of camp will be Thursday, July 18th. Your summer camp guides will be sending out more details soon.
For those of you returning next school year… Thank you for your continued trust in us and for choosing to be part of our community another year. We look forward to seeing you back in August!
For those of you graduating and leaving Athena…Thank you for being part of our school and congratulations!
A Special Thank You to Our Room Parents!
We would like to give a HUGE shout out to each of you for your continued contribution and love of our community. We could not have achieved so much this year without your help and generosity. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!!
Tracy Cohen, Shivani Shah, Carlye Buzi, Laura Bredeson,
Hannah Barron, Kate Grimaldo, James Grimaldo, Matthew Borah,
Nicole Joslin, Cameron Peake, Charlene Dipaola, Lindsay Faeder,
Catalina Limongelli, Melissa Bradley, Tripp Kaiser, Kristin Waeiss, Kelsey Hopping, Leah Fuerst Raley, Katrina Bekessy, Anna Hallmark,
Leslie Olsovsky, Carolyn Aponte, Annelise Drange, Ashely Patel
Graduating Class of 2024
Everyone is so proud of all the accomplishments our students achieved this year! We wish you all luck and prosperity in the journeys to come!
Owl Fest 2024
Last weekend we had the opportunity to come together as one big family for one last hoorah. We gathered on the lawn as staff and families shared some quality time together, while jamming with our favorite band, Two Player! With much to celebrate, this was the perfect ending to another great year at Athena! Thank you all for your continuous love and support of our school.
Two Player!
Field and Spirit Day!
We had too much fun in the sun during Field Day and Spirit Day! Primary students enjoyed a day full of water balloons, potato sack races, some yummy watermelon, while our Tots enjoyed dancing with scarfs, rolling watermelons and of course bubbles! We hope everyone had as much fun as we did!
Juneteenth at Ahena
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom and liberation. This holiday commemorates the day (June 19, 1865) that enslaved people in Texas finally got the message of freedom. This was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. It is an especially hard part of Texas history to grapple with, especially for we adults who grew up in Texas, as we were lied to about this part of our past. We teach the truth at Athena, and we do it in an age-appropriate manner. So, how do we educate preschoolers about Juneteenth?
In our Infant room we will listen to African-American music, songs about freedom, and we will read the same book as we do in our Toddler environments, Let’s Celebrate Juneteenth by Tonya Abari. This is a lovely rhyming board book highlighting joy, barbecues, fireworks, and freedom.
In our Toddler classrooms, we know that our young learners are not capable of understanding the concept of wages for work, what a job is, and certainly not the concept of slavery. But, their little feet are ready to dance and their broadening vocabularies are ready to learn the words “free” and “freedom”. In the week leading up to Juneteenth we will weave in those words organically, “You are free to choose your work.” “Are you thirsty? You are always free to drink water.” “Do you want to dance? Let’s be free!” If you want to play a catchy tune in your car, try Juneteenth by the Alphabet Rockers.
For the younger Primary children (those still napping, generally) we will do all the aforementioned things and have discussions leading up to Juneteenth that help the children understand the concept of freedom of choice, what it means to be compensated for the work one chooses to do as an adult.
Circle time talks may sound something like the following:
-When you grow up, what kind of work do you want to do? What job will you choose?
-When you go to work all day, should you get some pay? What is pay?
-What can you do with money?
-Who tells your family where to live?
-Should one person make another person move from their home?
-What about making a person do work all day for no pay? Is that fair?
The children understand that it is not fair for anyone to be forced from their chosen home, separated from the people they love, and made to work at a job they don’t want for no money.
The children understand that people are born free, and that freedom means choices. The children understand that all people deserve to live with those they love, to do work that they chose to do and to earn a living doing it.
During nap, for the older children in our Primary classrooms we will be sharing the book The Story of Juneteenth by Dorena Williamson.
Across all the classrooms, the summer camp guides are excited to celebrate Juneteenth with a picnic lunch featuring lots of red foods and drinks, like hibiscus tea, strawberries, sweet peppers, watermelon, tomatoes and raspberries! Happy Juneteenth!
Let’s Celebrate Juneteenth by Tonya Abari
The Story of Juneteenth by Dorena Williamson
Admissions and Enrollment
Current Families
Sibling enrollment for the 2024-25 school year is complete at this point. If you have any younger children you hope to enroll at Athena at any point in the future, please be sure to complete an application for them if you haven't already.
Waiting Pool Families
Our Movers & Shakers (3-18 month olds) and Tots (18 month-2.5 year olds) programs are fully enrolled for the 2024-25 school year at this time. We will be in touch with eligible families in our waiting pool, should space become available between now and August.
We have a handful of spots available in our Primary program for the 2024-25 school year. If you have a child that will be between 2.5-5 years old come September 1, and is independent with potty (in underwear during the day and using the restroom with minimal help from adults), please email Admissions@AthenaMontessoriAcademy.com if you are interested in enrollment.
Our continued goal in the admissions process is to be as transparent as possible, and we strive to give you the most accurate information we can during each step of the deliberate process of enrollment. We respect that decisions related to your child's education are important and timely ones, and we will continue to send you general enrollment updates via this monthly newsletter. Thank you for your continued interest, and we encourage you to reach out with specific questions related to your child's enrollment at any time.
Please direct admissions & enrollment questions to our Admissions Director, Joy Jacobson. You can email her directly at Admissions@AthenaMontessoriAcademy.com.
Students:
6/2- Charlotte L.
6/8- Henry B.
6/15- Elias B.
6/17- Lucia K.
6/20- Liam G.
6/21- Leanna M., Archer M.
6/26- Diya. G
6/27- Gus C.
6/28- Jude G.
6/29- Davis A., Ruby R.
7/3- Sedona A.
7/5- Beckham S.
7/10- Josie K.
7/16- Savannah B.
7/17- Everett H.
7/19- Mila S.
7/22- Vincent H.
7/27- Josephine W.
7/30- Rory O.
Staff:
6/9- Brittany C. (Tots 4), Cici B. (Tots1)
7/1- Jenn. B (P4)
7/3- Alex K.
7/15- Tatiana N. (T2)
7/16- Sydney F. (P3