MSNV, why?

[Anonymous]

NP here.

Has any parent stayed or heard of anyone having their children stay until 3rd grade and then made the switch to public. How was the transition? Thanks! I am looking at the school's tuition history I really want to love the school and really want to make it work but I don't think I can possibly afford to put my child there until 6th grade. We also do not want to ask for FA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here.

Has any parent stayed or heard of anyone having their children stay until 3rd grade and then made the switch to public. How was the transition? Thanks! I am looking at the school's tuition history I really want to love the school and really want to make it work but I don't think I can possibly afford to put my child there until 6th grade. We also do not want to ask for FA.

Why not? That is exactly what it is there for--to make it possible for you to afford to have your children stay. Even if you don't think you'd qualify, you should at least apply to find out.

[Anonymous]

Not an MSNV parent, but: A very common approach with many Montessori families is to stay through 2nd or 3rd grade and then try for placement into the Advanced Academics or GT program or whatever they call it in your area. I've had kids at two No.Va. Montessori schools where families regularly did this. (Not us -- we go Montessori thru 6th grade and then either public or private, with three kids already through and one more in the pipeline. Every kid is different -- two of mine went smoothly to public school middle school; the third wasn't completely ready for the transition and we went private with him for middle school. He is a rising 8th grader and will probably remain in private school for a bit longer.)

[Anonymous]

I'm an MSNV parent and just saw this thread.

I'm shocked that someone would say that a crying child would not be comforted! My child is exceptionally sensitive and anxious and the reason we chose MSNV is because it is such a loving environment. They have been extremely kind and supportive, and what's more, they have taught all the children to be supportive as well. She and her MSNV friends knew to give hugs and pats on the back and ask "how can I help?" to a crying friend from a very young age. The emphasis on social and emotional skills is truly one of the great things about MSNV.

That said, I'm deciding whether to keep my child at the school, and it's difficult that I can't have an honest conversation with the teachers about whether Montessori is right for my child, or whether they can do additional things to help her at school if Montessori isn't quite right for her, because in their minds Montessori is perfect for everyone, and that's that.

I do not regret in the slightest sending my child there, but it is the case that people in the community - and it is a strong community - are kind of obsessed with the school.

[Anonymous]

Just saw this and had to echo that my child was also left crying outside the classroom at the age of 3 with no comfort just because it was disruptive to the class. There are privates, Montessori and otherwise that are cheaper or way cheaper (just as there are more expensive ones) than MSNV. THough MSNV Is supposed to be non-profit so not sure how the for-profit schools can afford to be cheaper and that too with a smaller teacher-student ratio.
Yes you can’t question. Outside time with the class is limited to 20 or so minutes. My child was not able to read till almost 6 and then picked up quickly as I spent a little time. It is perfectly OK for children to spend all their time scribbling or drawing circles or putzing around as there is no expectation rather no testing and if they don’t pick up science math or reading as well as their peers in a traditional school it’s not considered a failure. All children are considered unique and will learn by paying attention to their surroundings. They will focus on what interests them. You cannot have an agenda that they focus on STEM etc. You as a parent decide what your expectations are. Socially especially it was very tough to integrate for our child in public after third grade. Also behind in sports and other extra curricular activities. Otherwise above average in academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an MSNV parent and just saw this thread.

I'm shocked that someone would say that a crying child would not be comforted! My child is exceptionally sensitive and anxious and the reason we chose MSNV is because it is such a loving environment. They have been extremely kind and supportive, and what's more, they have taught all the children to be supportive as well. She and her MSNV friends knew to give hugs and pats on the back and ask "how can I help?" to a crying friend from a very young age. The emphasis on social and emotional skills is truly one of the great things about MSNV.

That said, I'm deciding whether to keep my child at the school, and it's difficult that I can't have an honest conversation with the teachers about whether Montessori is right for my child, or whether they can do additional things to help her at school if Montessori isn't quite right for her, because in their minds Montessori is perfect for everyone, and that's that.

I do not regret in the slightest sending my child there, but it is the case that people in the community - and it is a strong community - are kind of obsessed with the school.

I am the parent who first made this comment some time ago. I understand that your experience may be different, but this is what I witnessed during our visit there. A teacher sat with the child, talked to her, and encouraged her to calm down. However, there was no hugging, patting on the shoulders, or any type of physical touch. I also have an exceptionally sensitive child who at that age was calmed most easily by a hug. Being spoken to rationally would have done nothing to help her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just saw this and had to echo that my child was also left crying outside the classroom at the age of 3 with no comfort just because it was disruptive to the class. There are privates, Montessori and otherwise that are cheaper or way cheaper (just as there are more expensive ones) than MSNV. THough MSNV Is supposed to be non-profit so not sure how the for-profit schools can afford to be cheaper and that too with a smaller teacher-student ratio.
Yes you can’t question. Outside time with the class is limited to 20 or so minutes. My child was not able to read till almost 6 and then picked up quickly as I spent a little time. It is perfectly OK for children to spend all their time scribbling or drawing circles or putzing around as there is no expectation rather no testing and if they don’t pick up science math or reading as well as their peers in a traditional school it’s not considered a failure. All children are considered unique and will learn by paying attention to their surroundings. They will focus on what interests them. You cannot have an agenda that they focus on STEM etc. You as a parent decide what your expectations are. Socially especially it was very tough to integrate for our child in public after third grade. Also behind in sports and other extra curricular activities. Otherwise above average in academics.

Maybe I should start a new thread. PP, if you see this can you post more about the transition from Montessori to public after 3rd grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two friends who sent their kids there and both have negative things to say about it.

I know three families who have fled once they reached the upper grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two friends who sent their kids there and both have negative things to say about it.

I know three families who have fled once they reached the upper grades.

Please elaborate - upper grades - upper elementary?

Why did they flee? Were the lower grades - lower elementary ok?

[Anonymous]

There are 20 hours of parent volunteer hours per year that are mandatory, but I think it's only $20/hour that isn't done. There's absolutely no required donation.

I started sending my oldest child there 5 years ago and have been so happy. My kids love school and their friends. Elementary classes also have 2 teachers, which is an amazing ratio for 1st - 6th graders. The campuses have a beautiful outdoor space and I love that the kids have an outdoor curriculum and lots of hands-on learning experiences. It is Montessori, so you have to trust in the process -- your children are not going to be sitting at desks memorizing how to write their names or do math problems, but when you let them explore these concepts on their own, it all comes together in a wonderful way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two friends who sent their kids there and both have negative things to say about it.

Expand please.

Both of them felt that their kids were unprepared and behind when they moved to a private. Also some complaints about facilities and class size.

The class sizes are traditional Montessori class sizes - about 22-25 per class with 2 teachers. As for being prepared, I guess each kid is different. I am aware of more than one instance where a child left after primary to go to their local public only to come back for elementary because they were bored elsewhere. The school does place kids in many private, a number going to Burgundy, though many also opting for their neighborhood schools . That being the case, while I think the academics are very strong, I imagine it is very tough to go from an environment where kids do work on rugs, couches or under desks where they install lights to make nooks to having to sit still at a desk -- so that would make sense. The facilities were just renovated but PE does require they go to another gym for the older kids so that's a minus.

It's a very open community, so ask to go do an observation and while you are there, just grab a parent (there will be many around) and ask their views. Good luck!

Are parent volunteering hours mandatory? about how many hours? I see the tuition is higher than most Montessori schools and in June there's a donation required. Even though it's a donation, there's a differentiation between levels of donation, so I believe there's a level of pressure? There's no other discounts in tuition, so the average is about $1700 per month. How do ppl afford this? Especially if there are two or more kids? How is this a special school when kids are taught the "basics" (academics) and how is this different than a magnet school in which a magnet school is open to how a child learns, not necessary sitting at desks? Thanks!