Please read for important information and announcements. Thank you! | | MMS Monthly E-Newsletter | November 2025 | | |
Dear MMS Families,
It was wonderful to see you at our Fall Family Conferences! Now that the school year has successfully "launched," we are opening our doors for more opportunities for families to engage with the school, our faculty, and our students
If you have children in our Primary, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and/or Middle School Programs, be sure to register for a Classroom Observation time (see below). This is the best way to learn about your child's day at school. Following your 30 minute observation time, you'll have a chance to connect with me and other family members who have been observing in classrooms at the same time -- this is a great time to share what you saw that was interesting, ask questions about classroom materials and routines, and hear what others were able to see as well. I strongly encourage every family to observe at least once during the school year.
We are also set to start our MMS Read Aloud Program, and the signup for that is included in this newsletter. If you were unable to attend the session with Dawn Miller, Read Aloud WV Executive Director, and you would like to participate by reading in your child's classroom, just let me know and I will get information to you that will help you prepare for this exciting opportunity!
Keep an eye out for upcoming Montessori Meetups as well, including a Staunton Playground Meetup on Sunday, November 16. It's a great time to be at MMS!
Best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Carriger, M.A.
Head of School
| | Lower Elementary III students demonstrated feelings with this fun and creative chart. | |
POSITIVELY MONTESSORI
Positive Discipline has long been a foundational practice for realizing Maria Montessori's vision for peace education within our classrooms and entire school community at MMS.
Positive Discipline aligns with the Montessori philosophy by promoting mutual respect, cooperation, and intrinsic motivation. Instead of using rewards or punishments, it supports teachers in guiding students toward responsible decision-making and self-discipline. The approach emphasizes effective conflict resolution and the development of self-awareness. Grounded in research, it equips educators with practical tools to create a positive and peaceful classroom community where students feel connected, capable, and motivated to learn and grow.
Now, as part of our commitment to Continuous School Improvement, we're expanding and enhancing our Positive Discipline approach through curriculum alignment and articulated outcomes and strengthened training for staff and families (see details on upcoming Family Education events next week below).
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"We at MMS are becoming more intentional and consistent in our approach," explains.Alasha Al-Qudwah, MMS PD Coordinator/UE II Lead Guide
"We are taking what we’ve learned through training and dedicating more time to reflecting and sharing ideas on how to make the curriculum purposeful, meaningful, and effective for students. Across all levels, intentional reflection and discussion are helping teachers guide students in becoming peaceful, self-aware, and compassionate members of their communities."
We encourage all parents to read this informative Q&A with Alasha to learn more about Positive Discipline and what it means for your child's experience at MMS:
MMS Positive Discipline Update Q&A 10-25
| | Alasha facilitated PD training for all MMS staff at back to school professional development in August. | | |
FAMILY EDUCATION NOVEMBER 5
MMS is excited to welcome you to next week's Family Education events, addressing priority issues for our classrooms and community--Positive Discipline for Primary-Middle School and toilet readiness for Toddlers.
We strongly encourage all parents to attend. In addition to gaining valuable information for supporting your child's development at all levels, attendees will be eligible for door prizes!
Wednesday, November 5: Positive Discipline
- Middle School | 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Middle School
- Primary, Lower and Upper Elementary | 4:30-5:15 p.m.
In these sessions, we will explore the essentials of Positive Discipline, how we use these practices in MMS classrooms, and how parents can apply them at home to strengthen communication with their child. These essentials include encouragement vs. praise, asking vs telling, and using kind and firm language.
Through a series of interactive activities, parents will have the opportunity to role play and practice these tools just as our students do.
Childcare is available for MMS students enrolled in Primary through Middle School. Please arrive a few minutes early to sign your child in with our Plus staff.
Wednesday, November 5: Toilet Learning 101
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Toddler | 5:30 p.m. in the Toddler Classroom | Are you ready to ditch the diapers, but not sure where to start? This informative presentation will help parents of infants and toddlers prepare and support their children through the transition to bathroom independence. (This session is for adults only. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide childcare.)
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FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR CHILD'S CLASSROOM
Sign ups are now open for classroom observations.
We hope all families will observe in their child's classroom at least once per year. These sessions provide a wonderful opportunity to experience the Montessori environment through the eyes of a child. If your student is "moving up'" to the next level at the end of the year, we invite you to observe a classroom at that level as well.
| | | Thank you to Dawn Miller, Executive Director of Read Aloud WV, for leading our recent parent training. We're so excited to reinstitute read aloud at MMS! | | |
Reading is a bedrock of learning and lifetime success, enabling children to gain knowledge, understand their world, and become engaged and contributing members of society.
We are excited to invite families to participate in our school’s Read Aloud program!
If you attended our Read Aloud Training, please click the link below to sign-up to read in your child's classroom.
If you were unable to attend the training, we would still love to have you join the Read Aloud program at MMS! Just reach out to Jennifer Carriger and she will get you started.
Thank you for your support!
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FACULTY FOCUS
Congratulations to Head of School Jennifer Carriger, M.A., who is one of 20 Montessori school leaders nationwide recently selected for the inaugural group of AMS Ambassadors who will lead the American Montessori Society Heads of School Leadership Collective.
As an AMS Ambassador, Jennifer will facilitate engagement and dialogue among Heads of Schools from across the country as they work to strengthen Montessori schools on issues such as enrollment, teacher recruitment, and governance.
A respected leader in the field of education and in the Montessori world, Jennifer also serves on the University of Charleston Educator Preparation Program Advisory Council, Among her numerous honors and credentials, Jennifer is a past recipient of the West Virginia Learning Disabilities Association Teacher of the Year Award.
You can learn more about Jennifer and all of our impressive staff on our website.
| | | THE MONTESSORI EFFECT: BETTER OUTCOMES, LOWER COSTS | | |
Big news!
New findings from Montessori Science at the University of Virginia show children who attended public Montessori preschool demonstrated better reading ability, executive function, short-term memory and social understanding in kindergarten than children who did not have an early Montessori education.
The $3 million, three-year randomized study of children in public Montessori programs is the largest, most comprehensive study of public Montessori to date. Six years in the making, interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the study overcomes selection bias using a lottery model and examines a range of Montessori implementation across eight states plus the District of Columbia.
The findings are robust and statistically significant: public Montessori early education improves outcomes for children at an affordable cost.
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NEW TO MMS? COME HANG OUT WITH US
The next Montessori Meet-Up is planned for Sunday, November 16, at noon on the Staunton campus playground.
Whether you're new to our school or a returning family, this meet-up offers a fun and relaxed opportunity to connect with other parents while your children enjoy our expansive outdoor space. See you there!
| | Meet up, hang out, have fun with MMS! | | |
School Eatery is a hot lunch option for MMS students in Primary-Upper Elementary. Simply order your child's lunch the night before and it will be delivered to school the next day.
Accessing menus and managing orders:
To access your new hot lunch menus and manage your orders, visit the ordering platform
at https://schooleatery.com.
To log in, you must create an account if you have not already done so.
The school campus code is (MMCW), all capitalized.
For assistance:
Should you have any questions, concerns, or require assistance, contact School Eatery at support@schooleatery.com or click on “WE ARE HERE” at the bottom right-hand
corner of the website home page to speak to a live customer service agent.
Reaching School Eatery outside of business hours:
If you have inquiries outside of business hours, please don't hesitate to email School Eatery, and they will respond promptly.
School Eatery looks forward to serving you delicious and nutritious hot lunches.
| | POWER OF THE UNINTERRUPTED WORK CYCLE | |
As part of our association with AMS, MMS families have access to a rich library of resources and information, including a monthly newsletter.
The AMS Family Connection includes articles on topics such as Montessori philosophy, Montessori tips for the home, a peek inside the classroom, and more.
The latest issue discusses the uninterrupted work cycle, a structure that honors each child, allowing them to create, explore and absorb knowledge that their own pace and in their own style.
You'll also learn about the power of story telling in this issue. Link below.
Learn more in the latest issue.
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Like these photos? Then you'll love MMS on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Photos, school updates and Montessori news are posted nearly every day!
| | | Still life work in Art Class. | | The hallways of our Staunton campus got a big glow up with these colorful neon creatures. See the video showcase here. | | Inspired to take his math work as far as he can, an Upper Elementary II student self-initiated a challenging long division problem, and at last count, the quotient was up to 57 digits! Montessori cultivates intrinsic motivation and a love of learning for its own sake! | | Upper Elementary I explored crafts from Native Cultures of North America, including weaving baskets and making a model of a birchbark canoe. | | Project management, marketing, budgeting, teamwork, interpersonal skills, public presentation, flexibility, creativity, follow through… and fun! The always-popular MMMS Pancake Breakfast and Montessori Marketplace are just a few of the real-world skills development opportunities offered in our adolescent program. Congrats to the students who made the fall 2025 pop-up cafe and marketplace big hits and thanks to all who supported our young innovators and entrepreneurs! | | “I got it!” There was no stopping the hardworking team determined to move a mountain of donations to the Davis Child Center last week. Thank you to our generous families and dedicated students who brought the Montessori peace philosophy into the community! More photos here. | | |
UPCOMING EVENTS
MMS Fall After School Enrichment Programs | October 3-November 20
Plus Session Two: October 27-January 16
Classroom observations begin | October 28 | Register
Professional Development Day | October 31 | NO SCHOOL
Parent Education | November 5 | 11:00 a.m.-Middle School | 4:30-5:15 p.m.-Lower & Upper Elementary | 5:30 p.m.-Toddler
MMS After Hours | November 7 | 5:30-8:00 p.m.
NEW-Classroom Read Aloud Begins | November 12 | Sign up to read in your child's classroom
Staff Meeting | November 13 | NO PLUS
NEW-Montessori Meet-Up | November 16 | Staunton playground | noon
MMS Board Meeting | November 17 | In person: 4:00-6:00 p.m.| Email Board Secretary Becca Stevenson for details
Annual Appeal Student Coin Drive kicks off | November 20
Thanksgiving Break | November 24-28 | NO SCHOOL
Giving Tuesday, December 2
MMS Board Meeting | December 5 | Noon | Email Board Secretary Becca Stevenson for details
Staff Meeting | December 11 | NO PLUS
Annual Book & Bake Sale | December 11-12 | Volunteer
Winter Concert & Early Dismissal | December 19 | Volunteer
New Year's Break | December 22-January 4
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STAY CONNECTED
Staying connected is more important than ever, and MMS is continually seeking new ways to stay in touch. In addition to our school channels (eblasts, website, RenWeb, etc.), MMS amplifies our communication through numerous social media platforms, including:
Photos, school updates and Montessori news are posted nearly every day!
| | Staying connected matters! | | Combine a love of music and a love of learning and you have a Lower Elementary student memorizing his Winter Concert piece on the playground in September… all on his own! This inner drive to learn and will to pursue excellence without rewards or punishments exemplify the intrinsic motivation nurtured in a Montessori classroom right from the start! | | | Our expanded After School Enrichment Program is off to a rocking start this fall, with a wonderful range of opportunities to keep the learning, exploration and fun going after class ends. Pictured here are sixth years and Middle School students getting their calypso on in steel drum ensemble. | | CURRICULM CORNER: EXPERIENCE LEARNING | | |
“The mountains are calling and we must go.”
For decades, an outdoor learning and leadership trip to Spruce Knob has been an integral component of the MMS Upper Elementary experience, and this year was no exception. Earlier this month, our two UE classes explored the wild and wonderful of West Virginia with Experience Learning, with whom students gained greater understanding of our environment, themselves and each other. Thank you, Experience Learning! (Watch for more photos on Facebook.)
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Thank you for reading your "M" News!
Current and past newsletters are always available on your virtual newstand.
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Mountaineer Montessori School
4801 Staunton Avenue | 308 20th Street | Charleston, WV 25304
304.342.7870 | Email | Website
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