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A Few
Basic Montessori “How-To’s” from your PTO Co-Chairs:
Pre-School
HOW
TO drop off my child at the pre-school class…
-
Drop off between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m. for the a.m. class and between
12:00 and 12:15 for the p.m. class. Introductory lessons are
frequently given immediately after class begins, so it is very
helpful for your child to be on time.
-
Sign your child’s name on the class list outside (Tammy’s class) or
just inside (Rita’s class).
-
Try to prevent traffic back-ups in the school driveway by making
drop-offs and pick-ups quickly. If you need more time, you can park
on the street or behind the school.
HOW
TO notify the teacher that someone else will be picking up my child…
-
Make sure that you turn in the form listing names and phone numbers
of people approved for pick-ups.
-
If the person is not on the list, send a note with your child or
write the name of the person on the sign-in sheet at drop-off.
-
He/she will be asked to provide a photo I.D. when picking up your
child as a safety precaution (unless the teacher is already familiar
with this person).
HOW
TO make sure my child has clean clothes throughout the day…
-
Provide a labeled, clean change of clothes at the beginning of the
school year.
-
If your child “soils” his/her clothes at school, the bag of dirty
clothes will be left by the classroom door at pick-up with a note to
bring another set of clean clothes.
HOW
TO contribute to my child’s daily snack…
-
Snacks are provided by parents on a rotating basis.
-
Snack assignments will be given in a calendar by the teacher.
-
Some good snack ideas are fresh fruits with dip, crackers, cheese,
carrot sticks, bananas, a box of non-sweetened whole-grain cereal,
and pretzels. Baked items must be from a health
department-monitored bakery and cannot be home baked.
-
You can provide a gallon of milk, if you choose. Water is always
provided. No juice.
HOW
TO make a tuition payment…
-
Payments should be placed in the labeled envelopes posted just
inside the classroom doors.
-
Note the student name and week/month on the memo line of your check.
-
Monthly tuition payments are due by the 15th of each
month and full day payments are due on Monday of each week. For
half-day preschool, you will make a total of 9 monthly payments.
Tuition questions should be directed to Bill Critchfield at
236-6810.
Other helpful hints…
-
It is not necessary to call the classroom to notify teachers when
your child will be absent from school.
-
The teachers encourage preschool students to wear tennis shoes or
other lace-up shoes, rather than sandals or Crocs, to avoid injuries
on the playground.
-
Snow days follow the decision for Danville Schools, EXCEPT when
there is a snow-related delay. DMS operates on schedule
for delays, but you may bring your child to school whenever you
feel it is safe..
-
Information will be passed to you in this way: each child has
a folder with his/her name on it. The folders are placed in baskets
according to the class and time (ex. Rita’s a.m.) When you pick
your child up, his/her work and any school information will be put
in the folder.
-
When you get notes about payment needed for workbooks or forms that
need to be filled out, there will most likely be an envelope just
inside the classrooms that you can use to place the response in.
-
Additional information can be
found in the green Parent’s Handbook that you should have
received prior to school beginning. If you do not have a copy or
still have unanswered questions, please
leave a
message at the school office for Pat Critchfield (236-9310), and she
will reply after school. Or, if it is urgent, you can contact Pat
directly in the classroom by calling 236-9310 ext. 3.
 Lower
Elementary
HOW
TO drop off my child and pick up for the lower elementary class…
-
Drop off your child between
7:30
and 8:15 a.m. at the school breezeway between the front and back
classrooms. Introductory lessons are frequently given immediately
after class begins, so it is very helpful for your child to be on
time.
-
Try to prevent traffic back-ups in the school driveway by making
drop-offs and pick-ups quickly. If you need more time, you can park
on the street or behind the school.
-
Pick up is between 2:45 and 3:00 p.m. each day. The children will
be seated in the breezeway when the weather is not bad. As the
teacher sees each parent/car, the child will be dismissed. If the
weather is inclimate, Stuart will try to watch out the window for
cars and have the children go once their parent has been spotted.
HOW
TO provide adequate food and drink for my child…
-
Your child will need to bring a snack and lunch every day. They can
get their snack at any point during the morning. Lunch is usually
between 11:15 & 11:30.
-
Water is available in the classroom, but on all weather-appropriate
days the children will eat outside and a water bottle is helpful so
that they can have a drink with them.
-
Snacks should be a healthy, finger food (i.e., fresh fruits,
vegetables or nuts) that can be eaten during classroom
activities…applesauce and fruit roll-ups are not allowed for snack.
-
Lunches can be heated using a microwave in the classroom. However,
lunches shouldn’t require long cooking times, and frozen meals are
discouraged.
-
Candy and soda are not allowed in lunches.
HOW TO notify the teacher that someone else will be picking up my
child…
-
Make sure that you turn in the form listing names and phone numbers
of people approved for pick-ups.
-
If the person is not on the list, send a note with your child or
write the name of the person on the sign-in sheet at drop-off.
-
He/she will be asked to provide a photo I.D. when picking up your
child as a safety precaution (unless the teacher is already familiar
with this person).
HOW
TO make a tuition payment…
-
Payments should be placed in the labeled plastic box just inside the
front door of the school.
-
Note the student name and week/month on the memo line of your check.
-
Monthly tuition payments are due by the 15th of each
month. Tuition questions should be directed to Bill Critchfield at
236-6810.
HOW
can I make sure my child is equipped for the day…
·
Flip flops
or shoes that easily slip off are a distraction when sitting on the
floor to work or listen to a lesson and also are not safe on the
playground. Stuart asks that all shoes at least have a back on them so
that he can reduce this distraction.
·
The children
will go outside everyday, unless it is raining. Clothing should be such
that they are free to play and are not concerned about getting dirty.
During the first few weeks of school, the children will have two
recesses, one in the morning and one after lunch. This will gradually
phase out as the routine of the 3-hour work period is adjusted to.
(This is an amazing concept and if you are not familiar with Maria
Montessori’s 3-hour work block, it is a wonderful example of how the
Montessori method encourages your child’s deep, independent
concentration and work habits.)
·
Your child’s
school supplies are kept in a bin with his/her name on it, on a shelf in
the classroom. They can get them as needed. It will be necessary to
replenish supplies a few times during the school year.
Other helpful hints…
-
First- and second-graders typically have Junior Great Books homework
that is due on Thursdays and spelling workbook homework that is due
on Fridays.
-
Second-graders will also begin having math homework that is due on
Fridays.
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Spelling and math tests will be given on Fridays. Stuart will
notify parents when these tests will begin.
-
Once the initial transition weeks have passed, the Spanish and music
lessons will occur one afternoon each week.
-
Snow days follow the decision for Danville Schools, EXCEPT when
there is a snow-related delay. DMS operates on schedule
for delays, but you may bring your child to school whenever you
feel it is safe.
-
Your child will have field trips throughout the year. You can make
trip payments (if needed to cover field trip expenses) and sign up
to chaperone (if needed) inside the classroom.
-
Any forms or notes for you will be sent home in your child’s
backpack. Stuart will also often try to e-mail the information as
well.
-
Additional information can be
found in the Parent’s Handbook that you should have received
prior to school beginning. If you do not have a copy or still have
unanswered questions, please contact the school
leave a
message at the school office for Pat Critchfield (236-9310), and she
will reply after school. Or, if it is urgent, you can contact Pat
directly in the classroom by calling 236-9310 ext. 3.
Day Care
·
The
Montessori daycare is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Full-day tuition
covers 9 hours of care per day. Pick-ups after 5:30 will result in a
late charge.
·
Family-style lunches are served to day care students every day and a
snack is out for the children to serve themselves when hungry.
·
Children who attend the morning preschool classes and are signed up for
full-day care can be given nap time daily from about 12:00 until 2:00
p.m.. This is requested at registration time and may be difficult to
change mid-year. However, naps are either part of a daily routine or
not at all.
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