Danville Montessori School

Early Childhood / Kindergarten Drop Off for early arrivals 7:30, others 8:00 -8:15 class begins at 8:15. Dismissal 3:15 – 3:30.
Introductory lessons are frequently given immediately after class begins, so it is very helpful for your child to be on time.
Sign-In: All parents of early childhood / kindergarten students are required to sign students in upon arrival and sign out at departure.
Prevent Traffic Congestion
- Drive through and stop briefly.
- Park on Main Street and walk to the door.
- Park in the space behind the school building and walk to the door. (2 car limit)

HOW TO notify the teacher that someone else will be picking up my child…

Make sure that you turn in the form listing names and phone numbers of people approved for pick-ups.
If the person is not on the list, please inform staff at drop-off.
He/she will be asked to provide a photo I.D. when picking up your child as a safety precaution (unless the teacher is already familiar with this person).

HOW TO make sure my child has clean clothes throughout the day…

Provide a labeled, clean change of clothes at the beginning of the school year.
If your child “soils” his/her clothes at school, the bag of dirty clothes will be left by the classroom door at pick-up with a note to bring another set of clean clothes.

HOW TO contribute to my child’s daily snack…

Snacks are provided by parents on a rotating basis.
Snack assignments will be given in a calendar by the teacher.
Some good snack ideas are fresh fruits with dip, crackers, cheese, carrot sticks, bananas, a box of non-sweetened whole-grain cereal, and pretzels. Baked items must be from a health department-monitored bakery and cannot be home baked.
You can provide a gallon of milk, if you choose. Water is always provided. No juice.

HOW TO make a tuition payment…

ACH automatic withdrawal from your bank Contact accounting office 859-236-6810
Make checks out to Danville Montessori School and mail to DMS at PO Box 651, Danville, Kentucky 40423
Note the student name and week/month on the memo line of your check.
Monthly tuition payments are due by the 15^th of each month and full day payments are due on Monday of each week. For half-day preschool, you will make a total of 9 monthly payments. Tuition questions should be directed to Bill Critchfield at 236-6810.

Other helpful hints…

It is not necessary to call the classroom to notify teachers when your child will be absent from school.
The teachers encourage preschool students to wear tennis shoes or other lace-up shoes, rather than sandals or Crocs, to avoid injuries on the playground.
Snow days will be announced independently of other school systems. Announcements will be made by email and through local television stations.
When you get notes about payment needed for workbooks or forms that need to be filled out, there will most likely be an envelope just inside the classrooms that you can use to place the response in.
Additional information can be found in the green Parent’s Handbook that you should have received prior to school beginning. If you do not have a copy or still have unanswered questions, please leave a message at the school office for Pat Critchfield (236-6414), and she will reply after school. Or, if it is urgent, you can contact Pat directly in the classroom by calling 236-9310 ext. 3.

Lower Elementary

HOW TO drop off my child and pick up for the lower elementary class…

Elementary Drop Off 7:30 – 7:45 class begins at 7:45.
Introductory lessons are frequently given immediately after class begins, so it is very helpful for your child to be on time.
Try to prevent traffic back-ups in the school driveway by making drop-offs and pick-ups quickly. If you need more time, you can park on the street or behind the school.
Pick up is between 2:45 and 3:00 p.m. each day. The children will be seated in the breezeway when the weather is not bad. As the teacher sees each parent/car, the child will be dismissed. If the weather is inclimate, Stuart will try to watch out the window for cars and have the children go once their parent has been spotted.

HOW TO provide adequate food and drink for my child…

Your child will need to bring a snack and lunch every day. They can get their snack at any point during the morning. Lunch is usually between 11:15 & 11:30.
Water is available in the classroom, but on all weather-appropriate days the children will eat outside and a water bottle is helpful so that they can have a drink with them.
Snacks should be a healthy, finger food (i.e., fresh fruits, vegetables or nuts) that can be eaten during classroom activities…applesauce and fruit roll-ups are not allowed for snack.
Lunches can be heated using a microwave in the classroom. However, lunches shouldn’t require long cooking times, and frozen meals are discouraged.
Candy and soda are not allowed in lunches.

HOW TO notify the teacher that someone else will be picking up my child…

Make sure that you turn in the form listing names and phone numbers of people approved for pick-ups.
If the person is not on the list, send a note with your child or write the name of the person on the sign-in sheet at drop-off.
He/she will be asked to provide a photo I.D. when picking up your child as a safety precaution (unless the teacher is already familiar with this person).

HOW TO make a tuition payment…

Payments should be placed in the labeled plastic box just inside the front door of the school.
Note the student name and week/month on the memo line of your check.
Monthly tuition payments are due by the 15^th of each month. Tuition questions should be directed to Bill Critchfield at 236-6810.

HOW can I make sure my child is equipped for the day…

Flip flops or shoes that easily slip off are a distraction when sitting on the floor to work or listen to a lesson and also are not safe on the playground. Stuart asks that all shoes at least have a back on them so that he can reduce this distraction.
The children will go outside everyday, unless it is raining. Clothing should be such that they are free to play and are not concerned about getting dirty. During the first few weeks of school, the children will have two recesses, one in the morning and one after lunch. This will gradually phase out as the routine of the 3-hour work period is adjusted to. (This is an amazing concept and if you are not familiar with Maria Montessori’s 3-hour work block, it is a wonderful example of how the Montessori method encourages your child’s deep, independent concentration and work habits.)
Your child’s school supplies are kept in a bin with his/her name on it, on a shelf in the classroom. They can get them as needed. It will be necessary to replenish supplies a few times during the school year.

Other helpful hints…

First- and second-graders typically have Junior Great Books homework that is due on Thursdays and spelling workbook homework that is due on Fridays.
Second-graders will also begin having math homework that is due on Fridays.
Spelling and math tests will be given on Fridays. Stuart will notify parents when these tests will begin.
Once the initial transition weeks have passed, the Spanish and music lessons will occur one afternoon each week.
Snow days follow the decision for Danville Schools, EXCEPT when there is a snow-related delay. DMS operates on schedule for delays, but you may bring your child to school whenever you feel it is safe.
Your child will have field trips throughout the year. You can make trip payments (if needed to cover field trip expenses) and sign up to chaperone (if needed) inside the classroom.
Any forms or notes for you will be sent home in your child’s backpack. Stuart will also often try to e-mail the information as well.
Additional information can be found in the Parent’s Handbook that you should have received prior to school beginning. If you do not have a copy or still have unanswered questions, please contact the school leave a message at the school office for Pat Critchfield (236-6414), and she will reply after school. Or, if it is urgent, you can contact Pat directly in the classroom by calling 236-9310 ext. 3.

Day Care

The Montessori daycare is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Full-day tuition covers 9 hours of care per day. Pick-ups after 5:30 will result in a late charge.
Family-style lunches are served to day care students every day and a snack is out for the children to serve themselves when hungry.
Children who attend the morning preschool classes and are signed up for full-day care can be given nap time daily from about 12:00 until 2:00 p.m.. This is requested at registration time and may be difficult to change mid-year. However, naps are either part of a daily routine or not at all.