Dear Families,
September is a wonderful time of new beginnings, fresh routines, and new connections. As we settle into another exciting school year, we are thrilled to welcome several new members to our staff! Each person brings unique experience, talents, and a passion for supporting our students and school community.
We are excited to welcome our newest members of the Elizabeth Academy community:
Alyssa Avidano (Infant- Poppy)
Lucinda Smith (Infant- Poppy)
Kat Kaleel (Full Time Substitute)
Micah Daniels (Full Time Substitute)
Sarah Beck (Infant – K Interventionist)
Eliza Zenger (Dance Teacher)
Dan White (Music Teacher)
McCall Kirby (Middle School- Big Cottonwood)
Hannah Cowan (Speech Therapist)
Joseph Bonham (Physical Therapist)
Peter Hansen (Occupational Therapist)
We invite you to visit our Elizabeth Academy website to see photos and learn more about all of our staff members. We are so grateful for the experience, energy, and care each person brings to our community.
So Many Firsts!
The first few weeks of school have been full of memorable moments. We have already enjoyed field trips across multiple levels, giving our students opportunities to learn, explore, and connect beyond the classroom.
We also welcomed in-house speakers to promote fire safety—including a very special shout-out to Smokey the Bear! Our students had the opportunity to learn important safety lessons while enjoying a memorable visit.
We gathered as an entire school community for our first Welcome Back Picnic, creating time for students, families, and staff to reconnect and celebrate the beginning of another school year.
We also held our first Community Meeting as a whole school, bringing everyone together to build connections and strengthen our sense of community. Our Campus Conversations have provided another wonderful opportunity for families and staff to connect, share, and stay engaged with all that is happening at Elizabeth Academy.
And what better way to celebrate community than through art? Our school-wide art project celebrating the International Day of Peace brought students together to create and decorate rocks, filling our campus with messages of peace, kindness, and connection.
As the seasons change and we move from the warmth of summer into the beautiful colors of fall, we are looking forward to all the adventures, discoveries, connections, and memories we will create together this year.
Here’s to a wonderful year ahead!
Nate, Jessica, & Sofia
September 2026 Calendar
- September 4th – Teacher Workday
- September 7th – Labor Day Holiday
- September 9th – Campus Conversations 8:50am – 10:00am
- September 9th – Pizza Wednesday
- September 24th – Welcome Back Picnic 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Mission in Motion
One of the most beautiful elements of Montessori education is the Five Great Lessons—five foundational stories that invite children to explore the universe, life, humanity, language, and mathematics. Traditionally introduced through the Story of the Universe, The Coming of Life, The Coming of Humans, The Story of Writing, and The Story of Numbers, these lessons provide a framework for children to see how everything they study is connected. Rather than beginning with isolated facts, the Great Lessons begin with the big picture and invite students to follow their curiosity into science, history, geography, language, mathematics, art, and culture.
This fall, students across Elizabeth Academy have begun exploring the first Great Lesson: the story of the universe and the Big Bang. Our Early Childhood students expressed their growing understanding through artwork inspired by the Big Bang. Lower Elementary students extended the story through artwork and story mapping, helping them sequence and represent the events they encountered. In Upper Elementary, students broadened their exploration by writing creation stories, considering the many ways people have told stories about beginnings across time and cultures.
The Great Lessons connect beautifully to Elizabeth Academy’s mission of “Enlightenment for Everyone” and our vision of “Enlightenment for Life.” They create a shared starting point for learning while leaving room for curiosity, questions, exploration, and different perspectives. As students grow, they return to these ideas with greater depth—encountering new scientific knowledge, historical and cultural perspectives, and opportunities to make connections across their learning. The Great Lessons open doors to discovery, helping students build the knowledge and curiosity to continue asking questions, making connections, and learning throughout their lives.
