The Montessori House is closed today, Wednesday, January 22nd.

We expect the school will re-open on Thursday, January 23rd.

If there is any change in our plans, we will provide an update on school closing as follows:

1. Here in NEWS on the website.
2. Via the phone message at 201-816-8343.
3. Via e-mail to our 2013-14 parents and teachers.

Generally, for the most up-to-date information,  PLEASE CALL 201-816-8343.

The Montessori House is operating on its normal schedule today, despite the snow.  We’ll dismiss at the normal time (11:15 a.m. for the morning session, 3:00 p.m. for the afternoon session). 

After school, Piano and After Care will proceed on the normal schedule today.

Parent who wish to take children home early may do so following the standard procedure: park, ring the bell at the front door, and we’ll invite you to come to the top of the stairs to receive your child.  Note, because of winter clothing, and the likelihood that other parents may also come early, you may have a slight wait until your child is ready — please be patient.   In addition, after 2:45 p.m. we may ask you to wait in car line to pick your child up at normal dismissal.

If your family is interested in exploring a scholarship (a.k.a. financial aid) at The Montessori House for the school year starting September, 2014 (2014-15 school year), now is the time to start the process.

First, you apply to The Montessori House: please have a look at our Timing and Tips for 2014-15 Admissions.  If you haven’t visited the school, we suggest you call us to arrange a tour for yourself (we recommend you come for a tour during the school day without your child, if possible).  Please call us at 201-816-8343 to arrange a time.

Starting now you can prepare your scholarship application on-line through School and Student Services by NAIS.  Your application needs to be completed before February 12, 2014 (for scholarships for the school year starting September, 2014).

Scholarships are provided by The Friends of Montessori Foundation, and they consider your financial need as well as the depth of their own resources when making scholarship decisions.

Generally, The Montessori House, in January, 2014, will offer your child a place for enrollment, and ask you to commit with a $750 Reservation Deposit.  You’ll hear about your scholarship (if any), at the same time we ask you sign an Enrollment Agreement and complete your tuition deposit (about mid-March, 2014).  Note, the award may be subject to verification of information you submitted; for example receipt and evaluation of 2013 tax returns that you may not have sent to SSS/NAIS before March.

If Friends of Montessori Foundation cannot meet your calculated need, then you may choose to withdraw and receive a refund of your Reservation Deposit.  However, if the Foundation meets your need (or determines that you have not demonstrated a financial need), then you would not be eligible for a refund if you decide to withdraw.

Of course, before deciding to reserve a place for your child, you can wait to hear from the Foundation regarding your scholarship.  But, without a reservation in place, by mid-March we may have filled up your preferred sessions for 2014-15.

Feel free to contact us by e-mail (admissions@themontessorihouse.com) or by phone (201-816-8343) with questions.

The Wall Street Journal had a fun article on school lunches, and how parents cope with the rules different schools have.  Several of the rules will resonate for Montessori House families whose children pack a lunch for school.   Some of our rules include:

• No nuts — no ground nuts (e.g. peanuts) or tree nuts (e.g. walnuts, pecans, filberts, almonds, etc. )
• No drinks (including drinkable yogurts)
• No sweetened foods (no candy, cookies, cakes, fruit roll-ups, etc. )
• We can reheat food (in a microwave), but do not cook food or thaw frozen food (in other words we microwave for no more than 1 minute).

We do take issue with the reporter’s endorsement of lunchboxes that come with many components — “bento-style” lunch “systems”).  We’ve found that these lunch “systems” simply occupy too much space.  Normally we have four (4) children  at a table for lunch, but when a child has an expansive “system” of boxes, etc. they require twice as much space, so at a table for four we can fit only 2 normal lunchboxes plus one lunch “system”, or only two children with such a lunch “system”.  Consequently we recommend parents stick with a regular lunch box or bag that requires a normal amount of table-top space.

The day after we announced the addition of Yoga to our after-school programs,  we read in the Bergen Record about “Yoga for kids in North Jersey”

(Our menu of  after-school instructional programs includes: Piano, Violin, Chess and Yoga.)

The article summarized some interesting studies:

* In a survey from 2004 to 2007 at a Boulder, Colo., school, 4th- and 5th-grade students reported fewer instances of bullying after two weeks of yoga instruction. After the yoga classes, students said incidents of being hit by a classmate dropped 55 percent. The students also reported a 57 percent increase in the ability to control their own anger.

* The journal School Psychology Review published an article in 2005 that found that a group of students with attention problems were able to focus more on their work after yoga instruction. Before yoga, the problem students were able to stay “on task” only 65 percent of the time, compared with their peers who could focus for 85 percent of the time. During the yoga instruction, the problem students were able to focus as much as their typical peers.

* A 1991 article in the Journal of Asthma found that yoga training was helpful in treating children with asthma, increasing pulmonary function and exercise capacity. A follow-up study two years later found that benefits remained, with the children having fewer symptoms and requiring less medication.

We had a wonderful Meet the Teachers event at The Montessori House last night.  Thanks to all the parents who attended and all the teachers who were met!

Our Director, Ms. Maria, spent a few minutes welcoming everyone to the school for 2013-14.

Ms. Maria asked parents to keep in this thought in mind: a happy parent makes a happy child.

With that in mind, Ms. Maria offered her Top 10 Tips for a Great School Year (expanded version follows):

1. Set a happy tone for your child’s day!!  Stay calm and smiling, and make a happy, quick, quiet exit at the front door.
2. Dress your child in super easy clothing, including shoes.
3. Be on time.
4. Role model staying safe and following the rules.
5. Find a friend.
6. Be involved/make a difference for your child.
7. Questions?  Please ask, but think about who and when you’re asking.
8. Let school be school and home be home.
9. Raise the bar, and be happy about your child’s emerging independence.
10. Don’t ask them what they did at school.

Here’s the expanded version (each tip explained):

1. Set a happy tone for your child’s day!!
   Stay calm, and make a happy, quick, QUIET (no excessive talking or promising) exit at the front door. Quick exits make for quicker happiness for the child at school.  Help your child: a quick kiss and hug before you child reaches the door and has the teacher shakes his her hand; a quick wave at the window and you walk away first (don’t wait for the child to leave – it won’t happen).  Remember, if you’re sad or anxious, you’re making your child sad AND anxious.
2. Dress your child in super easy clothing.
   Anything with an elastic waist band is best.  NO belts, suspenders, or anything that ties, clips, clicks, or does anything to prevent or slow your child down when he/she is trying to go to the bathroom without having an accident.  The same with shoes – if the ties come undone even occasionally, double knot, or replace the shoes with Velcro shoes.  Also, don’t send clothing that distracts your child.  That super-hero t-shirt with the detachable cape — all we hear all day is the “rip” of velcro as the cape is attached and detached.  The same with shoes that light up — instead of school work, your child will “stamp, stamp, stamp” all day to light up his/her shoes.
3. Be on time.
   Reduce the anxiety of having to walk into an already-working classroom.  Reduce the feeling of being the “last one” at dismissal – unless you’re in aftercare or an after-school program (in which case, they love to stay!)
4. Role model staying safe and following the rules. MANY of the rules at school – inside and outside – are made to keep everyone safe.  But, to ensure safety, everyone has to follow those rules.  First, remember the parking rules – where to park; turn off the car; no drop-offs and no children walking alone.  Next, remember the walking rules – upon arrival, the children must be on the sidewalk (not the grassy area or the ramp) and in your control, and at dismissal, the children must be holding your hand until you put them in your car.  Remember the Trinity Lutheran Church’s rules – Montessori House  children on Montessori House spaces only – not on the rocks or by the trees in front of the Tween Tots playground, not in the woods, and not on the grassy front lawn (please go to a nearby park); no parking by either playground or in the spaces near Knickerbocker Rd.
5. Find a Friend
   Take a look at the list of children in class with your child (each child has morning companions, lunch companions, and afternoon companions — so for some children this is a long list!).  Listen for those names and use the list and on-line directory to contact other families to make friends (both friends for your child and — perhaps — friends for you).
6. Be involved and make a difference for your child.
   We have a variety of volunteer opportunities that suit all kinds of parent schedules.  We love to have parents come to the classroom to help on special occasions (like our Thanksgiving Feast or Fall Celebration), to make class presentations on holidays (Lunar New Year, Christmas, Diwali, etc.) or to share special knowledge or skills with the children (travel experiences, art, science, cooking, and more), or just to read to the children in small groups.  If you’d like to make a presentation, the teachers will help you set the right tone for 3 to 6 year old children.  If you’re not available during the school day, help Friends of Montessori with their Annual Dinner, or join the Gardening Committee, or make a booth or help out at our Montessori House International Festival in the spring.
7. Questions?  Please ask, but think about whom and when you’re asking. Remember, whenever you see a teacher at school, she is either responsible for children at that moment (MOST of the time) or she’s supposed to be in a meeting at that moment, there isn’t time built into their normal schedules – except for teacher conferences – to meet individually with parents.  If you have questions, please e-mail them to Ms. Maria at office@themontessorihouse.com; I’ll direct them to the appropriate teacher or answer the questions myself.
8. Let school be school and home be home. School is the place for lessons and learning, and home is the place for Mommy and Daddy to be fun, play games, sing songs, but not to continue school.  Burning them out is not the way to get them ahead, it’s the way to have them lose interest in learning.  Also, Montessori has a very prescribed method for teaching things like reading and writing, or arithmetic.  Teaching an alternate method at home will most likely confuse and frustrate your child — at home and at school.  When they’re ready, your children will show you how much they can do, and how much they know – there’s no rush!  Often children read at school but don’t want to read to parents at home — they want you to read to them, and we encourage you to do so often.
9. Raise the bar, and be happy about their ever-evolving independence. For instance, if you or your babysitter holds the fork or spoon for your child, let him/her do it alone – he/she will be very happy, and you should be too – they’re still your babies, and they still need you – but not for that!  Apply this notion to things like dressing themselves, buttoning their own buttons, putting on their own coats, getting their own things, wiping the tables, pouring their own cereal/milk from smaller containers, walking on stairs, swinging on the swing, etc.  They do all this at school (and more!), and a whole segment of Montessori (called Practical Life) helps develop these skills.
10. Don’t ask them what they did at school. This is the very hardest thing to do, but it will make your child feel much better!  Listen to them tell stories, but don’t press them to talk about what they just did.  Maria Montessori said school to a child was like their secret treasure – a special place where they could be a different version of themselves, where they, their friends and their teachers had all sorts of activities.  They want to experience those activities, but they don’t want the pressure of reporting those activities and, WORSE, having someone drill them about it.  The drive home is a great time to listen OR tell your child stories about your day.

So, follow these 10 Tips and we’re sure to have a great school year!

Finally, a thought from Maria Montessori on why we want a happy child in the classroom:

” A child who has become master of his acts through long, pleasant and interesting activities in which he has engaged, is a child filled with health and joy and remarkable for his calmness and discipline. “

We continue to accept applications for Summer Camp 2013 from current, new and former  Montessori House students and their siblings.  This summer our camp themes may include, in no particular order:

• Biomes
• Beatrix Potter
• Bugs
• Spain
• Montessoriville
• Circus
• 20th Century Art: Rockwell and Picasso

Application in the Parents area, or call the office.

We’re thrilled that so many families choose The Montessori House and wish we could offer placement for every family that applies.  Unfortunately that’s not possible.   We offer placement and enroll children until a session fills and then offer applicants the option of a waiting list.   Sessions that fill first are our morning half-day sessions (Montessori Stepping Stones – age 2-1/2 to 3 –  and Pre-Primary Montessori – age 3 to 4) and then our full-day sessions (Pre-Primary Montessori plus Enrichment – age 3 to 4 –  and Montessori Kindergarten – age 5 to 6).   With placement offers starting in January, in the past couple years we’ve had to start waiting lists for some sessions before the end of February.

We understand that families spend a lot of thought and time selecting a school, and having chosen The Montessori House, want to know that their child has a place waiting, guaranteed, once school starts the following September.  (We want the same thing, and if we can 100% guarantee an opening we:  offer placement, issue an Enrollment Agreement, and collect a tuition deposit.)  But, if we’re full we can’t make that guarantee, we can only offer a place on our waiting list and our best guess as to whether an opening before September is very likely, likely, or unlikely  (based on prior years’ enrollment patterns).

Family circumstances change — illness, job changes, relocation, etc. — and places always open up before schools start; we just don’t know how many and when.     Every year we have a openings come up between March and September, and when when we contact families on the waiting list they’ve already made other school commitments (families have to make plans and can’t risk not having their child placed at school, even if that school is not The Montessori House).

Here are some tips to consider if we offer you a place on  a Montessori House waiting list:

• If you really want a particular session at The Montessori House, join the waiting list (no additional charge after you’ve submitted an application).   At the same time make alternate plans for your child, and be sure you can live with those plans  if we don’t offer you your preferred session.  Try to make your alternate plans in a way that you can easily change those plans if we d0 offer you placement.   Defer your decision at another school as long as possible, or make the smallest upfront financial commitment you can, so that you can accept our later placement offer with little downside.  Ask around about whether your alternative school fills up most years; you may have more time to make your final decision, and any school with openings will be glad to enroll you whenever you make your decision.
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• While on the waiting listing for a preferred program, we can almost always offer your child placement in another, comparable program at The Montessori House: for example, our afternoon, half-day session instead of the morning session.  Accepting an alternate Montessori House program puts your family at the Montessori House  (for preferred placement the following year), and it makes it easy to take advantage of an opening in the your preferred program (e.g. we transfer  tuition deposits and payments to your  preferred program).  Of course, if we don’t have an opening you must be ready to attend the Montessori House program for which you enrolled.
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• We do not share the details or specifics of our waiting lists (how many families, a family’s status, etc.), but we do offer our best guess of the likelihood of an opening.  The chances of an opening and an offer change over time.  The closer we get to the start of school, the less likely that an opening will occur (that a family will withdraw from the school, opening a place for your child), but if an opening does occur, the more likely we can offer your child a placement.   Why is that?  First, as September draws closer, it’s less likely a family will experience a situation that requires them to withdraw, and it becomes financially painful to do so (tuition is non-refundable).  However, as September draws closer, most families ahead of you on the waiting list will decline our placement offer, since they’ve already made other school plans and financial commitments.  If in March we have an opening and a family is fifth on the waiting list, most likely one of the first four families will accept an offer to fill the opening.  But, if the opening happens in July, there’s a good chance the first four families will refuse the offer, and the fifth family will receive an offer.  If they’re already enrolled in an alternate Montessori House program, they’ll accept; or if they’ve made minimal commitments elsewhere, they’re able to change their plans and accept our offer.
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• We’re always happy to provide updates to families on a waiting list at The Montessori House.  However, families should realize: 1) the situation changes infrequently and unpredictably and frequent calls won’t change anything,  2) if we do have an opening, we very much want to fill it, so we call families on the waiting list right away, and 3) make sure you have provided us good contact information, and when we call with an offer, be ready to respond quickly, for we want to promptly find a family to fill our unexpected opening.

As our September, 2014 registration progresses, we want to provide some insight on our admissions process and calendar for families considering The Montessori House for school year 2014-15.  (See these links for the latest on Waiting Lists.)

To be considered for 2014-15, families submit a paid application (download here).  While we only offer families placement after a school visit and tour, families are welcome to apply either before they visit, at the visit, or after visiting.

Every year we have the greatest interest in our morning, half-day programs (Stepping Stones and Pre-Primary Montessori), and our full-day programs (Pre-Primary Montessori plus Enrichment and Kindergarten) — our comments on timing are directed at families interested in these programs.

The following sessions currently have a waitlist:

• Pre-Primary Montessori plus Enrichment (full-day) (longer list)
• Pre-Primary Montessori (half-day, morning) (medium list)
• Montessori Kindergarten (full-day and half-day, afternoon) (medium list)
  
• Montessori Stepping Stones (half-day, early session) (shorter list)
• Montessori Stepping Stones (half-day, later session) (shortest list)

We currently have openings in the following sessions and can offer immediate placement:

• Pre-Primary Montessori (half-day, afternoon)

After having done research on our website (About Us, How We Run Our School, Programs, Admissions, etc.), we recommend a visit to the school for a personal tour when our classes are in session.  (Call us at 201-816-8343 to set up your personal tour of the school on most any day school is in session.)

Timing for Your Visit: Most families prefer to tour the school before submitting a paid application.  You may schedule a private one-on-one tour most days classes are in session (see our Calendar), call 201-816-8343 for an appointment.

Timing for Your Application: For families who are confident (after researching and visiting the school, or based on the advice of friends already at the school) that they want a placement offer for 2014-15  from The Montessori House , we recommend submitting an application immediately.  Some families delay: to finalize plans to move to the area, to look at other schools, or they assume they have more time.  The cost of an application is small, and delay in submitting an application may reduce a family’s options once we start placement in January, 2014.

We finalized 2014-15 tuition rates in December and first offered 2014-15 placement to families with children currently at The Montessori House in January.

By mid-January we began to  offer placement to new applicants, more or less in the order paid applications were received at the school.   All new applicants now know if we have space in their preferred session, or if they are on a wait list for 2014-15.

We now have rolling admissions and 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.

We urge families interested in 2014-15 to plan now, and establish a plan for research, a time for school visit, and a date to  submit an application .

Families interested in a scholarship through Friends of Montessori Foundation, should submit an application before January, 2014 and be sure to complete their financial aid application before the end of January, 2014.

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

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.