Parents - Boundary Bay Montessori House

Parent Survey

In 2006, MIND conducted a survey of parents to get feedback on their and their children's experience at the school.

Parent Handbook

The following information is partially extracted from the Parent's Handbook and is intended to provide general information to prospective parents. For more information, please contact the school directly.

• Fees
• Clothing
• Personal Belongings
• Medication
• The School Year
• Attendance
• Carpooling
• Orientation
• Withdrawal Procedures
• Celebrations
• Parent Observations and Conferences
• Parent Education / Questions re: Montessori Education
• Parent Library
• Re-enrollment
• Parent Involvement

Clothing

The Preschool (3-6) and Elementary (6-13) children wear soft-soled slippers at all times inside the school. The removal of "outdoor" shoes is significant for the childrens' awareness of the uniqueness of the learning environment. Just as our outdoor shoes are removed as we come indoors, our outdoor voices need to be modified to become indoor voices. Please note: simple slippers both in terms of colour and design are mandatory - cartoon caricatures will not be permitted.

Each BBMH student registered in the school will own a school jacket/shirt. While this jacket/shirt may be worn at any time during the year, it is mandatory that each child wear his/her jacket/shirt on school field trips. Students who forget, misplace, lose, their jacket/shirts will not be permitted on field trips, and if all school staff are involved in the school outing, students without jacket/shirts will be sent home. The school jacket/shirts allow our students to be seen and quickly located in large public events/locations. Please "personalize" your child's jacket/shirt by writing his/her name on the inner label. This simple process eliminates significant confusion and unhappiness for the children.

For our Annual Summer and Winter concerts, students will wear their school shirts and dark pants or skirt and black socks. We ask your cooperation to ensure that all children participating in the concert come attired in the manner requested. On some occasions there will be specific requests from staff for help with costumes.

Personal Belongings

The materials in the classroom, and those distributed to the children by school staff provide a wealth of learning experiences. Please do not allow your child to bring toys or items of distraction to school. This list includes, but is not limited to, beanie babies, ferbies, pokeman cards, cosmetics: hair spray/mascara, nail polish, lip gloss, etc. These distractions create rivalry and competition between students and shift their focus from purposeful educational experiences to media/fashion fads and bartering. Artifacts or cultural items which complement an ongoing classroom theme are most welcome at any time. Please choose these items with care. If there is any concern over breakage or loss of the item, keep it at home. The school cannot be responsible for the loss or damage of personal items.

Medication

The staff will not dispense doctor-prescribed medication unless parents submit written authorization specifying the dosage and number of applications to be administered. Non-prescribed medicines will not be administered by staff under any circumstances.

The School Year

With respect to the start of school, Winter Break, and Spring Break our school year follows the public school calendar. The last official school day of the year for the children is generally the third Friday of June, depending on the calendar. You will be notified well before year-end as to this actual date. In addition, the school will be closed for all statutory holidays and 5 (five) professional days. Professional days are not necessarily those of the local school district. You will be given a minimum of 1 week's notice prior to school closure due to a professional day.

Families whose children (K-7) are eligible for either full-time or part-time provincial funding are advised that their child/ren must be in attendance for 135 days of the school year (from the start of September to May 15) in order that the full amount of the student grant be forwarded to MIND. Families whose children attend school for less than 135 days during this time period, may be asked for documentation to describe the absences of their child. Based on this information, the Ministry may elect to decline all or part of the grant for that particular student. In the case that the Ministry declines all or part of a student grant, the family of an Elementary student is required, by the registration contract, to meet the entire cost of educating their child(ren) for that academic year.

In the case of school closure due to inclement weather (snow), a "telephone" tree will be initiated to inform families on a daily basis as to the school's operational status. Generally this communication will occur at approximately 7:00 a.m. each morning of the school closure. The school will be closed for five staff Professional Days during the 2003/2004 academic year. Information regarding these dates will be available through school newsletters.

Attendance

In fairness to your child, his/her classmates and the staff, please be as prompt as possible when you drop-off or pick-up your child. (Elementary students have a one and a half hour lunch break; 30 minutes for eating, 30 minutes for silent reading and 30 minutes for supervised outdoor play. If you are taking your child "out" for lunch, please do so between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. Also, please notify staff of this arrangement so that your youngster may complete his/her 30 minute period of silent reading prior to departing for lunch. In keeping with Montessori philosophy regarding the ability to work without interruption, there is no morning or afternoon recess.) The instructional time for each preschool/Kindergarten child each day is 2.5 hours. The instructional time for elementary child per day is 5.25 hours.

If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, a written note outlining the reason for your child's absence is required. Send the note to school with your child upon his/her return. The Ministry of Education mandates that written documentation be filed following any absence from school. In any instance of a contagious illness, please notify the school administration IMMEDIATELY at the ONSET of the illness. The administration is required to report all occurrences of contagious illness to the Public Health Department.

Carpooling

You will be asked to list the names of people who may pick-up your child in your absence on the school's official Carpool Authorization Form. Only persons named on this list will be authorized to leave the school with your child. Your child will not be released to anyone who has not been formally introduced (either in person or in writing) to the school staff. Please ensure that you update the carpool list from time to time.

Orientation

The first six weeks of enrollment are considered to be an orientation period for all new and transferring students. You will be advised during and at the conclusion of this interval as to the level of comfort your child is experiencing in the classroom. Please keep in mind that many factors come into play when a child enters a highly individualized program. Should the administration feel that BBMH does not satisfy the needs of your child, withdrawal procedures would begin within this timeframe.

Withdrawal Procedures

During the first six weeks of enrollment, the "orientation period", student withdrawal from the school may be required following staff observation of and interaction with the student within the learning environment. At these times, which are rare, it is the professional judgment of staff that the child and the program are mismatched, and that the child's needs would be better served in a different educational centre.

At, or shortly after the students' withdrawal, the balance of tuition of the school year, less the month (or part month) in which the withdrawal is effective shall be withdrawn. If a family wishes to withdraw a student from the program following submission of re-enrollment prior to the start of a new school year, or during an academic school year, the following guidelines are outlined within the contractual registration form with MIND.

Withdrawal Procedures for Preschool:

"In the event that a child is withdrawn prior to February 1, one month's notice must be given in writing and every effort will be made by the school to fill the vacancy. If no suitable replacement is found, the year's tuition will remain due and payable."

(From page 4 of the Preschool registration form.)

Withdrawal Procedures for Elementary:

"We are responsible for the total cost of educating our child(ren) (tuition plus Provincial Funding amounts) for the complete school year (September through June). If we withdraw our child(ren) anytime after the date of acceptance, our signatures indicate our commitment to honor this obligation. We understand that we may be relieved of this financial obligation only in the event that the school is able to fill the enrollment vacancy in the affected classroom level. Relief of the financial obligations in the case of withdrawal from the program may be granted in the case of hardship at the discretion of the Board."

(From page 9 of the Elementary registration form.)

Celebrations

During the year a number of celebrations are included as part of our peace curriculum and cultural studies. These include, but are not restricted to, special celebrations such as United Nations Day (October 24), Mahatma Gandhi's birthday (October 2), Martin Luther King Day (January 15), and Earth Day (April 22). You will be notified by newsletter as to the specific dates of these events. Please note that Halloween and Valentine's Day are not celebrated as a school event.

Celebrations of children's birthdays are marked (at the child's request) by simple tradition and songs. Please ensure that birthday invitations are not distributed at the school. Our emphasis on courtesy, social graces, and sharing is greatly assisted by your sensitivity to this situation.

Parent Observations and Conferences

Parents are expected to take advantage of the two official classroom observations scheduled during the year. Observations serve to give you, the parent, a first-hand experience of your child's interactions with peers and classroom materials. For your child, your presence in the class is a cherished opportunity to share school experiences and to share pride that mastery with the materials provides. Newsletters will notify you as to the scheduling of these observation times. Please note that any parent may, after notifying the Directress/or and receiving authorization, observe the class at any time.

There are two formal parent/Directress conferences held during the year. The first is in November, the second in March. Both Elementary conferences involve the child and the parents. Both Preschool conferences (November and May) involve parents and Directresses only.

Parent Education / Questions regarding Montessori Education

There are six parent education evenings sponsored during the school year. The staff of BBMH sponsor 2 evenings to inform parents as to Montessori methodology and to explore classroom materials. The Montessori In Delta Society sponsors 2 parent education evenings on educational topics of interest to the wider membership. In addition there are 2 other parent meetings of an informational nature sponsored during the school year. The first is a Potluck Supper held one Friday evening in late September. This evening provides an opportunity for all parents and school staff to get acquainted, and to dialogue. The second is an information meeting held in June of each year to impart class lists, timetables, and logistical information about the school for the following academic year This June meeting actually begins each new academic year.

Parents are the single most important asset of the child and the school. We need your support and co-operation, and ask you to keep us informed of any event or change which may affect your child's behaviour. Staff are often in the school for some time after classes are dismissed.

Telephone calls or arranged after-school conferences are the best opportunities for private communication. Telephone contact with staff at their homes is respectfully declined.

If you have comments or concerns with regard to classroom activities, please read the Parent Communication with Child's Directress/or Policy as printed in the Policy Section of this Parent Handbook.

Parent Library

A lending library of various Montessori journals and publications is available for parents whose children attend the school. Video cassettes are also available for loan.

Re-enrollment

Applications for re-enrollment are distributed in February, and returned to the school by the end of that month. Parents who have attended 4 of the 6 Parent Education Meetings during the year will receive priority re-enrollment for their child(ren) for the new school year. Information on the tuition schedule is contained within the registration packet.

Parent Involvement

Our school cannot operate without parent involvement. It is the parent's responsibility to keep account of volunteer hours as per the Parent Participation Program. Please submit this tally sheet to the Volunteer Coordinator in December and in June, or as requested.