May Newsletter

As we wrap up another incredible school year, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to our amazing parent community. Your support, time, and energy make a world of difference.

To our Room Parent Committee—thank you for organizing staff lunches, breakfasts, and happy hours that truly lifted spirits throughout the year. If you are interested in joining next year, please email Kimberly@AthenaMontessoriAcademy.com

To our Events Committee—your creativity and dedication helped bring our school community together through memorable and joyful events. If you are interested in joining next year, please email Info@AthenaMontessoriAcademy.com

And to our Yearbook Committee—we’re so grateful you embraced the challenge of this new adventure and helped capture the heart of the year so beautifully. If you are interested in joining next year, please email Info@AthenaMontessoriAcademy.com

We truly couldn’t do it without you. Our teachers and admin are full of appreciation and feel so supported by everything you do.

Thank you for being such an integral part of what makes this school so special!

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI term celebrates multiple cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, Hawai'i, and others.

The Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC), the premier organization representing Asian American, Native Hawai’ian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) employees in the Federal and District of Columbia governments, is pleased to announce the theme for the May 2025 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, “A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience.”

We embrace "A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience" as both a tribute and a call to action. We honor the achievements of those who have paved the way while igniting the passions of those who will follow. Through this theme, we strive to continue breaking barriers, honor our traditions, and inspire the next generation of AANHPI leaders.

For the Children:
According to one of our favorites, The Conscious Kid, out of all racial groups, API’s and indigenous peoples receive the least attention in school curriculum and textbooks. Here are some great picks to add to your home library!

We’re excited to announce the dates for our Gates of Life ceremonies! If you’ve never been to one at Athena, you’re in for something really special.

Gates of Life is our graduation ceremony where we celebrate important transitions—like moving from Movers and Shakers to Tots, Tots to Primary, or Primary to the next big step. It’s a time to honor each child’s growth, their hard work, and the special bonds they’ve built with classmates and guides.

Families (and extended family!) are warmly invited to join us for these joyful—and sometimes emotional—celebrations.

Following are the dates and times for each ceremony:

At Athena, the Kindergarten Research Project is a cherished tradition for our third-year Primary students. Children are invited to choose a topic that excites them and dive into a fact-finding mission, building skills in reading, writing, comprehension, art, and public speaking. Guides join in the excitement as new discoveries spark curiosity and joy.

Using library books, children select facts to share, write them down, and create matching illustrations. Families support the process at home by helping their child create a visual aid for the final presentation or taking the children to public libraries to find books on their desired subject. This year we have learned about butterflies, trains, ladybugs, bacteria, and more!

Presentations are shared with classmates, guides, and family members. Each child presents their findings with their Lead Guide nearby for support. They share facts, explain their visual aid, and respond to questions and compliments from the audience. These projects are designed to be achievable, joyful experiences that build confidence and pride. The highlight? Watching each child light up with pride as they celebrate their hard work and success!

These events are for students only.

Friday May 9th

Teamwork makes the dream work! Field Day is an opportunity for our Primary students to come together to use their problem-solving skills to complete tasks and for them to have some old school F-U-N in the sun! We will be hosting ours on May 9th so be on the lookout for those pictures on Transparent Classroom!

Tuesday May 13th

We will be hosting a Spirit Day for our toddlers! They will be enjoying dance parties, some lawn activities and bubbles! Be on the lookout for the cute content on Transparent Classroom.

May 12th- 16th

At Athena, we celebrate our entire community and will be celebrating love and individuality the second week of May! Along with our friends at Barton Hills, we have chosen these four

statements as the core to our Pride Week, in which all ages can participate and understand:

• All are welcome.

• Everyone should be able to be who they are.

• Differences are awesome!

• Love makes a family.
  
  

  Friday May 16th:
  Dress Like a Rainbow Day for children and adults!

Current Families
Sibling enrollment for next year is complete. If you have a child you're hoping to enroll next year and didn't hear from Joy, please reach out to her.

Waiting Pool Families
2024-25 School Year: We are fully enrolled for the current school year.

2025-26 School Year: Enrollment for Movers & Shakers (3-18 mos), Tots (18 mos-3 yrs), and Primary (~3-5 yrs) is complete at this time. We typically experience some attrition over the summer, as families' plans change. Should a spot become available for your child, our Admissions Director will be in touch with you directly.

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:
5/3- Parker S.
5/4- Story K.
5/5- Rose M.
5/7- Josephine K., Shail K.
5/9- Ella G.
5/12- Mila R.
5/14- Bonnie B.
5/16- Elliot C.
5/17- Neve M.
5/19- Delilah L.
5/22- Alice E., Daphne E.
5/24- Ishaan S.
5/25- Van G.
5/26- Arthur O., Thatcher H.
5/28 Amelia L.

Staff:
5/4 Angela D. (T4) Lorena A. (T1) Monika W. (P5)
5/18- Kiki G. (T1)
5/19- Rocio L. (Admin)