Date: 10.31.2023 | Time: 1:00 PM

Dear City Garden Community, 

Some of the City Garden staff are reading a book called The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves, by Dr. Shawn Ginwright. In the introduction to The Four Pivots, Dr. Ginwright says:

“Somewhere along the way we all have bought into the myth that working harder for justice, removing barriers to inequality, and deeply analyzing polices are enough to transform our society. These are myths because working harder, removing barriers, and analyzing policies simply don’t get at the deeper, more fundamental issues… Trust, vision, wholeness, humane relationships, and hope are the real lifeline of movement building. This means working on self-transformation, healing, hopefulness, and cultivating a vision of possibility… This type of work toward social changes takes time, efficacy, trust, skepticism, resources, scarcity, uncertainty, thinking, dreaming, relationships, confusion, clarity, frustration, work, play, analysis, and spirit. Yes, it takes leaning into the full range of our human experience that allows us to cultivate a sense of urgent faith that our collective leaning in will yield just what we need.”

I hadn’t realized how much I needed this challenge and reminder from Dr. Ginwright until reading this. October 24th marked one year since many of our alumni experienced the school shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience.

This tragic event and so many other things happening in our world right now seem impossible to wrap our minds around, to process adequately, or to strategize our way out of. Dr. Ginwright invites us to simply be with the devastation, fear, sadness, and the full range of our humanness, to invite in healing, connection, and hope, and to cling to the spark of profound possibility that carries on—most especially within our children.

Thank you for your commitment to possibility and for supporting City Garden in so many ways.

With gratitude, In partnership,

Christie‍

Christie Huck
CEO/Executive Director

October is National Principal Month! Our principals, Crystal Isom of the Early Childhood Education Center and Pat Garrett of the Elementary and Adolescent Education Center, are the “lead guides” of our schools and the chief implementers of the City Garden mission.
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I want to acknowledge the incredible work they do every day with our students, guides, staff, families, volunteers and broader community and thank them for their passion and commitment. 

This fall, City Garden Montessori's very own Montessori Mentors teamed up to present on "Anti-Bias/Anti-Racism in Primary Montessori Classrooms" at the 5th Annual Midwest Regional Conference hosted by  Hope Montessori Educational Institute (HMEI) Annual Conference.

The presenters included Shannon Adams (Primary 1 Lead Guide), Hilary Fischman (Primary 2 Lead Guide), and Amy Willems (Early Childhood Education Center Instructional Coordinator).

Please join me in congratulating these exemplary leaders on their presentation! 

The new City Garden Montessori Chicken Coop is underway! Under the direction and partnership of Lead Guide Celeste Ocaña and Outdoor Education Instructor Lauren Denney, a group of parent and student volunteers began construction of our new chicken coop this month. 
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We’re looking forward to our new feathered residents moving in this spring, and providing more updates along the way! 

Last Saturday marked City Garden Montessori's annual Trunk or Treat! In a stellar pivot, our parent volunteers took the traditionally outdoor event and relocated inside due to weather conditions.
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Students from both the Early Childhood Education Center and Elementary and Adolescent Education Center collected treats from decorated tables, participated in art and crafts, and celebrated the joy of Halloween as a community. 
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Special thanks to the parent volunteers and staff who worked to pull off this extraordinary event. Happy Halloween! 

In partnership with Skip Designed, St. Louis City education leaders convened for their monthly meeting at City Garden Montessori’s new Elementary and Adolescent Education Center.

The St. Louis Leaders Collaborative is an informal group of leaders from SLPS and public charter schools that work together on initiatives that benefit all public school students in the City of St. Louis, regardless of their school. SKIP Designed provides backbone support, research assistance, and facilitation. 

It was such a pleasure to bring leaders from KIPP St. Louis, Lafayette Preparatory Academy, The Soulard School, Lift for Life Academy, and St. Louis Language Immersion School on campus!

It's that time of year again – applications for the 2024-25 school year are officially live! 

Are you interested in applying for our preschool program or for our K-8 program? Visit us online at citygardenschool.org/apply to submit an application or citygardenschool.org/tours to schedule a guided tour of our school(s).  

Families can also contact Ms. Tyeshia Smith, Director of Admissions, directly at admissions@citygardenschool.org or (314) 664-7646 to learn more.