My Dear Elizabeth Academy Colleagues, Students, Families,

We have just entered our 15th year at Elizabeth Academy and our 7th year of learning at our upper/secondary campus. Beginning in 2009, with just 3 classes of early childhood students, expanding in 2017 to include high school, and finishing our last school year having had a total of 14 high school graduates, our commitment has always been to deliver a high quality academic program, aligned to our foundational values, which are: Inclusivity, Kindness, Honesty and Commitment. I believe we have stayed true to these values and I am very proud of that. I have cherished the work and relationships I have had at the school and my heart is full of gratitude for all of the leaders, teachers, staff, students and families who have endeavored so earnestly to create the school that we have the privilege to attend today. You are my heroes. Since its inception, Elizabeth Academy has been a place where Montessori philosophy and pedagogy blends beautifully in a space where inclusion isn’t an extra but an always. Our people make this so. Yet…

As our program has grown, I have witnessed an increasing demand on our resources, both human and financial, to maintain our standard of quality and commitment to those foundational values. We have never wavered in our focus on inclusivity, kindness and commitment. Our staff is stellar, our love and desire to serve our students and their families are as strong as ever. However, after seven years of endeavoring to grow and maintain healthy numbers of high school students in our program, we have come to the hard reality that we can no longer financially sustain a high school (9th-12th grade) program and it would be dishonest to you and everyone in our school community to continue pressing forward in an endeavor that will eventually break the backs of all, as it is breaking the bank that sustains us. We must embrace this hard truth in order to move forward for the sake of everyone in the school.

While I am sure that there are many questions swirling in your head right now with this news so fresh, and uncertainty fills your heart, let me say this with all the certainty of my soul: We have a plan and we are going to hold fast to our values of inclusivity, kindness, honesty and commitment while we continue on this year, caring for each and every one of you in our school community, to support you in finding the best place for you next year. This is why we have shared this news with you as soon as possible, after the board just finalized their decision. This will afford us time to secure the best options for all of us. For staff members who might be affected, we will step up our schedule of intent meetings. For secondary students and their parents/guardians, we will be glad to set up individual meetings to discuss best school options and help them prepare for the transition.

This is what we plan to do starting next school year, 2025-2026:

Our Middle School, 7th and 8th grade, will move back to the Connor campus, remaining its own cohort, interacting with the Upper Elementary classroom, but leading the campus as the oldest level of Elizabeth Academy students. This is going to strengthen the whole school, especially the students, as they will have a strong older group of peer leaders, and the middle schoolers themselves will have time to build confidence as leaders before moving to a larger student body of high schoolers.

Students currently enrolled in or entering High School, 9th-12th grade next year, will need to find another school for the 2025-26 school year. We have had success kindling a relationship with nearby Highland High School, a public school in Salt Lake City School District, which has a stellar program, both in general and advanced academic courses, as well as a wonderful special education program. Many of our former students have already ventured to Highland, first with dual enrollment, as they loved our program so much, but as time has passed, these students have now made a full transition to Highland.

With bittersweet clarity, we have come to the realization that it is probably best for all concerned if we let our high school students go in order to grow where they can truly blossom with a full student body of peers, athletic programs, and a broader social spectrum. At the same time, we can focus on what WE do best— nurturing and guiding children in the Montessori way, with inclusivity, kindness, honesty, and commitment.

We love and care for you deeply,

Gratefully and Sincerely,

Gail S. Williamsen

Elizabeth Academy 2025-2026
High School Transition

Parent FAQ

Why is the High School Closing?

Because of the financial strain of the high student to teacher ratio as well as the difficulty of retention from lower to upper campus.

What will happen with the Primary Campus? Is there a concern of it closing?

The board is committed to the continued success of the Primary Campus, there is no concern that it will close.
The Primary Campus will include infants through 8th grade in alignment with other similarly sized private and charter schools in the area.

Why didn’t you tell me this before?

This was a decision made after the last board meeting. Administration was informed afterwards. We have been working through the details to create an action plan so that we could provide a clear message to all.
We’ll continue to offer services through the rest of the year and will support with transitions.
It is October. We have a lot of the year left. Announcing this message so early in the year is a risk on our part. Our hope is that you see this early announcement as our way of communicating respect for you and your situations.
There is never a good time…

Who should I contact with further questions?

Direct any questions towards administration. Please reach out to admin@elizabethacademy.com
Elizabeth Academy Staff had a community meeting where administration shared this announcement and fielded questions. Please respect them as they are also processing this new information.

So long September, on to October, hills ablaze in vibrant hues.
A wondrous world we live in, check out our EA news…

A wondrous world indeed. Our students are now actively engaged in the wonders of learning at Elizabeth Academy. Our Welcome Back Picnic was a delightful event, gathering as a school community with good company and great food. October ushers in a week off from school with a Teacher Workday, Monday, October 7th, then Parent Teacher Conferences, Tuesday and Wednesday, October 8th and 9th, and Fall Break, Thursday and Friday, October 10th and 11th.

And of course, at the end of the month there will be our annual Halloween Parade, on Thursday, October 31st, Spirit week October 28th-31st then followed by a Teacher Workday on Friday, November 1st.

Feeling wonderfully full in the fall,
Elizabeth Academy Staff

Take the time to recognize a staff member. We know how much they put into their jobs and to the education of the students. You can recognize a teacher, specialist, therapist or administrative staff member. We will do a monthly drawing of those submitted to feature in our newsletter. All who are recognized will be given a copy of these responses as well. Go to the school app to submit recognition for those staff members.

October Events

Teacher Work Day (No School): October 7th

Parent Teacher Conferences: October 8th and 9th. See more information below.

Fall Break (No School): October 10th-11th

EAPO Campus Conversations- Secondary School: October 16th 2:30pm

EAPO Campus Conversations- Primary School: October 17th 8:50am

Secondary School BOO Bash: October 25th at Thanksgiving Point

Primary School Halloween Costume Parade: October 31st

School Spirit Week: October 28th-31st

Teacher Work Day (No School): November 1st

Parent Teacher Conferences

We are excited to meet with you for parent teacher conferences on Tuesday, October 8th and Wednesday, October 9th. Don’t forget to sign up by Saturday, October 5th.

Spirit Week

Students can join in our first spirit week the last week of October. Please ensure that students are following dress code while having fun. *On Thursday, October 31st each campus will have a different dress up day.*

Primary School

Inclusion and Community

At Elizabeth Academy we value and foster Community Building. Each week the EC and LE teams get together for a weekly sing along led by Rachel K. our music therapist. We had our first all school community meeting on September 20, 2024 to celebrate Day of Peace. A huge component of our community is all of you, the caregivers. Fostering adult community and relationships was in full swing when we got together and played Trivia in the black box while the kids were able to also hang out in community in the Kiva.

D.E.A.R. Day and Literacy at EA

Our Librarians, Ms. Ellie and Mr. Diego are looking at ways to increase minutes spent in books across our community. One of those ways is implementing time across campus that for 15 minutes, everyone, students and staff will dive into books as a school. This will look different at different levels and will include individually reading, small groups, and also read alouds. These days will be our D.E.A.R. Days. Drop Everything And Read. We encourage you all to participate as well and will send out more information on our first one. They will happen once a month. If you do not have a habit of spending time with your children reading, please start one. Whether your kids are young or old, taking time to sit down and read will make a difference. Daily is always best, but if you can’t find times to do it when you can, it can fit your schedule whatever your schedule is.

Montessori Minute

An important part of the Montessori Curriculum is the Cosmic Curriculum. Cosmic education refers to the philosophy coined by Dr. Maria Montessori, which says that all things are interconnected in this universe and that each living thing has a specific role or Cosmic task to carry out. The children are at the center of this universe.

The teachers present lessons focused on how we interact with one another and one example that came out of EC is the story of Black Elk, a Native American leader that was struggling with how to support his tribe during westward expansion. The focus of Black Elk’s story was the question of how we deal with our own personal challenges, and how we deal with others as we interact within society. Black Elk was a Lakota-Oglala medicine man who lived from 1863 until 1950.

The focus Black Elk’s story was the question of how we deal with our own personal challenges, and how we deal with others as we interact within society. The EC classes are working on how do you move forward when someone else is causing a problem in your life? Please take time and reflect on how to interact with grace and courtesy.

Costume Parade & Halloween Celebrations

Classes will have their Halloween Celebrations on Thursday, October 31st. Parents are welcome to join us for our annual costume parade. More information to come about time in the coming weeks.

Secondary School

Dear Elizabeth Secondary Community,

Fall is in the air with a morning crispness that reminds us that the seasons are changing. At Secondary, the month of September was filled with opportunities to gather as a community both at Camp Oakley and at our Welcome Back Picnic. I really enjoyed being able to interact with you, your children, and the teachers in such unique settings. Thank you to the wonderful staff and parents who helped in preparing such successful events.

In looking ahead to October we are hoping to meet each of you at our Parent Teacher Conferences on Tuesday, October 8th and Thursday, October 9th. Please click HERE to sign up for a time slot if you have not done so already. School will not be held from Monday, October 7th for a Teacher Work Day, Tuesday and Wednesday for Parent Teacher Conferences, and Thursday and Friday for Fall Break. We will be holding our monthly Campus Conversations on Wednesday, October 16th from 2:30pm-3:30pm. We will have a full agenda looking at community events. Mark your calendars!

A few weeks ago, we sent out a survey about clubs and after school activities! The clubs that have started are Minecraft Club on Mondays, and Rock Climbing Club on Tuesdays, and Ski Club will start in January. If you are still interested in joining one of these clubs, please reach out to Kat Kirk- kat.kirk@elizabethacademy.com.

Here is to another great month at Elizabeth Academy Secondary!

Kind Regards,
Sofia Rigolon

Friday, October 25th

Boogie Bash: Inclusive Dance

BOO! This year, our annual Halloween Celebration, “Boogie Bash”, is again taking place at Thanksgiving Point Museum of Ancient Life in Lehi on Friday, October 25th from 7:00pm-9:30pm. This event is in collaboration with the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation. Our Student Council is planning fun and inclusive activities for students, young adults, and adults with disabilities for this event. We will provide transportation with school vehicles, so RSVP today! All students in attendance will receive Service Hours for coming and representing Elizabeth Academy Secondary as peer mentors!

Highland High Events

Wednesday, October 23rd 5:30pm- 8:00pm Spook Ally and Carnival- Hosted in the West Parking Lot at Highland High. If you park in our east lot and enter the school through the door nearest the flagpole that will take you into our Main Lobby and Cafeteria, just head all the way through both on the left side and go out the back door and that will take you to the west lot.

Saturday, October 26th 7:00pm- 9:00pm Monster Mash at Highland High in the back gym.

EAPO Corner

Campus Conversations

Secondary School- Wednesday, October 16th 2:30pm in the Life Skills Room

Primary School- Thursday, October 17th 8:50am in the Black Box

Campus Conversations are monthly meetings hosted by the EAPO. Lasting approximately one hour, Campus Conversations are informal discussions, and are the best way to stay informed about what is happening both on the Primary and Secondary Campuses, and to be in the loop about upcoming events and activities. Light refreshments are served.

Thank you to everyone that joined us for our first Parent Night In and Kids Night In. We truly enjoyed a fun trivia night and getting to laugh together.

Primary School Upcoming Events

Secondary School Upcoming Events

Pizza Wednesdays

DATE

Our next pizza day is on Wednesday, October 30th. Both campuses will participate. To purchase the pizza meal go to the school store in the app.

School Store

Sweet September. We welcome you back to school with open arms and happy smiles. All summer long we have been planning for the great school year ahead of us. Now, let it all begin!

First, if you haven’t noticed already, take a look at our sleek new website! Yes, our updated website went live on the first day of school, August 19th. It’s a clean, fresh new look with smooth organizational design and functionality. Check it out!

Coming up quickly, our School Picture Days will be September 9th-17th. Please see more specific information about picture days below.

Next up, our Welcome Back Picnic is Thursday, September 12th, 6:00-7:30 pm, at the Primary (Connor Street) campus. Join us for a BBQ dinner and casual mix and mingle with teachers, families and friends in our school community.

If the past few weeks are any indication about what kind of a school year this will be, we are really excited for what is to come. From leadership to staff, parents and students as well, we see smiles and cooperation, kindness and consideration. There is synergy and excitement in the air. Welcome back. We missed you!

Warmly,
Elizabeth Academy Administration

September Events

Picture Days: September 9th-17th. See more information below.

Welcome Back Picnic: Thursday, September 12th 6:00-7:30pm

Teacher Workday: Friday, September 13th No School

EAPO Campus Conversations: Thursday, September 19th. See campus information below.

International Day of Peace: Friday, September 20th

Fall Picture Day

Picture day is here and we are excited to see their cute faces! Please check the schedule for the day your student will have their picture taken. Pictures will be taken in the morning, please have your student arrive ready and on time.
Primary School Picture Days
September 9th- Infant & Toddlers
September 10th- Elementary Students
September 11th- Early Childhood
Secondary School Picture Day
September 17th- Secondary and Post Secondary Students

Welcome Back Picnic

Thursday, September 12th 6:00-7:30pm

We are excited to announce our annual Welcome Back Picnic. The whole school community from both campuses is invited to join together at the Primary School campus to catch up with each other, grab some grub and have some fun.

We will provide the dinner and welcome you to sign up to bring a salad or dessert.

Primary School

Social Emotional

Do you have a student in one of our EC classrooms (Willow, Sequoia, Juniper, or Aspen)? Have you heard your child talk about their Love Light? The students have been learning that when you say kind words and do kind things your Love Light shines brighter. One Willow student said “It shines in your body, it makes you happy when friends are kind.” “I can give someone a hug and that will make their love light grow brighter.”

Enrichment

We are into week three and enrichments are going full force! Dance and Movement with Ms. Chassie and Ms. Hayley. Asian style scroll paintings with Ms. Rachel in art. Exploring reading topics and doing a scavenger hunt in the library with Ms. Ellie and Mr. Diego. Jumping and moving with Ms. Jasmin in PE, sing-a-longs and music with Ms. Rachel. Brushing off the Spanish conjunctive with Ms. Carolina. Our students travel to enrichment spaces starting at the end of toddlers. In our toddler and infant classes the enrichment specialist go to the children. So if you have the opportunity to be touring around the school or volunteering in a class make sure to overlap it with the enrichment schedule. There is a sense of energy within the building as all of our spaces are now being used.

Montessori Minute

Our community is full of parents and kids that both have experience within Montessori and some that are new to it this year. Maria Montessori has many quotations but one that came from her London Lectures in 1946 is “We must accept adaptation as the basis upon which we can build a concept of education.” The first couple of weeks have been focused around normalizing to the year and teachers assessing the students as to where they are. It has been amazing to watch the dance between our classroom teachers, our level interventionists, and our therapists to assess and plan and then meet the needs of our students. Thank you for being a part of our community and joining us in this dance.

Secondary School

Camp Oakley

Students spent two days connecting with teachers and peers. They played an interactive game emulating the “Hero’s Journey” that aligned with the school values of Kindness, Inclusivity, Honesty, and Commitment. It was an amazing experience for students and staff alike!

Advisory Focus: Collaboration

We encourage parents to talk to your students about compromise and the role that plays in good leadership and teamwork. Also discuss how collaboration ties to our school values: inclusivity, kindness, honesty and commitment. There is a difference between being part of a group and being part of a team. A team. A group is simply a group of people with individual goals, while a team is a group of people working towards a common goal.

SAVE THE DATE

Friday, October 25th

Monster Mash:Inclusive Dance

There will be dancing, a costume contest, and other fun activities at Thanksgiving Point

EAPO Corner

Campus Conversations

Primary School- September 19th 8:50am in the Black Box

Secondary School- September 19th 2:30pm in the Life Skills Room

Volunteer Opportunities

It is vital to the success of Elizabeth Academy to have the support of a robust, involved, and dedicated group of parents and guardians. EAPO relies on volunteerism from our parent community to support our ongoing efforts. Please click on the links below to sign up to help OR go to the school app to find volunteer opportunities.

Picture Day Helpers
Pizza Wednesday Helper
Literacy & Room Volunteers (sign up coming soon)
EAPO Leadership or Subcommittee (reach out to the EAPO at eapo@elizabethacademy.com)