Welcome to Seward
The Parent Teacher Association is comprised of volunteer parents who work together to strengthen and support the education and community of Seward Montessori. Our primary support activity is to raise funds for the many important activities at Seward that contribute to your child's experience beyond the classroom.
A letter from Jim Moore, outgoing Site Council Chair
L_20210525_SMSSC_Election Letter.pdfPlease read the above note regarding elections for Seward Montessori Site Council. We are looking for parents that would like to have a greater presence in guiding on-site activities for kids and families at Seward Montessori. Please submit your information to sitecouncil@sewardmontessori.org if you are interested. Submissions are due May 31, 2021 and voting begins June 1, 2021.
Posted May 25, 2021
Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Site Council Chair, Jim Moore, provided an update on the principal hiring process at Seward Montessori. He also lead a discussion on the need for new leadership on Site Council and PTA. Principal Tammy Goetz gave an update on the possible reincorporation of 6th grade into Seward Montessori.
Posted Friday, May 21, 2021
Seward Montessori Classroom Parents
We are looking for room parents for the 2021/2022 school year. This is a wonderful way to get involved in your child's class and help build a community outside the classroom. To learn more or sign up, visit https://forms.gle/n8BaQPcYaX9ZdVhX6.
Posted Thursday, May 14, 2021
Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Principal, Tammy Goetz, updated parents on Seward goings on, in particular the preparations for the return of middle schoolers. Tammy mentioned that the school will be hosting a welcome gathering for the 143 new students (not including Kindergartners) that will be attending Seward next year. Christian Novak updated parents on the Principal selection process and Site Council's needs for parents to give feedback and volunteer to be on the selection committee.
Posted Thursday, April 15, 2021
Upcoming Seward Montessori Roundtable
Seward Montessori's April Roundtable meeting is at 6:30 pm on Thursday, April 15. Click on the link below to join the meeting. Roundtable meetings are a great way to meet other parents and hear about goings on at Seward Montessori from teachers, administration, and volunteers.
Zoom Link
https://zoom.us/j/4578006016?pwd=ZmZOazlCdHRmdHllSWQxaGY1OFBlZz09
Passcode: roundtable
Posted Tuesday, April 6, 2021Seward Family Story Time - March 31!
This year as part of the Read Around we our initiating Family Storytime on Zoom. Our fourth and FINAL story time will be Wednesday, March 31st from 6:30 - 7:00 pm. Assistant Principal, Clare Foley Peters will be sharing a story with us over zoom.
If the link doesn't work, please go to: https://zoom.us/j/93523000098
Posted Friday, March 26, 2021.
Seward Family Story Time - March 24!
This year as part of the Read Around we our initiating Family Storytime on Zoom. Our third storytime will be Wednesday, March 24th from 6:30 - 7:00 pm. Assistant Principal, Clare Foley Peters will be sharing a story with us over zoom.
Family Storytimes are scheduled for:
March 31, 6:30 pm - Principal Tammy Goetz (in English)
If the link doesn't work, please go to: https://zoom.us/j/93523000098
Posted Monday, March 18, 2021.
Seward Family Story Time - March 17!
This year as part of the Read Around we our initiating Family Storytime on Zoom. Our second storytime will be Wednesday, March 17th from 6:30 - 7:00 pm. Children's House teacher, Lori Sherrill, will be giving her well-known (well known to Ms. Sherrill's current and past students) puppetry story.
Family Storytimes are scheduled for:
March 24, 6:30 pm - Assistant Principal Clare Foley Peters (in English)
March 31, 6:30 pm - Principal Tammy Goetz (in English)
If the link doesn't work, please go to: https://zoom.us/j/93523000098
Posted Monday, March 16, 2021.
Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
NOTE - The full recording was not captured for the March Roundtable meeting.
Tammy Goetz, Principal at Seward Montessori, talked about the 2021/2022 school year budget and the changes in next year's classrooms. She touched on school closures for middleschoolers the week of April 12 - 16, 2021 for preparation of return to school. She also announced both the retirements of the longtime front office staff, Karen Kmetz, as well as her own. Tammy announced that she will be retiring at the end of the year. Parents will have a chance to provide their voices to the hiring of a new principal at Seward Montessori.
Posted Monday, March 15, 2021
Seward Montessori Budget Discussion
Tammy Goetz, Principal at Seward Montessori, presented the proposed 2021/2022 school year budget to parents of returning and new students. The budget changed for the 2021/2022 school year (in comparison to past years) as there will no longer be a middle school at Seward Montessori and additional Children's Houses, E1, and E2 classrooms are included in the budget. Additional resources are going towards Montessori education.
Posted, Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Seward Family Story Time - March 10!
This year as part of the Read Around we our initiating Family Storytime on Zoom. Our first storytime will be Wednesday, March 10th from 6:30 - 7:00 pm. Hawa Omar will be reading The Travels of Igal Shidad -Safrarada Cigaal Shidaad a Somali Folktale, which will be spoken in Somali. This will be a great opportunity for all our families to hear a story in the language of so many of our families.
Family Storytimes are scheduled for:
March 17, 6:30 pm - Children's House's Lori Sherrell's Puppetry Story (in English)
March 24, 6:30 pm - Assistant Principal Clare Foley Peters (in English)
March 31, 6:30 pm - Principal Tammy Goetz (in English)
If the link doesn't work, please go to: https://zoom.us/j/93523000098
Posted Monday, March 8, 2021.Read Around 2021 Starts Monday, March 1!
Seward Read Around 2021, Books Bring Us Together, starts Monday, March 1st! Read Around is a fun event for students and is our largest PTA fundraiser, done in close partnership with Seward faculty and staff. The Read Around is an excellent time to encourage your children to curl up on a couch with a cup of hot chocolate and read some good books. Reading aloud to your children counts too!
The Read Around packet will be available for download found here or new for 2021 is an online reading tracking and fundraising tool called Read for My School. You can sign-up via the Internet by visiting https://rfms.app/99069.
New for 2021 is an online reading tracking and fundraising tool called Read for My School.
You can sign-up via the Internet by visiting https://rfms.app/99069. You can also download an RFMS app on your phone and sign up using the code 99069. In both cases, you will want to use your children’s Seward email address for registration and pick the appropriate grade. Families can use the online platform or the paper log to track their reading minutes and donations.
Also new for 2021, join us each Thursday in March at 6:30 PM for story time on zoom. https://zoom.us/j/93523000098 Meeting ID: 935 2300 0098
For the Read Around, we encourage students to read at home every day and to record this time in their reading record of choice. Our suggested minimum reading amounts per day vary by grade level and are:
10 minutes for kindergarten
15 minutes for E1 (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade)
20 minutes for E2 (4th and 5th grade)
These reading amounts include both reading alone and being read to aloud. Middle school students are also encouraged to participate! Because this is our largest fundraiser, please encourage your children to ask family and friends for donations to sponsor their reading time. Students receive prizes based on the amount of money they raise, as outlined in the Read Around packet.
Unless you are using the Read for My School website or app, all reading logs are due Monday, April 5th, and pledge forms and donations are due Monday, April 12th. Contact Jason Miller, Read Around coordinator, at readaround@sewardmontessori.org if you have any questions about the forms or due dates.
Special thanks to our wonderful Seward community for supporting this reading-focused initiative for more than 10 years running! Many Seward faculty and staff make this program successful. We are also grateful for the many parent volunteers who support our community. More parent volunteers are always appreciated for this event, so if you wish to be more involved with the Read Around in general, please contact Jason Miller at readaround@sewardmontessori.org. We would love to have you join us!
Posted Friday, February 26, 2021.Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Seward Montessori's February Roundtable meeting was held for parents on Thursday, February 11 at 6:30 pm. Click on the image and link to view the recording of the meeting. Principal Tammy Goetz discussed the return to in-person learning as well as preparations for next year given the changes at Seward Montessori due to the District's Comprehensive District Design. Roundtables normally take place the second Thursday of the Month at 6:30 pm on zoom. The February Roundtable will be Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 6:30 pm.
Posted Thursday, February 11, 2021.Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Seward Montessori's February Roundtable meeting is this Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 6:30 pm. Roundtable meetings take place on Zoom and can be accessed by clicking here.
PTA will give an update on Read Around, Book Club, and ongoing support for staff. Tammy Goetz will be updating parents on the first week of in-person and distance learning
Posted Tuesday, February 9, 2021.Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Seward Montessori's January Roundtable meeting was held for parents on Thursday, January 14 at 6:30 pm. Click on the image and link to view the recording of the meeting. Princiapal Tammy Goetz and Vice Principal Clare Foley Peters discussed the return to in-person learning. Roundtables normally take place the second Thursday of the Month at 6:30 pm on zoom. The February Roundtable will be Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 6:30 pm.
Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Seward Montessori's December Roundtable meeting was held for parents on Thursday, December 3 at 6:30 pm. Click on the image and link to view the recording of the meeting. Roundtables normally take place the second Thursday of the Month at 6:30 pm on zoom. The January Roundtable will be Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 6:30 pm.
Posted Friday, December 4, 2020.Upcoming Seward Montessori Roundtable and PTA Meetings
Seward Montessori's December Roundtable meeting has been moved to December 3, 2020 at 6:30 pm. Roundtable meetings take place on Zoom and can be accessed by clicking here.
The original scheduled date conflicts with the start of Hanukkah. The December PTA Meeting has also been rescheduled to December 1, 2020 at 8 am. The December 1 PTA meeting will take place on Zoom and can be accessed by clicking here.
Posted Tuesday, November 17, 2020.Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Seward Montessori's November Roundtable meeting was held for parents on Thursday, November 12 at 6:30 pm. Click on the image and link to view the recording of the meeting. Roundtables normally take place the second Thursday of the Month at 6:30 pm on zoom. We will be rescheduling the December Roundtable for the first or third week of December.
Posted Friday, November 13, 2020.Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Seward Montessori's October Roundtable meeting was held for parents on October 8. Click on the image and link to view the recording of the meeting. Future Roundtables will all take place the second Thursday of the Month at 6:30 pm on zoom. The next roundtabe will be November 12.
Posted Thursday, October 8, 2020.Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Seward Montessori's October Roundtable meeting is at 6:30 pm on Thursday, October 8. Click on the image and link to view the recording of the meeting. Roundtable meetings are a great way to meet other parents and hear about goings on at Seward Montessori from teachers, administration, and volunteers.
Zoom Link
https://zoom.us/j/4578006016?pwd=ZmZOazlCdHRmdHllSWQxaGY1OFBlZz09
Passcode: roundtable
Posted Monday, October 5, 2020.Children's House Meet Up
Have a child in Children's House (Kindergarten) this year? Come meet your fellow parents at this year's Children's House parent meet up at 6:30 pm on Friday, September 18. We usually meet (and hug) over coffee the first day of school. Instead this can give us a chance to ask questions and meet some new faces. You can join at:
https://zoom.us/j/4578006016?pwd=ZmZOazlCdHRmdHllSWQxaGY1OFBlZz09
Passcode: roundtable
Posted Thursday, September 17, 2020.Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Seward Montessori's first Roundtable meeting was held for parents on September 17. Click on the image and link to view the recording of the meeting. Future Roundtables will all take place the second Thursday of the Month at 6:30 pm on zoom.
Posted Thursday, September 17, 2020.Seward Montessori Roundtable Meeting
Seward Montessori's first Roundtable meeting for the 2020/2021 school year is this Thursday, September 17, at 6:30 pm. Roundtable meetings are a great way to meet other parents and hear about goings on at Seward Montessori from teachers, administration, and volunteers.
Zoom link removed.
Posted Friday, September 11, 2020.Seward Montessori Open House
Make sure to stop by Seward Montessori either Wednesday or Thursday for an opportunity to pick up learning kits, devices, and school supplies. The Open House will be held outdoors. Don't forget your masks!
Last name beginning with A - L: 3:00 - 4:00 pm; M - Z: 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Wednesday, September 2: Pre-K, Kindergarten, and E1
Thursday, September 3: E2 and Middle School
An Important Message from Tammy Goetz for Children's House (Kindergarten) Families
Many families may have found out that School Messenger did not deliver information on your child's placement in their Children's House for the upcoming school year at Seward Montessori. View and download the welcome and registration letter from Tammy here.
2020/21 Registration
Last name beginning with A - L: 9:00 - 11:00 am; M - Z: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Elizabeth's class: Tuesday, August 18
Ellen's class: Wednesday, August 19
Cathy's class: Thursday August 20
Lori's class: Friday, August 21
Site Council Meeting - August 14, 2020
A recording of this Site Council meeting is available here. Please contact the Site Council co-Chairs at sitecouncil@sewardmontessori.org with any questions.
Posted Thursday, August 17, 2020.Comprehensive District Design
Proposed Design (Click Menu, then Proposed Design) (Minnpost and the Star Tribune also offer good summaries)
District's presentations on Design (Scroll down the page)
Financial details, to the extent they have been provided, appear only in this somewhat hidden presentation
Notes: For Seward, this plan means the loss of the Middle School and the (still Montessori magnet) K-5 program will expand up to the third floor (following extensive remodeling). Pre-K will remain, at half-day. Current students (up to 5th grade) could remain at Seward.
Archives (those still relevant):
CDD Models Presentation (Models begin on p. 12) (The Star Tribune also offers a good summary.)
Seward Plant Sale Starts March 23!
That's right! The Seward Montessori plant sale is starting up, Monday, March 23. What a great way to support Seward Montessori and get your perennials and annuals purchased in time for planting. Proceeds from the plant sale go to supporting curriculum enhancements at Seward Montessori. Order at sewardplantsale.myshopify.com.
Posted Sunday, March 22, 2020Share the Love at Pizza Luce
Come share your love of Pizza Luce (2200 Franklin Ave E, Minneapolis, MN) and Seward Montessori on March 9, 2020 for lunch or dinner and 25% of the proceeds from your purchase will be donated to Seward Montessori!
Come support Pizza Luce AND Seward Montessori and eat some delicious pizza. Simply show up and tell them that you're "sharing the love for Seward Montessori."
Posted Wednesday, March 4, 2020Read Around! - Powerful People
The annual Seward Montessori Read Around is well under way! This year we are bringing back some old favorites and trying a few new things to further encourage your child to read.
Middle schoolers will have a reading cafe once again in Natalie's room over the recess hour if they choose to do instead of going outside.
Camp Read-a-Way will be February 24 - 28 (we actually set up tents in the Media Center).
Last day of the Read Around is Flashlight Friday. Kids can bring in lights to help read in the dark.
New this year: Middle school will be tracking the program electronically and will have weekly raffles.
The end will be celebrated with a waffle party! The top ten readers will go on a field trip to BoneShaker Books.
Posted Tuesday, February 11, 2020.Seward Montessori Roundtable
Thursday, February 13, 2020, 5:30 - 7 pm. Seward Montessori PTA and Site Council host their monthly community roundtable meeting at Seward Montessori.
Read Around is happening at Seward Montessori and our topic for the evening will be literacy.
A light meal will be served and childcare is available for children over the age of 3.
Posted February 7, 2020Seward Montessori Roundtable
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 5:30 - 7 pm. Seward Montessori PTA and Site Council host their monthly community roundtable meeting at Seward Montessori.
Principal Tammy Goetz and Assistant Principal Meghan O'Connor will speak on Minneapolis Public Schools' Comprehensive District Design plan.
A light meal will be served and childcare is available for children over the age of 3.
Posted December 23, 2019Seward Montessori Roundtable
Thursday, December 12, 2019, 5:30 - 7 pm. Seward Montessori PTA and Site Council host their monthly community roundtable meeting at Seward Montessori.
Macarre Traynham will be presenting her final part in a series titled.....
A light meal will be served and childcare is available for children over the age of 3.
Posted November 26, 2019Super Saturday!
Saturday, December 7, 2019, 8 am - 2:30 pm. Seward Montessori will be hosting Super Saturday, a winter-welcome event that supports Seward Montessori programming and PTA.
Shop handmade goods, see student work, or grab a bite at the bake sale.
This event is supported by the Birchwood Cafe.
Posted November 26, 2019Join us for a community potluck!
Thursday, September 20, 2019, 5:30 pm. Seward Montessori will be hosting its annual fall potluck to welcome new and old families to the school.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS to help place and hand out food! If you are interested, please contact volunteer@sewardmontessori.org.
Click here for more information about the potluck.
Posted September 4, 2019