UPDATED: September 18, 2013

For the current school year (started September, 2013), all our  full-day programs are filled.  In our half-day programs we have the following openings and welcome new students throughout the school year :

• For ages 3-4 (children born between Oct 1, 2008 and Sept 30, 2010) we have availability in the afternoon session of our half-day, Pre-Primary Montessori program (M-F, 12:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. with After Care available to 6:00 p.m.).

• For ages 2-1/2 to 3 (children born between Oct. 1, 2010 and Sept 1, 2012) we have availability in the later session of our half-day Stepping Stones program (11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.).  Note, children may first enter the program at age 2 years, 6 months, and we’re happy to have children enter as late as April 1, 2014 (provided they enroll for a Pre-Primary program in September, 2014).
  

We thought interested families might like an update on our 2013-14 Enrollment, especially which programs have waiting lists and which are available for immediate enrollment.   Families may also find useful our Timing and Tips for 2014-15 Enrollment, and our thoughts on Waiting Lists.

To join a waiting list or enroll in an available session, families submit a paid application (download here).  While we only offer placement to families after a school visit and tour, families are welcome to apply either before they visit, at their visit,  or after they first visit the school.  (If, once you apply, we do not offer you enrollment for 2013-14, we carry your application over to 2014-15.)

• Our 2013-14 morning sessions are full:  we have started waiting lists for both morning Stepping Stones (age 2-1/2 to 3)  and morning, half-day Pre-Primary Montessori (age 3-4).
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• Our 2013-14  full-day programs (8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m) are full, —  Montessori Kindergarten (age 5-6) and Pre-Primary Montessori plus Enrichment (age 3-4) — have VERY FEW OPENINGS available, and it’s likely these programs will fill soon, at which point we will start waiting lists. (As of June 15, our full-day program for 3-4 year olds is full  — Pre-Primary Montessori plus Enrichment.  We still have available half-day, afternoon openings for 3-4 year olds. We still have full-day Kindergarten (age 5-6) available.)
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• Our 2013-14 afternoon sessions still have openings, including Montessori Kindergarten (age 5-6, 11:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) and Pre-Primary Montessori (age 3-4, 12:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.).nd Stepping Stones (age 2-1/2 to 3, 11:45 – 2:15).  Note, you may enroll in an afternoon session and simultaneously join the waiting list for a morning or full-day session.

For more information please contact us at admissions@themontessorihouse.com or call 201-816-8343.

Children at The Montessori House spent time this week learning a little bit about Ireland

• They heard stories from Irish history and the story of St. Patrick.
• Our Director, Ms. Maria, dressed as a leprechaun and led the children to her pot of gold!
• The Nutrition Committee helped the children make their own (green) St. Patrick Day smoothies  with spinach!.  (Recipe below, please try this at home!)

Erin Go Bragh means, roughly, “Ireland Forever”.    Enjoy the holiday!

Green Smoothies

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ banana
• 1 teaspoon (rounded) sugar
• 1 leaf of spinach

Mix together  and blend in a blender, or in a cup with a handheld blender.
Use a clear glass so you can enjoy the beautiful green color!

The Nutrition Committee (NC) is very busy this year.  Not only with daily snack, but engaging the children in “cooking” their own food!

Most recently, at the end February, the NC held a workshop to make yogurt parfaits. Fun to assemble, pretty to look at, nutritious and delicious to eat, yogurt parfaits were a big hit.  Some of the children requested not only seconds, but thirds and fourths!

Here were the ingredients used:

• Organic yogurt (French Vanilla flavor)
• Granola clusters (cinnamon oat with flax seeds / vanilla blueberry with flax seeds)
• Fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)

Yogurt parfaits are an “anytime food”:  it can be eaten for breakfast, snack, dessert or anytime in between.  And the ingredients can be varied or adapted according to preference.   Yum!

In our recent e-mail to parents about our Valentine’s Day Card Exchange, we provided the following guidance:

If your child would like to participate in the card exchange, here’s what he/she should do:

• Bring one card for each child in his/her class(es).  Here’s how many you should send:
  • If your child is in Stepping Stones, please send in 10 cards.
  • If your child is in any other half-day program, please send 30 cards.
  • If your child is in any full-day program, please send 60 cards.
     
• Write — or have your child write — your child’s name where it says “From”, so the children know who gave them a card. 

Please do not address the cards and/or envelopes to any individual children; leave the “To” portion of the card blank.  In other words, the only name on the cards/envelopes should be your child’s name.

We’ve had a few inquiries about the gender mix of children’s classes, here’s what you should do:

• If your child is Kindergarten/First (full-day): 24 girls, 36 boys
• If your child is Pre-Primary Montessori plus Enrichment (full-day): 33 girls, 27 boys
• If your child is Kindergarten (half-day): 9 girls, 21 boys
• If your child is Pre-Primary Montessori morning only: 15 girls, 15 boys
• If your child is Pre-Primary Montessori afternoon only: 9 girls, 21 boys
• If your child is Stepping Stones: 3 girls, 7 boys

Although not part of the card exchange, if you also plan to bring cards for teachers (regular teachers and student teachers):

• Stepping Stones: 3 teacher cards
• All half-day students: 6 teacher cards
• All full-day students: 9 teacher cards

This does not include “specials” (art and Spanish). 

On Monday, October 8, 2012 (Columbus Day), all Montessori classes are in session on the usual schedule.

Many school in NJ are in session.  Here’s a quick sampling:

• Tenafly Public
• Cresskill Public (minimum day)
• Paramus Public (minimum day)
• Elizabeth Morrow
• Bergen Academies
• Oakland Public

In fact, The Montessori House will be open Monday-Friday on the regular schedule all of October; the next holiday with a school closing is Thanksgiving — school is closed November 21, 22, 23 (Wed. Thur. Friday).

If you haven’t settled on a school for your child 2 to 4 years old, we still have a handful of openings for 2012-13:

1. For children age 3 or 4 before October 1, 2012, we have openings in the afternoon session of our half-day Pre-Primary Montessori program (M-F, 12:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. with after school classes and After Care available until 6:00 p.m. ).   Tuition for the full year is $8,200.
2. For children who turn age 3 after October 1, 2012 and before April 1, 2013, we have openings in our half-day Montessori Stepping Stones program (early session meets 8:45 to 11:15 a.m., late session meets 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.).  We only accept children once they turn 2-1/2.  If your child starts during the school year (say, in January), then you will pay a reduced, pro-rated tuition, based on the number of days the program meets during the school year — full-year tuition is $9,300, pro-rated tuition from January 1 is $6,500.

Children who enroll at The Montessori House for 2012-13 will receive placement in the program of their choice for 2013-14.

If you would like to enroll your child for 2012-13 or have questions, please contact us at 201-816-8343 or at admissions@themontessorihouse.com.

The Montessori House has started the process of enrolling students for the 2012-13 school year.  

Since we fill up our full-day and morning sessions first., we urge families to submit their application for 2012-13 soon, especially if interested in a program that offers a full-day or morning session.  These include our full-day Kindergarten (age 5-6) and full-day Pre-Primary plus Enrichment  (age 3-4) sessions, and our morning Pre-Primary (age 3-4) and morning Stepping Stones (age 2.5-3) sessions.

We’ve already offered 2012-13 placement to families with children currently at The Montessori House, and these families have until January 10, 2012 to provide us a reservation tuition deposit for their preferred 2012-13 program. 

Shortly after January 10, 2012 we’ll start to offer placement to new applicants, more or less in the order paid applications were received at the school.   As with our current families, we ask new applicants to confirm their preferred session and provide us a reservation tution deposit to hold a 2012-13 place for their child. 

At some point in the admissions process, our Director likes to become personally acquainted with new applicants.  Sometimes these meetings take place before an enrollment offer is made, and sometimes after.  We start to schedule these meetings in Janaury. 

We continue to offer placement in a session until that session is filled, at which point we’ll start a session wait list.  A family may choose to enroll in an alternate session, but still join the wait list for their preferred session.  

Again, we urge families interested in 2012-13 to submit an application soon, as we expect some sessions will fill up very quickly. 

For more information please contact us at admissions@themontessorihouse.com or call 201-816-8343.

Diana M. (chair of the Art Appreciation Committee) will be preparing a presentation on George Seurat for March.  She’s planning to do a movable mosaic as part of the unit.  However, she needs your help!

Please bring in your bottle caps (the plastic screw caps from drink bottles are great) and deposit them in the box Diana has left by the front door. 

You can see examples here.  Thanks in advance to you and to Diana for putting it all together!

Power has been restored to The Montessori House and school reopens on the regular schedule, Wednesday, November 2nd.

First, the parking lot is closed on the Knickerbocker Rd. side, as is the regular entrance to The Montessori House and the playground. These are closed pending tree trimming and clean-up, which we hope to complete this week. In the meantime, please enter the school through the Church/Tween Tot door off the east side of the parking lot closest to Riveredge. Note, Parent Visitation continues as scheduled, with this week’s Monday and Tuesday visits rescheduled for next week (Monday and Tuesday with the same appointment times).

Finally, we have moved the deadlines for tuition payment, school picture orders, and Scholastic book orders, all to Friday, November 4th.