Fabulous February at Mi Escuela Montessori

February was a month full of creativity, connection, and meaningful learning experiences across our school community. One of the highlights was a beautiful schoolwide art collaboration led by our wonderful and imaginative art teacher. During several Friday art sessions, students from Kindergarten through 6th grade each contributed their own marks on large sheets of aqua paper, building layers of colorful lines, textures, and patterns. Inspired by pop artist Jim Dine and his heart-themed artwork, the individual pieces were brought together to form one large heart that now hangs proudly in our hallway.

This collaborative installation represents much more than a piece of artwork. It reflects the creativity, individuality, and teamwork of our students, with every child contributing something unique to the final piece. Now displayed in our hallway, the artwork allows students to see the impact of their collective effort each day—a powerful reminder that when we work together, we can create something truly meaningful. This marks our second whole-school collaborative art project, and it continues to be a wonderful tradition that celebrates the importance of the arts in our school.

Our art teacher, Mrs. Leslyn Rushing, continues to inspire students with hands-on creative experiences. Recently, she introduced a stitching activity in the classroom, giving students the opportunity to explore fiber arts while developing patience, concentration, and fine motor skills. Through activities like this, students discover that art can take many forms and that creativity often involves persistence, experimentation, and joy in the process.

We are incredibly grateful for the creativity, passion, and thoughtful planning Mrs. Rushing brings to our students. Her work helps nurture imagination, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for the arts - an essential part of a well-rounded education.

Friendship Day Festivities

Another special moment in February was Friendship Day. At Mi Escuela Montessori, we do not celebrate Valentine’s Day; instead, we celebrate friendship and the importance of kindness and community. Students practiced their letter-writing skills by sharing notes and cards with classmates and expressing appreciation for the qualities they admire in one another.

In one classroom, students participated in a meaningful activity called “The Tree of Friendship.” They reflected on what it means to be a good friend and how small daily actions strengthen our community. Each student added a heart-shaped leaf representing an important value such as respect, empathy, inclusion, patience, and cooperation. Together, their contributions created a beautiful reminder of the values that help our community grow strong.

While our students were busy learning, creating, and celebrating friendship on campus, some of our educators were expanding their learning beyond our school walls.

Growing as Educators: Learning at the NABE Conference

Meanwhile, our Principal, Executive Director, and a team of four teachers braved the winter cold to travel to Chicago to attend the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Conference. While there, they had the opportunity to learn from national experts, collaborate with educators from across the country, and explore new strategies and best practices to better support multilingual learners. They even had the opportunity to meet a former U.S. Secretary of Education during the conference.

Our team returned energized and inspired, bringing back new ideas, renewed enthusiasm, and a strong commitment to continue nurturing and supporting the multilingual students who are such an important part of our school community.

A Magical Ending to February: Our Family Fairytale Ball

We wrapped up February with one of the most joyful and anticipated events of the year—our Family Fairytale Ball. Students arrived dressed as their favorite fairy tale characters, filling the evening with imagination, laughter, and creativity. From bouncing in the bounce house to meeting adorable baby goats, the event was full of magical moments for our students and families.

Throughout the evening, families enjoyed a variety of activities together, including crafts and games like making crowns and fairy wands, painting pet rocks, face painting, "Frog Hopper"and “Pin the Egg on the Dragon.” Events like these are a wonderful reminder that school is not only about learning in the classroom, but also about building strong connections and creating shared experiences that strengthen our community.

We are incredibly grateful to the many families who helped make the evening possible. More than 40 volunteers gave their time and energy to organize, set up, run activities, and support the event. Thanks to this amazing community effort, the Family Fairytale Ball raised over $3,000 for our school.

It was a truly magical way to close out February, and a beautiful example of what makes our school community so special.

Interested in joining our community? Families who would like their child to be part of Mi Escuela Montessori should be sure to submit their application before our second enrollment lottery on March 27. We would love to welcome new families into our growing school community!

Apply Now!!