Membership
Membership consists of the parents/guardians of participating children and the teaching faculty. Parents are required to give a specified number of service hours and meet all financial obligations. Service hours are 50 hours per year with the year starting on June 1 and ending May 31. Families may opt out of the participation requirement by paying a nonparticipation fee of $500 at the beginning of the school year or by opting for the standard rate of tuition payment, $50 more per installment.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors ensures that the school operations are consistent with Montessori philosophy and are in the best interests of its students, parents and teachers. The Board reviews the annual operating budget, conducts all fundraising activities for the school and promotes the school among the community. It is the duty of the Board to approve a long-range plan for the school and set and evaluate annual goals for the Board. The Board approves goals for the executive director and evaluates the executive director annually. The Board consists of fifteen directors elected by the voting membership. Board members are elected for three-year staggered terms at the April membership meeting. An additional membership meeting is held in January for the purpose of presenting an outline for the upcoming fiscal year, and for any other business which may arise. (Members are welcome to observe board meetings which are held the third Wednesday of each month. If a member wishes to speak to an agenda item, the president must be notified prior to the meeting.) All matters of grievance or conflict are handled through the policies set forth in this handbook.
Committees
Some of the CMS committees (Finance and Audit, Executive Committee, Nominating Committee) are largely or solely made up of Board members. The committees below encourage membership from the parent body:
The Friends of Montessori Committee coordinates and oversees all fundraising activities of the school. These activities include the Annual Giving Campaign, the Ceremonial Brick Walk, the Oak Tree Fundraiser and the Serendipity Children's Festival.
The Growth and Development Committee is charged with developing a plan for any possible school expansions, as well as oversight of strategic planning for CMS.
The Building & Grounds Committee assists with the maintenance & repair of the facilities. The committee will hold monthly work days to complete both grounds work and building repairs.
The Co-op Committee is responsible for planning and implementing several school-wide functions, Morning Coffees and Fun Fridays.
The Classroom Support Committee assists the guides in planning and implementing special activities connected with their community. Each community has 2 to 3 classroom support parents, and welcomes participation of others for the annual silent auction projects.
The Garden Committee helps the children maintain the vegetable garden and maintains all of the flower beds that are not part of classroom environment.
The Green Committee is responsible for providing direction to the school as we endeavor to become more environmentally friendly. This committee is responsible for the school recycling program.
The Library Committee is responsible for the development and operation of the library. This committee acquires and catalogues all books and administers the birthday book program. This group also provides staffing for the morning library hours on school days.
The Marketing Committee is established to promote CMS within the surrounding community and within our own parent body.
