1

2

Our Mother’s

Montessori

Parent

Handbook

3

Welcome Letter…………………………… 1

Checklist ……………………… 2

Welcome to Our Classroom……… 3

Checklist ………………………. 4

Philosophy ……………………….. 5

Curriculum ……………………… 6 – 9

Contact Information…………………… 10

School Hours ………………………… 11

Drop Off & Pick Up…………………….. 12

After School Care…………………....... .13

Lunch Procedures……………………… 14

Snack………………………………….. 15

Our Daily Schedule……………………. .16

Rest Time …………………………… 17

Nap Procedures………………………… 18

Attendance & Tardy Policy…………….. 19

Homework Policy……………………….. .20

Weekly Folder ………………………….. 21

Report Card Schedule………………….. 22

Parent Conferences……………………. 23

Grading Policy …………………………. 24

Absence Procedures ………………….. 25

Medication ……………………………… 26

Dress Code……………………………… 27

Back Pack Suggestions………………… 28

Extra Clothes…………………………….. 29

Transportation Procedures……………… 30

School Supplies………………………….. 31

Birthday Policy…………………………… 32

Personal Belongings…………………….. 33

Classroom Rules………………………… 34

Helping the Teacher……………………... 35

Helping My Child…………………………. 36

School Calendar………………………….. 37

Enrollment Policy…………………………. 37

Parent Handbook Acknowledgement & Receipt… 37

4

Dear Montessori Families: I am looking forward to working with you and your children this year and helping them achieve their full potentials. Our days and weeks will be filled with many wonderful experiences and opportunities to learn and grow. We are so excited you will be part of our school family this year! I would like to introduce myself, my name is Mrs. June, and I am delighted to be your child’s teacher this year at Our Mother’s Montessori School. I have been teaching at least 20 years now, fifteen years in private Montessori schools and five years in the public school district. I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success. Throughout the year I will communicate with you through notes, e-mail, progress reports, and parent teacher conferences. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can call me at (480) 616-8822/ 759-0242, or contact me via e-mail: Pererajune@yahoo.com

I am looking forward to a wonderful year with you and your child! Love, Mrs. June Perera

5

Are you ready for the first day of school?

□ Backpack large enough to hold notebook (no wheels please)

□ Extra Change of Clothes

□ School Supplies

□ Snack

6

Our Mother’s Montessori provides a nurturing and caring environment away from home. Each child is a unique individual, and through the prepared environment and activities, the child develops the focus point and self confidence in order to advance in other areas of the classroom. We would like to see each child develop coordination, concentration, a personal independence and a sense of order in order to achieve their inner need in becoming confident, happy with themselves, their environment and the people around them. Our program is founded based on respect and a sense of care for one another.

7

Practical Life – These are lessons emphasized more on what we do every day. Practical life can be divided into two sections, (1) things that involve the child’s own personal being, which includes cleaning one’s teeth, washing hands and face, combing one’s hair, dressing and undressing. Materials such as lacing and buttoning frames invented by Montessori helps the child to learn how to dress and undress themselves independently. (2) Things that involve with the care of the environment, such as sweeping, cleaning, dusting, feeding the animals etc. Materials such as a real broom, brush, duster, but in a more smaller size or rather childlike size. Math – Math is used in our daily life. Numbers are found everywhere in our environment, on calendars, T.V, toys, computers and so on. In many ways numbers are a big part of our lives. Math needs to be presented and included in our classroom for all the above reasons and the fact that these children from 0-6 years of age have an inner power to teach themselves. They have an absorbent mind. The first concept in Montessori math is that the child needs to experience quantity (concrete) than only the number symbol (abstract) and then to associate both quantity to symbol. These materials are the Red and Blue Rods, Spindle Box, Numerals and Counters, Memory Game and then comes the decimal system, Linear Counting, materials that teach addition, subtraction and so on. The sequences of steps of order in Practical Life and Sensorial activities help the child learn how to successfully accomplish a task. This gives the child an early success in problem solving which is so vital to build self-confidence in his own problem solving skills.

8

CurriculumCurriculumCurriculumCurriculum

Language – In the Montessori classroom, language is developed through the preparation of Practical Life, Sensorial, Language Development and Motor Development. The sensitive period for language has already begun in the child long before it can speak or walk. Maria Montessori believed that a child should not be kept apart from social life even as an infant but included in everything the family does. The child should be talked and listened to with patience and interest. Materials such as Movable Alphabets, sand paper letters, object game, object baskets, vocabulary enrichment cards, hand-made materials made by the teacher and materials from Practical Life and Sensorial will help to develop the skills required for reading and writing. Sensorial – The sensorial materials are designed to help the child to order and refine their senses.It also teaches them color, size and form. It aids the child in sorting through these impressions to see the order in the environment, so that they may understand themselves better and their relationship to the world around them. The materials are attractive and manipulative. Each piece of equipment is created to isolate and refine a sense. Everything is done to make the eye recognize an error and the hand to correct it. These material consist of the knobbed cylinders, Pink Tower, The Broad Stairs, Red Rods etc. The use of language with these materials are to provide the child with the precise terms for the ideas which the material should have fixed in his mind and to assist the child to speak correctly.

CurriculumCurriculumCurriculumCurriculum

Language – In the Montessori classroom, language is developed through the preparation of Practical Life, Sensorial, Language Development and Motor Development. The sensitive period for language has already begun in the child long before it can speak or walk. Maria Montessori believed that a child should not be kept apart from social life even as an infant but included in everything the family does. The child should be talked and listened to with patience and interest. Materials such as Movable Alphabets, sand paper letters, object game, object baskets, vocabulary enrichment cards, handmade materials made by the teacher and materials from Practical Life and Sensorial will help to develop the skills required for reading and writing. Sensorial – The sensorial materials are designed to help the child to order and refine their senses. It also teaches them color, size and form. It aids the child in sorting through these impressions to see the order in the environment, so that they may understand themselves better and their relationship to the world around them. The materials are attractive and manipulative. Each piece of equipment is created to isolate and refine a sense. Everything is done to make the eye recognize an error and the hand to correct it. These materials consist of the knobbed cylinders, Pink Tower, The Broad Stairs, Red Rods etc. The use of language with these materials are to provide the child with the precise terms for the ideas which the material should have fixed in his mind and to assist the child to speak correctly.

9

7:25 – 8:25a.m. Before Care

8:25 a.m. Students may enter the classroom

8:30 a.m. Class begins

11:30 a.m. Half Day Students Dismissal 2:45 p.m. Full Day Students Dismissal 2:45 – 3:45 p.m. After Care

Students are not permitted in the classroom before 8:25 a.m. unless enrolled in the before care program. It is the parent’s responsibility to inform me if someone else is picking your child up.

10

Drop Off: No earlier than 8:25 a.m. Please sign your child in and out before leaving. Pick Up: Half Day dismissal will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. at the front door, Full Day dismissal will be dismissed at 2:45 p.m. through the front door as well. If you will be picking your child up after school, please be prompt. For every 15 minutes that you are late to pick up your child, a $15 late fee will be charged. Payment is due at pick up time. Any changes to the way your child normally goes home need to be submitted in writing in advance. Please bring an I.D. and please state the car license plate number with the color of the car if someone else is picking your child up. Your child’s safety is my priority.

11

I do offer tutoring up to second grade. Only 3 students per. session. Charges are as follows: $20 an hour per child. Any Day from Monday to Friday Any Time from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Please call to book your space as spaces are limited. You may choose a one or two-hour spot.

12

Children will need to bring in their own lunch. All students are encouraged to eat independently; feeding of students is not permitted. Please do not ask teachers or other staff members to feed your child or force them to eat. If you are sending a lunch with your child, please make sure the contents can be easily opened by your child and the food does not require a microwave.

13

Children are required to bring in their own snack. However, if you forget to bring one, I will supply the snack for that day.

14

8:25 - 8:30 a.m. – Arrival Time

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. – Circle Time (Attendance, Calendar, Music & Movement) 9:00 - 9:20 a.m. – Snack 9:20 – 10:00 a.m. – Group Time/Bathroom (Group Lessons)/Play Time

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Work Time

11:00 – 11:30 a.m. – Story Time

11:30 a.m. – Half Day Dismissal 11:30 – 12:00 noon – Community Jobs & Indoor Play Time for full time students. 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. – Lunch Time

12:30 – 12:50 p.m. – Clean-up/Bathroom

12:50 – 1:20 p.m. – Rest Time (Lay down, Read a book, Color, etc) 1:20 – 1:30 p.m. – Group Lesson

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. - Work Time

2:30 -2:45 p.m. – Clean up, Circle Time

Full Day Dismissal

15

Rest Time is in between 12:50 – 1:20 p.m. and children will be able to nap or if they choose not to, they can read a book, color, play a game or any other quite or relaxing activity of their choosing.

16

If students need to nap, please let me know. Parents will need to bring in a fitted sheet. They could probably get one at IKEA. Rest Time is in between 12:50 – 1:30 p.m. and children will be able to rest during that time and will be permitted to join the rest if they choose not to nap.

17

Regular, on-time attendance at school is vital to your child's success. Most of our learning activities take place in a group setting and involve interaction with classmates. Many of our learning experiences take place during circle and group time, so it is important to be at school on time. Please call in or email me if your child is not attending school for the day. We understand that there may be instances when it is not possible to be here on time. However, please make every effort to have your child at school on time so we can begin our day together. Tardies will be noted on progress reports and habitual tardiness may affect your child's academic progress.

18

Your child will be bringing home a reading log in his or her folder each night. Please read to your child and have him or her record it on the reading log by coloring in one object.

19

I will be sending home a weekly communication folder. Please read the information. Every Month, I will send home a newsletter; please make sure to read it carefully. Please return the weekly information file to school every day. Important information regarding your child’s education and behavior will be included in the weekly folder.

20

Progress Report will be sent home twice per year. We will notify you in advance so you can look in your child's folder for his/her Progress Report. When you receive the Progress Report, remove and review it, then sign the envelope and return the empty envelope to school.

21

I will be holding parent conferences twice this year, once in the fall and again in the spring. Please check your child’s folder for the dates and scheduling details.

22

Students will be given grades of N for needs improvement, P for progressing, and M for mastery. I will review the progress report with you at parent/teacher conferences in the fall and spring.

23

If you will not be sending your child to school due to illness, please call the school and leave a message on my phone 480-616-8822 or 759-0242

Please do not sent your child to school if they are running a temperature. You will be called to pick your child up if they are not feeling well. Your child must have a doctor’s note to return to school if the disease is contagious.

24

I am not allowed to give medication to students. If your child requires medication, please keep your child at home unless by doctors’ orders for life threatening circumstances ONLY. All students must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.

AllergiesAllergiesAllergiesAllergies

Please inform me (June Perera) if your child is allergic to anything. If medication is required, you must complete a Medical Consent form. Please provide instructions from your child’s pediatrician regarding precautions to be taken and what to do should your child have a reaction.

25

SHOES: Closed toe shoes with a rubber sole NO = SANDALS OR OPEN TOE SHOES YES = TENNIS SHOES/ SNEAKERS ARE FINE

If your child is wearing a dress, please make sure she has shorts underneath her dress.

26

All students will need a functional backpack large enough to hold a 9x12 inch notebook without folding or bending. Backpacks with wheels are NOT allowed; they are too cumbersome and impractical for young children to handle independently. Backpacks will be used daily for storage of extra clothes, so please make sure that your child brings his/her backpack each day. Many backpacks look alike; please label your child's backpack with his/her name visible on the outside. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD BRINGS A BACKPACK TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY

27

Please send an extra change of clothes to school enclosed in a Ziploc bag in your child's backpack as soon as possible with their name labeled on it. **Please include the following items: Underwear, socks, shirt, pants or shorts** The change of clothes will be stored in your child’s backpack - DO NOT REMOVE THE CHANGE OF CLOTHES. This is why it is so important for your child to bring a backpack to school daily.

28

All changes to transportation must be made in advance in writing to ensure the safety of the child. All adults picking up your child must be on your approved pick-up list. Please make sure to fill this form out completely. Please bring an I.D. and please state the car license plate number with the color of the car if someone else is picking your child up. Your child’s safety is my priority.

29

Each child will need to buy these supplies: A pencil Container A pair of child’ scissors

A box of crayons

A box of colored pencils

A glue stick

Dry erase markers (slim hold) for children

Pencil and eraser A box of tissue All supplies will be stored in your child’s bag pack (except the tissue) and will be used by your child throughout the school year. If it happens to finish, please replenish it. *PLEASE LABEL INDIVIDUAL CONTAINER WITH YOUR CHILD'S

NAME. *

30

You may bring cookies to school for your child’s birthday. The cookies will be distributed during snack. Parents could bring in some napkins if they are bringing in cookies. All foods MUST be store bought. We do not allow birthday cakes, cupcakes or parties in the classroom due to space limitations. We will provide students celebrating birthdays with many special "birthday privileges" such as: a birthday story (parents may bring in a picture for every year of the child) so that I could tell a story about the child and we will sing a birthday song. You may donate a book of your child’s favorite story to the class on behalf of your child.

31

For safety reasons, please do not allow your child to bring any toys, jewelry or candy to school. Toys and jewelry can easily become broken, lost, or stolen. I will not be responsible for toys or jewelry brought to school. Candy and gum are not allowed at school at any time.

32

No running in the classroom

Use Kind and Gentle hands

Use inside voices. Sit with hands on the lap

Don’t Interrupt, always say “Excuse Me, Please” Always say “Thank You” when handed something Always say “Please” when needing something

Take Turns and Share.

33

Behavior Guidance Policy

I believe that good behavior should be encouraged by: • Encouraging through praise when a child does the

right thing. • By making clear classroom expectations (Classroom

Rules) • Redirecting the child’s behavior when appropriate.

In the Montessori classroom, developmentally appropriate works help to stimulate the children and the teacher will interact and oversee each child. If the child is not behaving, a positive approach such as: Redirection – Helping the child to choose a different activity, work independently. Have a conversation - Helping the child to make a better decision as to how to handle the situation in a different manner. Consequences – Removing the object if it was used to hurt another child. Time Out – Child is removed from the group to settle down and do a works on their own until child shows that they are ready to join the group. Ignore – Some children tend to act out in order to gain attention. I will ignore unless child’s behavior becomes unsafe to themselves or to other children. If these behavior policies do not work, I would send a note home, or/and call for a conference and discuss the behavior that I have noticed and techniques I have used. We (parent and teacher) will come up with a behavior plan to help the child change the improper behavior. If behavior does not change, you will be asked to keep your child at home for a day or two.

34

As a last resort, if inappropriate behavior continues I will dismiss (de-enroll) your child from this home group Montessori program if their behavior becomes a safety issue for themselves and/or other children. If child’s behavior creates a health or safety risk I may immediately de-enroll the child. Biting is Not Acceptable. Children who bite will be removed permanently. Discipline NOT Allowed: Physical punishment, embarrassing the child, humiliating, taking away food, restraining a child unless necessary to protect the child or other children from harm will not be tolerated from me or from parents on the school premises.

35

Non- Discrimination Policy: Our Mother’s Montessori will not discriminate on any of these basis – age, race including color, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, religion, disability or any other reasons that has been prohibited by law. Custody and Visiting Procedures: Our Mother’s Montessori will follow court orders and parenting agreements regarding custody issues. No child will be released to any person which includes a parent or relative without prior written authorization to allow the child to be taken out of this Home Group Montessori. I also require a valid subpoena before providing any information for use in court. Policy Changes: You agree to abide with all of Our Mother’s Montessori policies and procedures including Our Parent’s Handbook. I reserve the right to revise or modify the policy procedures or program at any given time, in part or entirety.

36

There are many opportunities for parents to help the teacher and students, in the classroom. We are always in need of parent volunteers to help in the classroom. I’m looking for parents who are bilingual, who can speak Spanish, Chinese or any other language. If you would like to come in and give a half hour lesson daily or a couple of times a week, that would be great! If you are unable to come to school to help but are interested in having projects sent home to cut, color, or laminate please let me know.

37

Please work with your child on the following skills at home: • Sharing

• Using kind/gentle hands

• Cleaning up

• Recognizing colors

• Recognizing shapes

• Recognizing/ identifying numbers

• Recognizing/ identifying letters/sounds/reading

• Cutting with scissors

• Buttoning, snapping, zipping, and tying

38

Our Mother’s Montessori School Calendar 2017/2018

August 3 – Students Begin

September 4 – Labor Day (Holiday)

October 9 -13 – Fall Break

November 23 & 24 – Thanksgiving Day

December 22 – January 5 – Winter Break

January 8 – School Resumes

February 19 – President’s Day (Holiday)

March 12 – 16 – Spring Break

March 30 – Good Friday (Holiday)

April 2 – Easter Monday (Holiday)

May 23 – Last Day of School (Summer Vacation)

39

Enrollment PolicyEnrollment PolicyEnrollment PolicyEnrollment Policy

An Emergency card and a copy of your child’s Immunization records are required for your child to be enrolled at Our Mother’s Montessori School. All information must be given before your child starts school. All children must follow with the state immunization requirements and would need to keep them updated in order to be enrolled in our school. Please notify us if there are any changes to the information given. If our enrollment is full, you may choose to place your child on our waiting list. A non-refundable material fee of $50 is required in order to place your child on the waiting list. When a spot is available, parent will be contacted according to the date their fees was received. Please inform Our Mother’s Montessori School should you choose to opt out from the waiting list before your child is enrolled. Tuition Fees are based on the number of school days in a year. It is divided into 10 months, so that monthly fees remain the same. Fees are due in full and no make-up days or refunds will be given due to vacation, absences, suspension or even if your child is expelled from our school etc. Payments are accepted by check, money order, cash or you may bank it directly into my account. Due to it being a small Home based Group Montessori I will Not be doing Credit Card payments for this school year. Tuition Fees are due by the 1st of each month prior to services rendered. For example, August tuition fee is due by July 1st. After the 7th, a late fee of $25 will be charged. If the tuition fee is still not rendered by the 20th of the month, a late fee may be further charged. A courtesy call will be made and if payment is not made in full by the end of the business day of the month, your child will not be able to attend classes until all amounts are paid in full.

40

Enrollment Policy

If you choose not to continue at Our Mother’s Montessori program, two weeks written notice is required. The advanced paid tuition fee will be refunded and the balance current tuition fee will be prorated on a weekly basis and returned as well. All other fees and deposits are non- refundable. If written notice is not given the tuition fee will still be due in full even if your child does not attend school. Reenrollment will depend on the availability. If payment has been stopped, or if checks are declined, you will be charged for an insufficient Fund Fee of $30.00. The total monthly amount and additional Insufficient fund fee will be credited to your account. Tuition must be paid in full prior to services rendered in order for your child to attend classes. In the event an accident happens to your child while in our care that involves outside medical care, it will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian to take care of all expenses.

41

Our Mother’s Montessori

Parent Handbook

Confirmation & receiptConfirmation & receiptConfirmation & receiptConfirmation & receipt

FormsFormsFormsForms

I hereby acknowledge the copy of this receipt of the parent handbook and

therefore agree with all the policies written in this handbook including all the

procedures and payment charges.

____________________________ ________________

Parent/Legal Guardian Date

_____________________________ ________________

Parent/Legal Guardian Date

_____________________________ ________________

June Perera (Director/Teacher) Date