The Admissions Process
Step 1. Tour the School
After checking out the website, we invite you to either make an appointment to join us on a tour of the school or come to our Open House. Our Open House is on Saturday, January 29th, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Tours are held on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m., October - March, and include a tour of early childhood, lower and upper elelmentary classrooms, and the general grounds of the school. The tour concludes with question and answer period. They generally take about 45 minutes. Because we view the classrooms at work, tours are for adults only. Space is limited, so please check our calendar for availability and contact us to reserve your spot. Please include your name, the age and gender of your child, and your preferred tour dates.
The Open House is open to all family members and includes a tour of the campus as well as a chance to experience a Montessori lesson. You are welcome to come anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. as there is not a scheduled program. Montessori lessons are presented approximately every half hour.
Step 2. Submit an Application to be Placed on the Wait List
If you are interested in pursuing enrollment, the next step is to submit an application. There is no application fee at this time. Once we receive the application, we place your child on our waiting list. All new applicants are placed on this list pending open enrollment slots and the outcome of the enrollment interview.
If we have an open space for you child, we will contact you for an interview. We begin enrollment interviews in early April for the following school year.
Enrollment interviews are scheduled after school is dismissed at 3:40, 4:00 and 4:20 p.m. Interviews generally last 20 mintues. We request that both parents and the child attend. The child will meet with a teacher while the parents meet with the head of school. Please arrive at your designated time, with your prospective student, and meet with the teachers and Head of School. Because we often schedule multiple interviews back-to-back, it is very important to be on time. Keep in mind that interviews are only 20 to 30 minutes long, so please prepare your questions to avoid running out of time. It is best to study up on Montessori through books or web resources to make your questions as specific as possible at the interview.
During the interview process your child will meet with one or more of our teachers. You will be within visual and auditory distance, but ideally will not be present while we observe your child work with some Montessori materials. During this time, we are determining readiness for the classroom and are looking for abilities and behaviors such as making eye conact, following multi-part instructions, and conecting with the teacher. Most children enjoy the experience of working with the materials and communicating with the teachers.
While the teachers meet with your child, you will meet with the head of school. In this time we will go over some basic questions about your child, discuss your interest in Montessori, determine what you hope to gain for your child, and discuss how long you plan to be with the school. There is some opportunity for you to ask questions as well, but remember that time is limited.
If your child is accepted we will notify you and send you a letter and contract. You will have two weeks to return it with a deposit. Once your deposit is received your child is considered enrolled. If your deposit is not received by the due-date your child will be placed back on our waiting list.