Parents Policy Packet
Internet Site Version

The staff at Montessori Corner and Montessori Country Day welcomes all of our families! Our schools were created to provide children with a prepared learning environment in an especially warm, safe atmosphere. There is a separate version for Children's House on their web site.

Purpose of this Policy Packet

Over the time we have been open, we have found a number of questions are frequently asked. We have collected the answers here to best explain our school's policies on these matters. While these answers were correct at the time we wrote them, we must allow for changing conditions. Also, this Internet version does not distinguish between locations, and some policies may be different depending on the campus. We invite your comments and concerns. Please bring them to the Director to discuss.

When you enter our school, one of the things you notice is the calm and quiet. The children are all active, enjoying their activities, and they find our structure provides the environment needed to absorb learning. Our basic premise is that children enjoy learning, learning about themselves and the world around them. They enjoy learning so much it is like playing. Another premise, though, is that children do not learn through playing; they learn through purposeful activity. Children who go through our program love to come to school everyday. They look forward to it, because they are being rewarded with learning.

Arrival & Departure

To start and end the day in an organized manner, and especially to avoid confusion during arrival and departures, please follow these procedures:

Where to go.  All classrooms use the classroom outside door for arrival and inclement weather departures.

Early Morning Arrival. The Early Hours program for both campuses will be at the Country Day campus. Princeton Meadows students will be taken to their campus at 8:20 by our bus. 

Occasionally, parents who have not enrolled in the Early Hours program will need to bring their student to school before classes start. The student will be accompanied to the Country Day field house office and stay in our Early Hours program until class starts. This is an accommodation that we extend for unusual circumstances and we charge a small fee.

Late Arrival.  It is important that children arrive on time, as the beginning of the school day sets a tone for the classroom. Children who are rushed and arrive late may not be in the right frame of mind to begin their activities. We ask for your cooperation in ensuring that your child has the opportunity to begin his/her work at the start of class. Parents should not enter classrooms or disturb teachers once the day has begun. Once classes have started, bring your child to the office. Please wait until your child can be escorted to class. This will minimize the effect on both your child and the rest of the class.

Dismissal.  Dismissal times vary depending on the program your child is attending and when or if he or she has elected to participate in after school activities.  Please be prompt when picking up your children, and note the various dismissal areas listed below:

All Princeton Meadows students should be picked up at the playground gate. For the safety of the children, wait outside the gate, and your child will be brought to you. During inclement weather, students should be picked up at their classroom doors. No one should use the office as an entrance to the classrooms.

All Country Day students should be picked up at their classroom door. Please wait for an authorized staff person to bring your child to you, even if they are outside on the playground.

Late Pickup.  Parents who arrive late to pick-up their child must go to the office, even if your child is outside in the playground. Your child will be in our Lunch program or our After School program, depending on the time of day. There is also a small fee for this accommodation.

Early and Special Dismissal.  Should your child leave before the regular dismissal time, the parent must bring a signed and dated note to the office at the beginning of the day. Telephone calls to rearrange plans are not allowed, except in an emergency. In the event of an emergency, notify the office as soon as possible. Under all circumstances, come to the office to pick up your child, even if your child is outside on the playground. Guardians, other than parents, who are unfamiliar to staff, will be asked to show proof of identity, even for those listed on emergency contact forms.

Bus Transportation.  Montessori Corner is able to provide optional bus transportation from home to school in the morning and/or from school to home in the evening, for a limited number of students residing in the West Windsor-Plainsboro school district, for an additional fee. Certain locations may not be serviced if it will unduly extend the bus route. For students who live outside the district, other local school districts may provide buses to Montessori Corner for children ages five and older. It is the parents’ responsibility to notify their local districts and to make appropriate arrangements. If parents use a private bus company, that company is directly responsible for the student until the student is dropped off and again from the time the student is picked up at Montessori Corner. Please notify the school office and the teacher of any changes in your child’s bus routine.

Fall Session New Student Phase-in

New students attending Montessori Corner will start classes before the rest of the school. "Phase- in," which is the actual start of school for new students, is a process designed to help young children separate gradually from the parent or care giver as they begin their first school experience or move to another classroom.

Our phase-in period is tailored to meet the needs of each child. A phase-in schedule is sent before the start of school. Patience with your child’s adjustment is important to his/her long term happiness at school. Children will be guided to leave their parents as soon as is appropriate. When that time comes, we ask that you leave quickly with a reassuring "See you later, I love you."

Parent Visits

Parents are invited to visit the school at any time. We have monitors in the office that can observe each of the classrooms. We request that you limit your time to observe to 10 minutes. This will allow ample time for most purposes. Should you wish to observe longer or to observe inside the classroom, we need to schedule a time that best suits both your needs and the school's. Observing inside the classroom requires an orientation so that you can follow what your child is doing, without disrupting the other students.

Parent Education

Montessori Corner considers parent education to be central to our mission. Journeys, workshops, lectures and discussion groups focus on Montessori philosophy and curriculum, childhood development, and parent skills. Parents new to Montessori Corner are encouraged to attend "The Journey" which is one of the highlights of our Parent Education program. Participants are asked to cast aside their adult conditioning for a few hours, to enter each program as a child starting with Early Childhood and progressing through Primary, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and the auxiliary classes. In each classroom, they are guided by the teacher to use the materials and to experience the environment as a child would. There is no better way to experience the beauty of the classrooms and the materials, the continuum of curricula, and the concrete manifestation of the Montessori philosophy.

Health Records

State law requires that we keep a record of your child’s immunizations and that they must be current in order to admit your child. Medical forms are sent to a new family upon enrolling Please keep the office informed of new immunizations. We request this information when your child starts, and will request updates as your child progresses, particularly when your child moves from Primary to Lower Elementary, and from Lower to Upper Elementary. New Jersey State regulations require that all students have updated inoculations on file before a student is admitted to class.. Students who are not inoculated for religious reasons must obtain a waiver from their physician.

A child cannot start a school or summer session without complete health records.

School Dress Code

General.  At Montessori Corner, everyone is expected to dress simply and appropriately for school in washable clothes that are neat, clean, and in good condition. Clothing should be easy to pull on and off so your child may function independently. By avoiding suspenders, belts, sandals and one-piece body suits, you make it easier for your child to participate safely in all the classroom activities.

Shoes.  All Montessori Corner students go outside most days. Appropriate shoes for school are sneakers or other casual shoes that may get dirty. The best sneakers for outdoor activities have laces that must be tied. Clogs, party shoes, or open-toed sandals are not appropriate for safe outside play. Since being outside every day can track in a considerable amount of dirt, we have found that having the children change their outside shoes for inside shoes makes a difference. Please send an extra pair of shoes to wear inside the school, which will be left in your child's cubby (please label the shoes with your child's name).

Extra Clothing. Students in Early Childhood and Primary classes should be sure to have a full set of extra clothing, including two pairs of socks and underwear. Please put all items in a plastic bag labeled with the child’s name. Should your child not be wearing the same clothes worn to school, please be sure to request the soiled clothes to take home for cleaning. If your child is still in diapers, please keep a week's supply at the school at all times. This way, your child will always wear the brand that fits your child most comfortably. Please label all clothing and the diaper bag with your child's name.

Outdoor Dress.  Each day children will have the opportunity to be outdoors. Please send students to school with appropriate outer garments, depending on the day’s forecast. Please avoid dresses and other clothing that are inappropriate for physical activity, especially on the child’s gym days.

Role Models.  Montessori Corner does not permit or promote violent/combative TV heroes (Power Rangers, Pokemon, Power Puff, etc.). We ask you not to send your child with clothing, backpacks, shoes, costumes, or lunch boxes with these characters on them.

Country Day Uniforms.  In creating a campus that reflects connectedness and visibly demonstrates the support for our school, the students at Country Day are expected to wear the required uniform every day. Please see the office for more information on ordering.

Mailboxes

At Montessori Corner, every attempt is made to communicate with families in a timely and reliable fashion. Mailboxes with each child’s name are arranged in the office area. We use the mailbox as our way to reach you concerning announcements of meetings, special events, special communications, invoices, and other items that will be of interest to you and other activities requiring a response are sent through the student mailboxes. Checking the mailbox daily will ensure your child will not miss field trips or other events and will keep you up to date on what is going on in the school. To avoid congestion and for other safety reasons, it is best to check your mailbox after your child is in class in the morning or before you pick up your child in the afternoon. On occasion, however, situations arise where time is of the essence; in such instances a flyer may be sent home with the student or your class parent will call. Notices are posted on the portable bulletin board in front of the main office and are updated weekly. Mailboxes are for school use only.

Lunch

Children staying for lunch should bring food and drink that are nutritious. Planning ahead with your young child to prepare the lunch together can be a wonderful activity to share. Older children can be expected to take on this responsibility. You may send warm lunches in an insulated container. Please do not send soda or candy. With respect to our environment all food should be packed in recyclable containers and drinks in thermoses or reusable containers (no juice boxes, "lunchables," or tube yogurt). We will encourage your child to finish what you send with them and return anything uneaten at the end of the day. The children will not be sharing their lunches.

Snacks

Snack time is fun for the children and part of their learning experience. We offer a nutritious snack daily and use the occasion as part of our practical life and daily living segments of the day. Parents are encouraged to bring special snacks or food, which we will use in that day's lesson. This would include fresh fruit, vegetables, popcorn, eggs, crackers, etc. Sign-up sheets are available in each classroom at the beginning of the school year.

Field Trips

A few times a year we will take the children on field trips to nearby places of interest. Permission slips will be distributed in advance and parents who wish to come with us should let us know at that time.

Naptime

Children in the Early Childhood programs who stay with us for the full day may need to nap. The children will be encouraged to do so in a quiet room set aside for that purpose in the afternoon.   Nappers need a sheet and blanket, which should be labeled.

Non-Discriminatory Policy

The school admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its admission policies, educational policies, scholarships and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Contributions to the School

Montessori Corner at Princeton Meadows, Inc. is a non-profit corporation qualified under IRS Sec.  501(c)(3). The school is run by a Board of Trustees and corporate officers. Contributions to the school are tax deductible. Our tax ID # is 22-3285980. Our address for all correspondence is: 745 Perrineville Rd., Perrineville, NJ 08535..

For more information,

please contact our Head of Schools,

e-mail: Mrs. Eileen Spiewak.

Phone: 609-799-6668

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