A Month In: Navigating MSIMS Together

More than a month into the school year, our classrooms are settling into their rhythms and our community is fully underway. We’ve gathered important schoolwide information, resources, reminders, and updates in one place to help families navigate the year ahead.

We hope this serves as a helpful reference for where to find information, whom to contact, what communication to expect from the School, and some of the ways we support our students, families, and programs throughout the year. Additional policies and procedures can always be found in the MSIMS Family Handbook in Transparent Classroom under the School Info tab.

School Communication & Staying Connected

MSIMS uses digital communication tools to help families stay informed while also being mindful of the number of messages families receive each week.

The Prairie Dog Press is our weekly schoolwide update and includes important dates, upcoming events, registration and sign-up links, reminders, and campus news. Lead Guides also send weekly classroom newsletters with information specific to their classrooms and programs. Together, these are the best places to stay current on what is happening at MSIMS.

Transparent Classroom provides access to classroom newsletters, student forms and photos, the Classroom Directory, the Family Handbook, and additional school resources.

For emergencies, weather-related closures or delays, and other time-sensitive operational updates, MSIMS communicates through text/SMS and the MSIMS app. Closure and weather information is also posted as a banner on the School website and app and shared through our Instagram and Facebook.

At a glance:

• Prairie Dog Press: Weekly schoolwide news, dates, events, parent resources, community partnership features, and reminders

• Classroom Newsletter: Weekly classroom and program-specific information

• Transparent Classroom: Classroom information, student forms and photos, Family Handbook, parent and staff directory, and resources

• Text/SMS: Emergencies, weather, closures, delays, and other time-sensitive notifications

• Website: Current Families resources, events, school calendar, and operational updates

• MSIMS App: Your quick-access hub for MSIMS information, with attendance reporting, sign-ups, chat groups, push notifications, and direct links to the School calendar, website, Transparent Classroom, Childcare Days, Enrichment, FACTS, and other frequently used family resources

Our public Google Calendar is updated as event details change, and we highly recommend adding it directly to your personal calendar. The Current Families section of our website also includes Childcare Day registration, hot lunch information, quarterly Enrichment offerings and registration, MSIMS merch, and more.

Please keep parent/guardian contact information, emergency contacts, and approved pick-up adults current throughout the year. Updates to emergency contacts or approved adults may be submitted to enrollment@mountainshadows.org. For student safety, changes to approved pickup lists cannot be made directly by families in Transparent Classroom and must be submitted to the School so we can verify parent/guardian authorization, maintain appropriate consent for all families, and ensure classroom staff receive accurate, confirmed pickup information.

MSIMS limits printed materials when a digital option is available. Families who need a printed copy of a school communication are always welcome to request one from the front office. If you are not receiving communications or need help accessing any of these systems, please let us know.

Who Should I Contact?

For questions about your child’s classroom experience, development, friendships, academic progress, or other classroom matters, your child’s Lead Guide is generally the best place to begin.

Our educators are actively engaged with children throughout the school day and may not be available for immediate responses. Arrival and dismissal are also important supervision and transition periods, so conversations requiring more time are best scheduled directly with your child’s Guide.

Staff are not expected to respond to email outside of working hours. MSIMS office hours are 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., and administration responds to non-urgent inquiries during regular business hours.

For administrative or program-specific questions:

Nido & Young Children’s Community
ECE Director: Nichole.Holtvluwer@mountainshadows.org

Questions about transitions from Nido to YCC or YCC to Primary should also be directed to Nichole. Transitions are planned according to each child’s developmental readiness and in partnership with classroom teams and families.

Middle School
Director of Adolescent Education: Amanda.Stone-Norton@mountainshadows.org

Primary, Elementary & Whole-School Support
Assistant Head of School: Jason.Stephens@mountainshadows.org
Head of School: Lauren.Franchek@mountainshadows.org

After-School & Extended Day Programming
After-School Administrator: Maddie.Stephens@mountainshadows.org
ECE Director: Nichole.Holtvluwer@mountainshadows.org

Enrichment Programming
Director of Operations: Ariana.Brents@mountainshadows.org

Tuition Billing, Health Documentation, Admissions & Enrollment
Enrollment@mountainshadows.org

Community Circles & Volunteering
Development@mountainshadows.org

Not sure where to start?
Hello@mountainshadows.org

Families are also encouraged to let us know about significant circumstances that may affect a child’s experience at school, including changes at home, travel, illness, family transitions, or loss. Having this context helps us understand and support children throughout their day.

Everyday School Logistics

Absences, Late Arrivals & Early Pick-Ups

If your child will be absent, arriving late, or picked up early, please submit the Attendance Form through the MSIMS app rather than emailing the classroom directly. This ensures that the information reaches administration and the appropriate classroom staff, particularly because educators may not be checking email while working with children.

Drop-In Aftercare

Drop-In Aftercare requests for Primary and Elementary may also be submitted through the MSIMS app. Drop-In Aftercare is not available for Nido or YCC programs.

Childcare Days & School Closures

MSIMS is closed for two days in October and again in the spring for Parent-Teacher Conferences, as well as during Fall Break and Spring Break. These scheduled closures include designated Childcare Days for families who need care.

Childcare Days require advance registration so that we can plan staffing according to enrollment. Registration links and deadlines are shared through school communications and are also available in the Current Families section of our website and through the MSIMS app.

Winter Break, Federal Holidays, and Professional Learning Days are full School closures, and childcare is not offered.

Please review the MSIMS calendar throughout the year and register for Childcare Days before the applicable deadlines when your family needs care.

Commitment to Montessori Excellence

Every classroom at Mountain Shadows is led by a Montessori-credentialed Lead Guide, and each classroom team includes at least one Assistant who either holds an AMI or AMS credential or is actively completing Montessori training. Several classroom team members hold post-graduate AMI or AMS education degrees across multiple program levels and planes of development, bringing additional depth of Montessori knowledge and experience to our programs. This year alone, four MSIMS educators are completing graduate AMI training programs.

We intentionally invest in developing Montessori expertise from within. Assistants have opportunities to pursue credentials, educators may continue their studies across additional planes of development, and experienced members of our faculty provide mentorship across program levels. Our relationships with international Montessori training centers, our senior educators, and AMI educational leadership further strengthen this work and create pathways for educators to take on expanded responsibilities and leadership over time.

Our accreditation through Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) provides another important layer of professional connection and support. Throughout the year, our teachers and administrators work with AMI through school consultation, mentorship, conferences, workshops, observations, and advanced training. Koral Walters, our Red Fox Primary Guide, also serves as an AMI School Consultant for AMI/USA, bringing that broader perspective directly into our School.

The “International” in Mountain Shadows International Montessori School reflects our place within this global Montessori community. Each year, we welcome Montessori educators from around the world to observe, learn, and train alongside our team, while our own educators continue learning from colleagues and experts beyond our campus. These relationships help us remain reflective, connected, and continually growing in our practice.

Staffing & Classroom Leadership

Our practice is to communicate directly with families should a staffing change occur that meaningfully affects their child’s regular classroom experience, classroom leadership, or primary point of contact. Once plans are confirmed, families impacted will receive relevant information about classroom support and continuity. As part of our responsibility as an employer, MSIMS protects confidential personnel information. Family communication therefore remains focused on information relevant to children, classrooms, and the continuity of their school experience.

Each program includes qualified support staff who are familiar with the children, classroom routines, and Montessori environment. These educators regularly provide classroom coverage for lunch breaks, meetings, appointments, and other daily needs, and also help provide substitute continuity when a faculty member is absent.

MSIMS prioritizes developing Montessori educators from within through training, mentorship, and pathways for assistants and emerging educators to develop. As our programs expand, school leadership also maintains strong connections within the AMI community to identify Montessori educators who are aligned with our school and interested in long-term professional growth.

Our educators may occasionally be away for AMI observations, practice teaching, conferences, training, or other professional learning that supports their continued development. If faculty leave, for any reason, becomes extended or results in a change to regular classroom leadership, families will receive an updated coverage plan.

Parent Observations & Parent-Teacher Conferences

October includes two important parts of our home-school partnership: Parent Observation Week and Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Classroom observations offer families an opportunity to experience the Montessori environment in action—the work cycle, independence, concentration, movement, social interactions, and the role of the adult. Observation procedures are designed to preserve the natural rhythm of the classroom while giving families a meaningful glimpse into their child’s school experience.

Parent-Teacher Conferences provide dedicated time for families and Guides to discuss development, strengths, areas for growth, relationships, academic progress, and shared goals.

Prior to conferences, please complete a Pre-Conference Questionnaire for each student through Transparent Classroom. Your responses help your child’s Lead Guide prepare for your conversation, understand what you are seeing at home, and make the best use of your time together. They also help us identify broader topics that may be valuable for future parent education and Community Learning Nights.

Classroom teams will provide scheduling information and observation procedures directly to families.

While formal observations and conferences are scheduled twice each year, families do not need to wait for these opportunities to connect. You are always welcome to email your child’s Lead Guide to schedule an additional check-in or observation.

A Note About Classroom Photos

Photos shared through Transparent Classroom are intended to provide a glimpse into your child’s classroom environment and work. Our teachers’ first priority throughout the school day is being fully present with the children—observing, guiding, connecting, and supporting their development.

Classroom Assistants also help capture and share photos when opportunities arise. In larger classroom communities, the frequency of photos may naturally vary from child to child and week to week.

If you have not been seeing photos of your child regularly or simply want to know more about their days, please reach out to your child’s Lead Guide. We always want families to feel connected to their child’s experience at school.

Health, Illness & Medication

Students who are ill should remain home, and illness-related absences should be reported through the Attendance Form in the MSIMS app.

When determining whether a child should attend school, families should refer to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s How Sick Is Too Sick? guidance. MSIMS health policies include requirements related to fever, vomiting, diarrhea, communicable illness, and return-to-school criteria.

Medications may not be sent in a child’s backpack or provided directly to classroom staff. Prescription and applicable over-the-counter medications require appropriate authorization and must be provided to the front office in their original, properly labeled containers.

When a health or safety matter requires family awareness or action, MSIMS communicates directly with the families who need that information.

Questions about health documentation, medication requirements, or return-to-school documentation should be directed to Ariana Brents, Director of Operations.

Outdoor Environments & Nature Learning

This year, Mountain Shadows was awarded a grant through the Whole Kids Foundation to further our gardening and nature-based programming.

In addition to expanding our classroom gardens this spring, the grant will support professional learning for staff focused on gardening, nature, and ways our outdoor environments can further enrich children’s learning.

This work builds on one of the unique strengths of our campus and creates additional opportunities to connect Montessori education with stewardship, practical life, science, food, and care for the natural environment.

Community, Philanthropy & Volunteerism

At Mountain Shadows, community participation takes many forms. As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) school, tuition does not cover the full cost of operating our programs and campus. The generosity, talents, time, connections, and participation of our community help our School continue to thrive.

One way to become involved this year is through our Community Circles—largely parent-led groups working in partnership with the School. Families may participate in one circle or several, serve as Parent Coordinators for their classrooms, lead a project, or simply lend a hand when they can.

Sunshine Circle
Help care for the people who make up our community through staff appreciation, birthdays, graduations and milestones, welcoming new families and babies, meal trains, and thoughtful support during challenging seasons.

Celebrations Circle
Help bring MSIMS events to life through planning, décor, procurement, vendor partnerships, communications, graphics, art projects, family activities, and event-day support. This circle works alongside MSIMS Administration and the Board of Directors’ Development Committee on celebrations including the Boulder Lights Parade, Earth Day, and our biggest celebration yet: MountainChella—MSIMS’s 50th Anniversary Celebration!

Connections Circle
Help create opportunities for families to build relationships beyond the school day through parent gatherings, book clubs, park meetups, family events, and other informal ways for adults and children to connect.

Campus Cares Circle
Help care for our beautiful campus through gardens, painting, carpentry, repairs, building and resurfacing projects, classroom needs, community spaces, and special campus improvement days.

Interested in getting involved? Email development@mountainshadows.org and let us know what interests you. There is no need to choose only one circle or make a major time commitment. There are many ways to contribute through time, talents, resources, connections, and financial support.

A Prepared Community

This year marks an especially meaningful moment in the history of Mountain Shadows. Our Board of Directors continues its work through committees to advance the School’s five-year strategic plan, and this spring we will celebrate 50 years of Mountain Shadows.

Over nearly five decades, our School has grown and evolved while remaining rooted in its commitment to children, Montessori education, and community. Reaching this milestone gives us an opportunity to honor the educators, families, students, board members, and community partners who have shaped Mountain Shadows along the way while continuing to look thoughtfully toward its future.

Our theme this year, Prepared Community, reflects that spirit: strong classrooms, connected families, thoughtful preparation, and a community working together in service of children.

We are grateful to be entering this milestone year together.

Thank you for being part of Mountain Shadows.

In Partnership,
MSIMS Administration & Leadership