Satiated By Your Generosity and Treats!

Conference days are made all the more pleasant by our wonderful parents, who kindly brought us a variety of treats to enjoy. Thank you all very much for making us feel appreciated and so well taken care of.
 
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the final phase of work has begun on our playground. And as Mother Nature would have it, after two productive days of planting and marking areas, the rain began to fall. Please help us in our call for dry weather, so that the work can continue to completion soon!
 
Another long desired update is slated to be unveiled in the next couple of weeks. We are excited to announce the development of a new website designed to match the energy and excitement we feel every day at TMA. The new site is full of great information, pictures, and all the info current and prospective parents may need to take full advantage of everything we have to offer.
 
TMA partnered with Caitlin Worm, Managing Director of Blackbird Philanthropy Advisors, (and a TMA Aunt!) a consulting group based in South Bend, to create a brand new website. Blackbird very generously redesigned the content and navigation to be more accessible, and trained staff so we can make regular updates on our own, something that wasn’t entirely possible with our antiquated site. Thanks very much to Caitlin for the design and training. Special thanks also to Kim and Hannah who have been working hard to proofread, edit, troubleshoot and get the new site ready for launch. To learn more about Blackbird, which also works with successful families and businesses to give them the tools to become active, strategic philanthropists in their communities, visit www.blackbirdadvisors.org. 
 
Lastly, each year I encourage you, our current families, to schedule a tour with me to see the parts of the building and the programming about which you may not be familiar. One of the things I enjoy most about my job is touring prospective parents and seeing their realization that what we do is indeed different. The common comment is, “I wish I had been able to go to a school like this.” Montessori methodology is unique, and it works. Because it’s different though, it can seem daunting to even our existing parents who may not understand how and why the approach works so well. An example of our impact is shown by the twelve 2015 8th graders, who graduated from high school last year. Of those twelve, four were valedictorians and a fifth was in the top five of her class, while all of them were accepted into strong university programs. That is not an unusual occurrence. While we obviously can’t take credit for all of their successes, it does show how well our students are prepared when they enter high school. And most importantly, within that rigorous academic environment, we teach grace and courtesy, respect and peace, within our wonderfully diverse community, and we do it in a way that allows students to take responsibility for their learning, without the stressors that we hear too much about in traditional settings. If you’re not sure how our levels build and fit together, the reasons TMA students go on to such success, and have for so many years, please - let’s meet and allow me to show you around, answer your questions and share with you why I believe so strongly in our approach.
 
Thank you. I hope to see you soon and… Go Mustangs!

Mr. Kelly