We hope you had a wonderful and restful vacation from school, especially after so much excitement in March!

Last month we enjoyed a delightful presentation of our school play, The Wizard of Oz:Youth Edition. A huge thank you goes to Aimee Sill, our Director, and Jerusha Hess, our parent in charge of costuming. We also appreciate all of the parents and staff who assisted in this production. Most of all, we loved seeing our amazing students performing on stage and helping behind the scenes. Your performance made our hearts fly over the rainbow!

Then we topped it all off the last week of March with our cultural fair! It was an engaging evening enjoying each others’ company and seeing the cultural studies the students have been studying all year. 

That’s enough to put a spring in your step! 

April Cheer,
Gail Williamsen 
Executive Director 

Elizabeth Academy Accreditation

We are proud to announce that our school has once again officially received Cognia Accreditation! This recognition affirms our ongoing commitment to excellence in education and continuous improvement. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff, students, families, and community members who contributed their time, insights, and support throughout the accreditation process. Your collaboration and passion for our school made this achievement possible—thank you for being an essential part of this journey!

April Events

Staff Recognition- April 2025

Evangeline Lewis

Eva is exceptionally kind and helpful. Their willingness to go above and beyond makes such a difference in the school community. Thanks for being you!
– Audrey

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.

Submit Staff Recognition

Primary School

American Montessori Conference (AMS):

Mid-March, we were able to send a group of eight staff members to the Denver AMS conference. This is one of the premiere Montessori conferences in the US.  The classroom sessions ranged from looking at expanding the skills of teachers, to literacy application and best practices, to organizational improvements. It was a packed conference.  Some of the take-aways for the school will be the implementation of a mentorship program for all staff along with expanding the mentor programs for students that we have started this year around literacy.  Along with that, a focus on organizational inclusion and expanding our base of support by providing more opportunities for the voice of our parents and the community at large. Montessori is a community affair.

Down Syndrome Awareness

We were lucky to have Summer Adamson and her daughter Jayne come to read their book, A Little Extra Jayne to our K-6 students. This was Jayne’s first time going to a school to share her story, and many of our students felt a connection with her. Along with reading their book, they had a lovely discussion with students about our individuality and the importance of inclusion. They emphasized that we all have a little extra to share.

Cultural Fair

We had the opportunity to celebrate our annual Cultural Fair on March 27th.  The entire school learned about Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica.  We had a huge parent turn out and were able to ferry families from China to South Korea.  From Japan to Indonesia.  There were amazing foods to sample and opportunities to learn a little more about this huge world we live in.  Thank you to all that were able to attend.

Pancake Breakfast and Reading Challenge

We have read over 700,000 minutes as a community in 6 months. It would take one person 16 months with no breaks to read that long. We are on our way to one million with great momentum. 

It was so fun to see students dressed up as different characters at our Books and Breakfast.

Thank You For Donating to Elizabeth Academy

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all of the incredible families, organizations, and individuals who have shown such tremendous generosity in supporting Elizabeth Academy this year. Your kindness and commitment to making a difference are truly inspiring, and we are deeply thankful for your contributions. Elizabeth Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

A special thank you to the following for their support:

• The Brough Family
• The Kimsey Family 
• Kim McReynolds
• United Way of Salt Lake
• Sorenson Legacy Foundation
• VCBO Architecture L.L.C.
• KM Film Inc.
• Kroger

Your donations are helping us create meaningful opportunities and providing resources that will have a lasting impact on our community. With your support, we can continue to move forward and achieve our shared goals.

We are truly grateful for each and every one of you and for your unwavering belief in our mission. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 
Nate Abbott- Principal
Jessica Grabe- Assistant Principal

Secondary School

“You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”
– Glinda, The Wizard of Oz

This quote has echoed in my mind ever since our enchanting production of The Wizard of Oz, performed by our K–Postsecondary community last month. Education, at its core, is an act of independence and liberation. This musical so beautifully captures the journey of discovering the power within—the very journey our students take each day.

The journey itself isn’t the teacher; it’s the path that awakens us to what has always been there. It’s one thing to be told we’re capable. It’s another to know it.

At Elizabeth Academy Secondary, one of our central goals is to help students become aware of their own abilities and strengths. This self-awareness can lie dormant in adolescence, often overshadowed by the pressures and complexities of growing up. But when a student discovers their talent—even for a moment—when they see themselves through the admiring eyes of a peer, a younger student, or a proud parent, it is transformational. This is the kind of education we envision: one where students recognize their gifts before they are defined by their challenges.

As we approach the final months of the school year, this is my heartfelt wish for our community—that every student comes to know their power.

In that spirit, we have two exciting and meaningful weeks ahead:

🌟 Teacher Appreciation Week (April 14–18)

Join us in celebrating the incredible educators who dedicate themselves to seeing the strengths in every student and nurturing their confidence and growth. If you’d like to help with the celebration, please contact our EAPO Secondary President, Heather Hendricksen.

🎓 College & Career Week (April 21–25)

Throughout this week, students will engage in extended advisory sessions (1:25–2:25 PM daily) focused on preparing for life after high school. Here’s what’s in store:

• Monday, April 21st:
  
  • College and Career Workshops led by our CTE students
  • Student Panel: Getting Your First Job
  • Student Panel: Getting Into College
    
• Tuesday, April 22nd:
  
  • Advisory activity: Interviewing Skills and Pragmatics
    
• Wednesday, April 23rd:
  
  • Mock job application workshop
  • Students will apply for a role (in food service, customer service, childcare, or facilities/maintenance) to prepare for their mock interview
    
• Thursday, April 24th (12:25–2:25 PM):
  
  • Mock Interviews – Dress to impress! Students will receive constructive feedback from interviewers.
    
• Friday, April 25th (9:00 AM–12:00 PM):
  
  • Parent Symposium: Guest speakers will share insights on navigating postsecondary transitions. This event is open to all parents—both from within and outside our community. RSVP is required. RSVP HERE
    

Looking Ahead: Spring Trips (Week of May 5th)

Students traveling to Jackson Hole will depart on Tuesday, May 6th.

Students staying on campus will continue exploring the theme of the Hero’s Journey with rich, local experiences—like a visit to Utah’s Olympic Park, the EA Olympics, Gateway’s Dreamscape, and more!

We can’t wait to celebrate all that our students have learned and accomplished as the school year comes to a close. Thank you for being part of a community where each learner’s path is honored, and where the discovery of one’s inner strength is always cause for celebration.

With gratitude and appreciation,
Sofia Rigolon- Secondary Principal

SPED NOTES

Dear Parents, 

I hope that you had some fun, yet restful activities with your family over spring break. When your children are home with you, naturally you are giving more directions per day. If your child struggles with following directions, it could be for a number of reasons such as not understanding the words that are being said (i.e. prepositions, pronouns, quantities). Or maybe it is because there is too much language in the direction and they can’t process it all. Maybe it is a behavioral pattern that has been reinforced (Coercive Pain Control Cycle infographic). A great strategy to use is called “Precision Commands” that was coined by Utah researchers and authors Ginger Rhode, William R. Jenson, and H. Kenton Reavis. The purpose of this strategy is to 1. Reduce your language 2. Using “signal words” creates consistent language around your expectation 3. Give your child the opportunity to self regulate their behavior. You can find more information HERE. 

Lindsay Baird- Special Education Director

EAPO Corner

Campus Conversations

Primary School- Thursday, April 17th, 8:50 AM – 9:50 AM in the Black Box

Secondary School- Wednesday, April 30th, 8:50 AM – 9:50 AM in the Black Box

Campus Conversations are monthly meetings hosted by the Elizabeth Academy Parent Organization (EAPO). Lasting approximately one hour, Campus Conversations 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.

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Pizza Wednesday

DATE

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