(607) 277-7335

Middle School

Welcome! The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca is excited to begin another year of nurturing the hearts, minds, and spirit of children. We are so glad to have you with us.

Welcome! The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca is excited to begin another year of nurturing the hearts, minds, and spirits of children. We are so glad to have you with us as we begin another school year!

Please take time to read through the following, even if you are a returning family, and check back for added information as we get closer to the start of school. We will continue to add to this page as information pertaining to this level develops.

Class ‘Parent Night’ information meetings

These informative meetings offer parents a valuable chance to explore our classroom environment, get acquainted with our daily routines, and gain insight into the curriculum for the upcoming year. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to ask questions and engage with our team. Stay tuned for the announcement of specific dates for our Parent Nights in September.

Summer Literature Project—“The Jackdaw”

Students should bring their finished summer literature project with them on September 7.

Odyssey Trip

This year our Odyssey Trip will take us to Letchworth State Park, two hours west of Ithaca. The dates of the trip are Wednesday, September 13 through Friday, September 15. Please review the information for the Odyssey Trip on the Odyssey Trip Tab.

Middle School Class Lists

Wednesday, September 6th

Doors open to welcome students starting at 8:30 am. Dismissal is from 12 pm-12:30 pm.

Thursday, September 7th:

Doors open to welcome students starting at 8:30 am. Dismissal is from 12 pm-12:30 pm.

Upper Level and Middle School Parents Information Meeting with Dawn and Lisa in the Andrea B. Riddle Center (gym) from 11 – 11:45 am.

Friday, September 8th onward…
Doors open to welcome students starting at 8:30 am. Classes begin at 9:00 am. Dismissal is from 3:10 – 3:30 pm

At-School Supplies:  Students should bring these school supplies on the first day of school. Please note that we highly encourage students to reuse gently-used items from previous years. Please label all materials clearly so students can keep track of them throughout the year.  

  • school backpack to carry school supplies to and from school, ideally one with a sleeve to transport a Chromebook and charger.
  • separate footwear for indoor and outdoor use (Note: students are expected to have sturdy footwear like sneakers for recess. Flip-flops or open-toed sandals are not allowed at recess.)
  • water bottle for daily use
  • a daily lunch and snack in a sturdy lunch container, optionally with the ability to hold an ice pack and/or thermos, utensils/dishes as desired (we do not have refrigerator space, and utensils are for “emergency” use only)
  • scientific calculator:  Texas Instruments TI-30Xa.  (We especially recommend this model; if all students have it, it makes instruction and mastery that much easier. If you have one already, please bring it to school.)
  • Assignment book:  Please explore the options and make a choice that your student feels will provide them with the most efficient means for recording and keeping track of schoolwork. Students are welcome to go entirely digital by using Google Classroom. Some students also benefit from a physical paper planner. In that case, we have found the weekly/monthly academic planners to be quite good.
  • Summer Literature Project—Jackdaw -due Thursday, September 7.

At-Home Work Station for Homework: To prepare your student for optimal work at home, please create a bin to duplicate many of the supplies students will have in school (and you may already have on hand). In addition, consider where your child will have a consistent work space with a solid work surface (preferably a table or desk), a stable chair, good lighting and an outlet for their computer device.

Graphite pencils
Pencil sharpener
Eraser
Scissors
Glue stick
Ruler
Tape
Lined loose leaf and blank paper
A bin or box to hold the supplies above

We are a peanut-free and tree-nut-free campus!

We have children in our school buildings with a LIFE-THREATENING allergy to peanuts and/or tree nuts. Please refrain from including any peanut or tree nut products in snacks and lunches. Please read labels carefully and note that even non-nut foods may be contaminated if processed in a plant where tree nut or peanut products were prepared. If a product has been processed where peanuts or tree nuts have been processed, we cannot have it at school. If your child does bring another seed butter to school, please place a note identifying it as such.

We understand that this may be an inconvenience, and thank you in advance for your support with this critical issue. More information can be found in the EACMSI Handbook.

Communicating with Teachers

During the school year feel free to communicate with teachers via email:

Jim Hodges:                jhodges@eacmsi.org

Stephen Lenhart:       slenhart@eacmsi.org

Anne Thompson:       athompson@eacmsi.org (Please note the change of Anne’s name from Anne Colton to Anne Thompson. )

Alternatively, you can phone the school office (607.277.7335) at any time and leave a message. Teachers will return your call at their earliest convenience.

Dear Middle School Caregivers and Students,

We hope that you’ve all been having a wonderful summer! We’re excitedly looking forward to the school year and want you to know about an overnight school trip that occurs during the second week of school. Each September, we begin our year’s journey together with an “odyssey trip”. This year our Odyssey Trip will take us to Letchworth State Park, two hours west of Ithaca. The dates of the trip are Wednesday, September 13, through Friday, September 15.

As it does each year, the trip will emphasize outdoor education and exploration through three days of planned activities designed to consider the nature of community and the place of the individual within the community. Letchworth State Park is a place of great beauty and historical interest and provides a perfect setting for an exploration of our community and the work that we will do together this academic year. We will meet at the Middle School Building on Wednesday, September 13, at 7:30 a.m. and return at approximately 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening, September 15. 

Please review the packing list for this trip so that students are prepared for our adventure. If your child has any special dietary needs/restrictions, please let us know in advance of the trip so we can plan meals appropriately. Even if we have already had conversations about dietary needs, we would appreciate a reminder! 

Thank you in advance for reviewing the Odyssey Trip Nurses Letter 2023 and returning a completed Out of Town Medical Release form by Friday, September 8th.


During this year’s Odyssey Trip we will participate in a whitewater rafting trip on the Genesee River (water levels permitting).  Please complete and return (digitally to
Jim is fine) the Adventure Calls Outfitters Release of Liability and Waiver Forms by Friday, September 8th.


Students cannot accompany us on this trip if their forms are not in order by departure.

It is important that all students attend the Odyssey Trip.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jim as soon as possible by email (jhodges@eacmsi.org). 

Looking forward to a great start to the year!

Jim for the Middle School Team

Hello EACMSI Middle School Families,

We hope that you’re having a great summer so far and that this letter finds you happy, healthy, and active.  And a special “hello” to our new families — welcome to EAC Montessori!

Each school year, students learn and strengthen their reading skills. Research shows that summer reading helps students retain and build on the skills that they acquired during the previous school year. At EACMSI we encourage students to read over the summer and it’s a great time to pursue books of their own choosing!

At the beginning of each year in Middle School we offer an opportunity for students to share their favorite summer reading.  We’ve found that a creative way to do that is by having students engage in a project called a “Jackdaw”.  Details about the Jackdaw Project can be found in the student’s summer Goggle Classroom.  Please read the Jackdaw project directions carefully and complete all components by Thursday, September 7th.  

This information will be shared with your student via a Summer Work Google Classroom for their year.  They will be able to find this google classroom by logging into a device using their eacmsi.org username and then accepting the invitation to the classroom.  This will allow them to access the work independently instead of going through the website.  If your student is new to EACMSI, you will receive an email with their eacmsi.org username and password from Patrice Jennings, our Director of Educational Systems. For any difficulty in accessing online resources or Google Classroom, please reach out to Patrice with any questions at pjennings@eacmsi.org.

Students: Please note, although the book you choose to share with classmates need not be considered a “classic”, we ask that it is one of recognized quality and significance.  The public library, bookstores and your fellow classmates are good resources for great summer picks. If you’re looking for a great book, the American Library Association (ALA) has wonderful lists of books for young adults that you might find helpful.  Visit www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklistsbook. 

We’re sure that you’ll find the Jackdaw Project to be fun and interesting.  

If you have any questions about these assignments, please do not hesitate to contact Jim at jhodges@eacmsi.org.

For further information, please visit our website, choose My EAC, and then Middle School.  The password for the page is “belonging2324” (and will remain so throughout the coming school year).

You can expect to hear from us in mid-August regarding classroom assignments and other start-of-school information.

We wish you a relaxing and rejuvenating summer.  See you in September!

Jim, Stephen and Anne