We do extensive Criminal Reference checks and Background checks on all of our team members.

Our program is 5 days per week, Monday – Friday. Recognizing the community’s need for extended hours, we are open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Our Preschool program runs as follows:

Infant: 6 weeks-18 months

Toddler: 18 months-3 years

Primary: 3 years – Kindergarten (Child must be potty trained)

School Day: 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Full Time: 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

This is a fair question, and it deserves careful consideration. The following article, Why Montessori for the Kindergarten Year, written by Tim Seldin with Dr. Elizabeth Coe offers an excellent answer.

Because we have a mixed age group, discipline develops naturally through the guidance of older students. The desire to imitate the positive behavior of a five-year-old is a strong influence on a three-year-old.

We stress consideration for people and property and help the children absorb the rules and our values right from the start. Our ultimate goal is always for the student to love learning! When occasional behavior challenges do arise, we handle them in an age-appropriate way with firm sensitivity. We make certain that the rules are clear and consequences fair and consistent. We primarily use redirection as an appropriate response to most instances. If the situation escalates, the child will be asked to “sit out” until he or she gains self-control and is able to act appropriately, follow directions, or show respect for people and property. We never engage in any physical punishment or shaming!

We keep lines of communication open with parents. If the situation warrants, we work with parents to address ongoing behavior issues. We also encourage parents to talk to us about behavioral challenges they are seeing at home, ones we may not see at school. Working together, parents and teachers make a great team.

The foundation of all American Montessori Society accredited Montessori programs is adherence to Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophies regarding the education of the “whole child.” The methods are founded in decades of research, and the results continue to receive acclaim in numerous current research studies.

Here are just a few of the differentiators:

• Children initiate their own learning based on their unique learning style, and their exploration is supported by highly trained teachers
• Children engage in independent, self-directed learning as well as in small and large group activities within a multi-age classroom
• The environment of each classroom, including the types and locations of multi-sensory resources and activities, is meticulously organized and maintained to provide optimal learning conditions for students of all ages.
• Children are given the freedom to explore their interests, within a carefully monitored structure, with teachers helping to facilitate that exploration.

Goals of the program are to help children develop:

• Respect for others and the environment
• Self-esteem and self-confidence
• Self-discipline
• Coordination
• Independence
• Social skills
• Emotional growth
• Cognitive preparation