WTF is up with this Montessori school?

[Anonymous]

Two disclaimers up front: (1) I am new to the Montessori world, having always liked play based preschools just fine, and (2) I no longer live in DC, so this school is not local.

Question(s) for those of you who are Montessori parents:

We've signed up our daughters to begin a Montessori program that is 5 days/week, 8:30-12. The school believes entering students must have an orientation week. The schedule goes something like this:
Friday: visit school for 30 minutes; meet teachers
Monday: 8:30-9:00 school
Tues: 8:30-9:30 school
Wed: 8:30-10:00 school
Thurs: 8:30-10:30 school
Fri: 8:30-11:00 school

We are out of town for the scheduled orientation week, and the school has just informed me that the girls will be required to do this orientation week during what is supposed to be the first week of school, because this orientation is "an essential first step in establishing a relationship between your child and the teacher". Side note: this school charges 10 months of tuition, at what I'd consider a fairly obscene tuition rate (about twice as much as local play based). My girls will now receive THIRTY MINUTES of school in August and 10.5 hours of school in June (the August and June days are combined into a "month" to justify this additional tuition). Doing the math, I am literally paying $55/hr, per child, for this time.

Anyway: I in no way believe that my child needs to be "introduced" to the school in increments increasing by 30 minutes per day, and we certainly didn't arrange childcare around an orientation plan like this. Is this sort of plan the usual approach for Montessori? This school has already ticked me off on a couple of unrelated matters (let's just say management skills appear to be substantially lacking- the teachers are fine, the management is floundering and uninformed about its own policies). I don't want to push back too hard if this is like the Montessori Gold Standard Introductory Approach.

Please advise, and tell me what else I should expect as we jump into Montessori! (And yes, I am aware of the general teaching philosophy, but this place is making me wonder what else is in store.)

[Anonymous]

Our Montessori school does a phase in but only for the 2 year old class. I think it's one hour the first day, 90 min the second day and then 3 hours on the third day.

[Anonymous]

Not a Montessori family here, but that does seem like a very soft start (we've been through two preschool starts, having moved a couple of years ago). How old are the kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our Montessori school does a phase in but only for the 2 year old class. I think it's one hour the first day, 90 min the second day and then 3 hours on the third day.

OP here. One of my daughters will be 3, the other 5. Both are very independent and well socialized with other kids.

[Anonymous]

For a 5 YO? That's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

My daughter's Montessori preschool does something like this. First two days are one-on-one orientations for the new kids by the lead instructor, with the parents shadow/following behind. Wednesday is the first day with both new and returning kids and it's a half day. Thursday & Friday I think are half days with everyone.

I can see how it helps the kids who've never been away from their moms ever, which is like 2 kids out of the whole class, but for the rest of the families, it's really challenging logistically - you've gotta find childcare for siblings while attending these half hour orientations, childcare or early pick up for the half days if your kid is otherwise a full day kid. There is no aftercare that week, and there are no camps to sign your kid up for. So you basically just need to take the week off, or have a nanny who can shuttle your kid back and forth while caring for any other kids you might have.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry but that's hilarious. 30 minutes?
And you are paying for that?
I would be questioning their entire program if they think that is necessary for 3 and 5 year olds.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I want to respond and tell them it's not going to work, as the published school schedule shows 8:30-12 for that week, and we've planned childcare accordingly. The rest of the kids will have orientation week the previous week while we're on vacation. I can't imagine it would make sense to my children to be picked up from school in the middle of the class while everyone else continues about their business.

I think this school is trying to take their philosophy to an extreme. I also think this school believes all parents have no outside commitments other than responding to the school's last minute scheduling and other requests. The orientation week schedule wasn't announced until last week, and it is intended to start on Aug 24th, so basically three weeks notice that school hours during that week won't actually be the regular hours. (They also just sent out an email requesting school supplies, including "one ream of white cardstock" along with the dozens of pencils, several boxes of markers/paints/crayons, an non-toxic unscented lotion.)

I will have to work hard to keep my eyerolls internal. I know I'm being cranky.

[Anonymous]

Switch to a play based school. The school supply list is crazy.

[Anonymous]

I have to think it would be disruptive to the rest of the class to have some kids leaving early every day for a week. The ones dealing with seperation anxiety will probably flip out!

[Anonymous]

our Montessori introduces only one new child per day. So my DC starts ten days after the regular start date so we need to arrange full time care for him for 10 business days, for which we still pay the school tuition. there are kids starting at the end of the month but still paying for the entire month.

[Anonymous]

PP, why would you put up with this?

[Anonymous]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are making the choice to miss orientation week, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:our Montessori introduces only one new child per day. So my DC starts ten days after the regular start date so we need to arrange full time care for him for 10 business days, for which we still pay the school tuition. there are kids starting at the end of the month but still paying for the entire month.

You should not have to pay for days you are not going because of their silly policy. No way.

Our school had us do a 2 week summer camp but it was full days, no big deal. I liked it as I could tell it was the right choice for my child and if not it gave us (and them) and out option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I want to respond and tell them it's not going to work, as the published school schedule shows 8:30-12 for that week, and we've planned childcare accordingly. The rest of the kids will have orientation week the previous week while we're on vacation. I can't imagine it would make sense to my children to be picked up from school in the middle of the class while everyone else continues about their business.

I think this school is trying to take their philosophy to an extreme. I also think this school believes all parents have no outside commitments other than responding to the school's last minute scheduling and other requests. The orientation week schedule wasn't announced until last week, and it is intended to start on Aug 24th, so basically three weeks notice that school hours during that week won't actually be the regular hours. (They also just sent out an email requesting school supplies, including "one ream of white cardstock" along with the dozens of pencils, several boxes of markers/paints/crayons, an non-toxic unscented lotion.)

I will have to work hard to keep my eyerolls internal. I know I'm being cranky.

I hate when preschools charge more for supplies (ours does) or asks for more given it should be included in the tuition. But, the unscented lotion is probably because some people have difficulty with some products with strong chemicals or scents. I have migraines and cannot do any scents including hand sanitizers. I have to be very careful,