Frequently Asked Questions
1. School hours:
7:30 am to 5:30 pm
After Care: 3:00 - 5:30 p.m.
2. School Calendar:
School Calendar's first Draft will be ready by the end of April. We are going to closely follow MCPS for all federal holidays. However, we are closed the last two weeks in December and two weeks at the end of August for Professional Development, repairs, and classroom set-up.
3. Summer and Spring Camp:
The school will provide a Summer Camp option for all the families who are enrolled for 10 months. The application for summer camp starts in January of each year.
4. How many teachers are there per classroom?
Infants: 1 to 3 children
Toddlers: 1 to 3 with some variations based on mixed-age classrooms.
Preschool: 20 children with one teacher and an assistant.
5. Would kids be mixed in the "after school" program (from multiple classes)?
We will find out once we know how many children are enrolled after school. However, we only have two classrooms with 20 children in Preschool and we do not mix infants and toddlers with preschool-aged children.
6. What will the playground space be like?
I know there's currently a playground there, but it is more of a "big kid" playground.
We are going to work on the playground in different phases. However, the swings will be removed and a wooden train will be available for children to play during the first phase.
7. What do children do who don't nap? Do they need to stay on their cots during naptime, or can they do quiet activities?
We follow the child, and many children stop napping between 3 ½ and 4. However, if children want to nap, they do have that option. Children who do not nap can have 20 minutes of quiet time and start their afternoon work cycle in the afternoon. We might have a room for children to nap, so children who do not nap can engage in their classrooms.
8. If my child does not speak any Spanish, how will they be introduced to the new language:
A great deal of our communication is through our body language, so children get many clues from their teachers' body language and their peers who follow instructions. However, we have teachers who are bilingual and will understand the needs of your children. We continue to speak with them in Spanish as you spoke to them in English. Eventually, they develop understanding, and each child has a different comfort level when expressing in Spanish. There is no pressure, but a great deal of encouragement. We also have a number of families that seem to speak Spanish at home, supporting non-Spanish-speaking children in second language development.
9. Montessori Resources:
We are members of the American Montessori Society:
Our accreditation is from Montessori Educational Programs International (MEPI)
Montessori Notebook (great resource for families)
https://www.themontessorinotebook.com/
Our Training Partners:
https://www.montessoridelatinoamerica.com
Why learn languages:
