About The EFWMA Leadership Program 3rd - 5th Grade

We are excited to know you are interested in our program. This is a very intensive academic program. The information below will assist with your journey through the phases of the application process.

All applicants will be reviewed by a selection committee to ensure the requirements below are fairly met. Applicants will earn points based on each criterion met. Results from the admission assessment or information from the selection committee is not available to parents.

All student applicants must meet the following criteria: they must be in high academic standing, maintain A’s in all classes, no discipline concerns, no excessive absences, or tardies, or excessive early release. A candidate must possess innate leadership abilities, be team-oriented, and must be conscious about integrity and stewardship. Parent participation is a very important requirement in the program. The Phases below are meant to help the candidate stay on track during the application process. Please read the instructions carefully as some pertain to existing students and others to new students.

Phase I Dates: TBA
— An information meeting and a school tour with our Prep Ambassadors is TBA
— Current Students at EFWMA – Teacher feedback information is TBA
— New students interested in applying should request a recommendation from their Math or Language Arts teacher and a mentor, coach, or someone in the community. Submit the completed Teacher Recommendation form to: efwmaprep_admissions@efwma.org before Tuesday, May 27th, 2020.. (We must receive 2 recommendation forms)
— Parent Permission forms should be completed online and submitted to efwmaprep_admissions@efwma.org by TBA
— Students can start completing their applications online>
— Student will be assessed for admission. The test is about 4 hours long with 10-minute breaks. Current EFWMA students will test on TBA. New students will test TBA
— A Sign-up Genius link will be sent to parents to sign up for parent interviews.

Phase II Dates: TBA
— All applications are TBA (All applications should be done online, no exceptions.)
— Student interviews is TBA

Phase III Dates TBA
— Acceptance and non-acceptance letters will be mailed home for all students.

Acceptance Requirements

If your child has earned an invitation into the program the following is required in August:
— Students must always be groomed and in complete Leadership Preparatory uniform. Uniforms are bought at Academy Uniform, see website for details
— 3 rd grade students will be expected to purchase a planner
— Parents must choose a month to volunteer to speak at the Speaker Series. Information on the topic will be provided. Parents have an alternative option to volunteer on field trips, or volunteer as judges during competitions.
— All students are required to have a laptop for class
— Students are required to purchase the class supply list
— Students must participate in Chess (there is a fee)
— Parents will be required to pay a small amount for books not provided by T.E.A and field trips opportunities for the class.
— Students should adhere to the Presidential Program Volunteer Service Hours requirements
— Students will be given a Summer & Class Reading List to purchase. Paper copy of books only. Please do not buy Kindle or eBook editions
— New students will be assigned Summer homework
— Current students will be given summer homework. Assignments are due the first week of school, no later than the end of the first week of school.

Each student is expected to develop a desire to meet the following values:

— Peaceful reflections for the day ahead
— Equity and Community Service
— Environmental Stewardship
— Mentoring (5th graders)
— Peace Officers (4th graders)
— Global Mind

Peaceful Reflections of the day:
Students will start each day with a reflective prompt which leads them to think and focus on their goals for the day. We teach students what is obvious; earning good grades is a decision made by having a Growth Mindset, knowing how your brain works, being autodidactic, grit, perseverance, applying good organizational skills and effort. These character traits make up the portrait of a Prep Student. Peaceful reflections allow the mind to focus and stay responsive all day.

Equity, Community and Mentoring:
Students will respond to assignments and discussions. Some discussions will derive from hot topics of the day in society or from class or from field trip opportunities. Students are exposed to a variety of field trips that vary from a team building ropes course to listening to expert speakers or visiting different places in the DFW area. As we explore through field trips, students become aware of the needs of the community. If students are taught at a young age to stand on the side of equity, they will grow to become citizens of the world. A good place to start being a good citizen is in the classroom and at school. Students treat their classroom as a community; they take care of it and address the needs of the classroom. We patiently craft and build activities in the school to promote a steward’s spirit. Taking care of the classroom environment, mentoring an incoming student or a younger student, or taking care of the animals builds team spirit, collaboration for the common good, and stewards of the environment. Students are encouraged to volunteer whenever time allows at school and outside of school.

Environmental Stewardship:
This stands as a core tenet of what we do at East Fort Worth Montessori Academy. Our earth is productive when we take care of it. Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE), students learn how to take care of the soil, plants, animals, and work in teams. The 4H club brings about the whole picture of what a good environmental steward is. Our OLE area is a great place to explore and put into practice applications from the classroom. It not only teaches students to analyze, compare, and think critically but also teaches them about care, compassion, and responsibility. It is our collective responsibility to take care of the earth and our outdoor space. Whether it’s picking up trash, recycling, composting, or saving water, our students learn how their choices impact the earth.

Global Mind:
The vast use of the World Wide Web has allowed students to explore the world at their fingertips, whether it’s using Google Earth or speaking to a friend on the other side of the continent through WhatsApp or Skype students are more aware of the world than ever before. Our goal is to prepare students to experience different cultures, religions, perspectives, visit communities, and associate with children from different parts of the world. This interconnectedness fosters self-awareness, global empathy, respect for others, and opportunities to broaden their horizon. Although our students are not able to travel abroad, in the future we may create trips to states within the United States. For now, partnerships are being formed with international organizations to foster global mindedness. When students break self-seeking patterns, they can assist, become engaged, and connect with others in their communities and all over the world.

Extra-Curricular Activities/Responsibility:
It goes without saying that students are expected to be fully present in class ready to work and engaging in meaningful discussions. Excessive tardies and absenteeism are setbacks to a student’s progress. Not only are they a distraction to the class when they are tardy, but they miss crucial learning objectives. Excessive tardies will be addressed via parent conferencing.

Homework:
Students will receive assignments from all teachers. Students are given 5 days to complete their assignments. This program is taught at a higher pace, however, when a student is struggling, support will be extended through counsel and or tutoring. If a student continues to struggle, the teachers will conference with the parent about alternative classroom opportunity for the child. We prefer the child succeeds at their level than frustrated in the Leadership Preparatory Program All parents are required to sign an agreement of understanding about the program.

Extra Curricula Activities:
We promote the need for a student to be well-rounded. Being active helps the brain stay healthy, improves a child's motor skills, and their overall health. We do our best not to interfere with sports, dance and other activities your child shows passion for. In fact, we believe participating in extracurricular activities promotes responsibility and accountability to a team. However, we caution you to consider the amount of activities your child partakes in when accepting admission to the Leadership Preparatory Program. We ask parents to review their schedules to allow time for school work and family activities/time. At the beginning of school your child may struggle, it’s natural, but with a strong parent-teacher partnership your child will grow past the struggles into a responsible and accountable child.

Alliances:
We promote Duke TIP, students take an assessment to qualify. We promote Chess because it fosters critical thinking, there is a fee for chess, but a few scholarships are available to apply for. We promote etiquette because today children still need to learn grace and courtesy as well as table manners, and grooming. We promote FWCDS, they’ve been a long-standing partner of ours. They provide a team building workshop for our students. We promote Texas Parks and Wildlife – nature is amazing and therapeutic. students are encouraged to experience camping, fishing, hiking and kayaking.

Academics:
This is a Leadership Preparatory class; the expectations are very clear. We expect your child to give their best effort every day. Effort takes preparation, dedication and commitment, and that is why being an active and engaged parent is necessary. If you are accustomed to “A” grades, chances are, you may be alarmed at a few “B’s”, as learning new material becomes increasingly challenging. We ask for your full cooperation and support while allowing your child to persevere through their struggles. Rescuing a child from an opportunity to learn from their mistakes or from a teachable moment is a dis-service to the child. Failing is a part of learning, getting better, and dedication. Achieving all A’s does not make you smarter, it simply means you can do the work and you can learn; there are many traits that encompasses being smart. Traits like perseverance, integrity, effort, responsibility, critical thinking, accountability for one's own actions, commitment to a team, collaboration, seeking to understand than to be understood, etc.

Please do not push your child to be perfect, push them to persevere, stay committed, make good choices, and allow them to fail sometimes. Perfect students run away from challenges because they are accustomed to being praised for being smart or for being perfect and first. The verbal or non-verbal message a student hears when they fail is: When I fail it must mean that I am not smart enough.

Consequences
We promote Love and Logic as natural consequences for our students. If your child consistently submits late work, does not put forth effort, is disengaged in class, a distraction to the class, or struggles persistently, your child will be placed on academic probation for the six weeks. If the problem persists other alternatives will be recommended. Sometimes a move to another class is best.

Behavior:
Students are expected to behave as leaders wherever they are. Wearing our uniform means they take pride in themselves and the program. Our students will follow the board- approved E.F.W.M.A Student & Parent Handbook. Classroom distractions is highly prohibited.

What we deliver:
We believe in our product, which is educating smart minds. We provide your children a private school education for a tiny fraction of the cost. Any or all monies requested go directly to your child. We maintain financial transparency because we work on integrity as a public charter entity. T.E.A does not provide funds for materials in the Leadership Preparatory Program. To offset what we cannot cover by grants or scholarship we request a minimal fee. Welcome again to East Fort Worth Montessori Academy Leadership Preparatory Program, our program affords students more opportunities to participate and experience new and exciting activities, it creates a nurturing atmosphere, and it affords each student a strong academic foundation. Finally, it integrates social and emotional learning as students start their journey of knowing who they are in their purposeful journey.