Why don't we see the community names Toddler and Primary any more?
We changed from the term
"Primary" for two reasons: Maria Montessori used the term "Casa de Bambini," or
"Children's House", for her first classroom in Rome. Many schools use this name for the 3-6 year old communities and,
for us, it makes a lovely connection to Dr. Montessori. Also, in some places, the term
"Primary" refers to elementary children, so the change reduces confusion for families who come to us from those schools.
We have long thought about an alternate name for the Toddler community, because we also refer to those youngest children as toddlers. It is a lot of use for such an ordinary word! When we decided to change Primary to Children's House, the Spanish word for "little house" seemed like a fitting alternative, so the name "Casita" was adopted.
Lunch ideas
These suggestions were written with nut free classes in mind, but are also delicious ideas for all children!
String cheese, cheese cubes
Grilled cheese sandwich quarters
Boiled eggs
Egg salad
Dried fruit
Spaghetti, ravioli, macaroni and cheese (cold or in thermos)
Wieners, cut lengthwise
Tuna fish
Cottage cheese
Lunchmeat, rolled or in sandwiches
Yogurt
Applesauce, melon balls, fresh berries, sliced or whole fruit
Bagels with cream cheese
Soy nut butter
Cold pizza
Bacon, alone or in sandwiches
Burritos
Quesadillas
Crackers and cheese
Goldfish
Gardetto's snack mix (Chex Mix contains peanut oil)
Let your child help make his or her lunch!
Who do I see about...
Financial: Tuition, taxes, donations, receipts, student accident policy?
Camey Harned
My child's classroom?
Guides (guide’s first initial + last name @community-montessori.org)
Service hours, Parent Education Events (including childcare), reporting an ill child, messages to guides?
Craig Torrez
Enrichment Programs, Committee sign-up, Holiday Care, Early Care & Elementary Afterschool, Summer Program?
Mary Evelyn Bowling
Tour requests, classroom observations, Prospective Parent Coffees, student files?
Jodi Johnson
Board communications, enrollment, financial assistance, questions and concerns, Parent Education Events?
Shawn Edwards
How do I know my child is making progress?
You can have conversations with your guide about your child's lessons at conferences in October and March. You may also see changes in your child's behavior, independence and choice of activities at home. In addition, new parents of young children receive regular emails weekly for about 5 weeks. After that, the guides are available to answer questions as needed. Older children are able to tell their parents what they are working on and what they are excited about. Also, all parents who have questions can send a note with their child, leave a voicemail or send an email. Your guide will respond quickly!
When can I observe in the classroom, and how do I schedule an observation?
We ask that the communities have 6 weeks to get settled before observations start, so you can see your child actively involved and connected to their environment. You may schedule an observation starting the second week of October by contacting Jodi Johnson, jjohnson@community-montessori.org
Who can help me find service hours?
Service hour requests are posted in each week's Tuesday email. You can also request specific jobs by contacting Craig Torrez, ctorrez@community-montessori.org
How can I know if my child is sleeping during nap time?
Children who do not sleep at nap time receive a note letting you know that they stayed awake during the napping time. If your child does not receive a note, that lets you know that he or she did sleep.
Why doesn't my child bring work home every day?
Many of the Montessori materials do not involve a tangible product to take home. These include very valuable lessons such as the sandpaper letters, map work, counting lessons and the dressing frames, among others. We do not want any children to be reluctant to do these lessons because they cannot take papers home to show their families, so all work with a tangible product gets wrapped up and taken home quarterly, if not more often. Instead of this being a negative, the children really enjoy unwrapping their work and sharing it at home.
How can I know what is being served for snack?
This year we are posting the snack menus for the Casita and Children's Houses in the office workroom next to the All School bulletin board.
How do I meet with the director?
In the office between the Inbox and the copy machine is a clipboard for signing up for meeting times with Shawn. If those times do not fit your schedule, you can email sedwards@community-montessori.org for a more convenient time.
Can I get work to do at home for service hours?
Most of the work needed by our school is here on-site: gardens, dusting, the library, mowing, etc. Occasionally, there are classroom and office needs that can be done at home, such as cutting laminating or paper, sewing or refinishing or painting furniture. We try to save these jobs for parents with small children at home or for all day working parents; there may be others who need work at home as well. Please contact Craig Torrez, ctorrez@community-montessori.org , to let her know of your needs.
Where can I find "Montessori friendly" toys, books and activities for my home?”
Michael Olaf
Pinkhouse Handworks
Montessori in Motion
Montessori Services
Does the school provide sunscreen for playtime?
If you would like your child to wear sunscreen, please apply at home before coming to school. Then, if you send a note with a bottle of sunscreen to your child's class, they will re-apply the sunscreen before going to the playground in the afternoon.
Weather Information and School Closing Information
CMS follows the decision of Georgetown Independent School District during inclement weather. Please refer to http://www.georgetownisd.org for information on school closings and late starts.
