Policies and Information
The following details are meant to provide information for current and prospective parents about some of the policies of Rainbow Montessori School. We also welcome you to visit our Facebook page on which you are able to view some pictures of "a day in the life" of our classrooms.
HOLIDAYS & BIRTHDAYS
We recognize various holidays during the year with special arts and crafts projects. On Halloween Day, the children may come to school dressed in a costume of their choice, and on Valentines Day, they may bring valentines to hand out to all the children. If parents would like to share information about a holiday your family celebrates, we welcome you to do so. Please arrange this with your child’s teacher.
We celebrate each child's birthday in class. Please do NOT bring "goody bags" or party invitations to hand out, but we will provide a special snack for the children to share in celebration of each child's birthday. Please talk to your teacher before their birthday to discuss details.
SOUND OF THE WEEK
Shortly after the beginning of the school year, we will introduce the Sound of the Week. The children can bring a small item that begins with that sound (i.e. "C" for cat), and if they would like to, they can bring something for that sound on Tuesday that week. If they forget the sound, or the item doesn't begin with the sound for that week, it's OK-we'll get creative and make it work!
SHOW AND TELL
Sharing something of value with friends is a fulfilling experience. Our sharing day is every Thursday. In consideration of time, space, and fairness, we ask that the children bring only ONE item each week. This limitation also encourages the child to decide on what he or she considers truly special. The show and tell does NOT have to begin with the sound of the week.
VISITING
After the first two months of familiarization with the school routine and materials, the children and teachers are happy to welcome any parent who wishes to visit their child’s class. Please arrange a time with your child’s teacher, as we like to limit visitors to one at a time. We open the school at this time to other prospective student's parents as well. When you are visiting, we ask that you move quietly around the classroom and observe. The teacher will be happy to answer questions after school.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Conferences are held twice each year—once in the fall and once in the spring. Please refer to the school calendar for specific dates. Conferences give us an opportunity to review some of the classroom experiences, share insights about your child’s learning skills, and exchange views on your child’s progress. We especially encourage both parents to participate in the conference if at all possible.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
We stagger our drop off and pick up times to accomodate the space we have available in our parking lot. We open the doors about five minutes before your class’s start time and about five minutes before your class's end time, and we encourage you to drop off and pick up within this 5-10 minute window of time. This helps ensure a smooth beginning to the day and allows our teachers to get home to their own families at the end of their days as well.
Please park your car in the lot and walk with your child to drop off and pick up your child.
TUITION
The yearly tuition is payable in full at the time of registration, or in ten monthly installments. Parents with more than one child enrolled receive a 5% tuition discount. The first 2 payments are due prior to the start of the school year. The remaining payments are due by the 1st of the month starting in September. Payments not received by the 5th of the month are charged a $20 late fee.
IMMUNIZATIONS & ILLNESS
The state requires that the inoculations of each child enrolled in a school be current according to state immunization standards. A copy of your child’s immunization record should be submitted with his/her enrollment application.
We encourage each child entering school to have a physical examination which includes a vision and hearing check. Knowing of a problem beforehand can eliminate a lot of frustration.
Please keep your child home from school if they have vomiting, fever or diarrhea, or have a runny nose with thick or green mucus. Children must not return to school for a minimum of 24 hours after having vomiting, diarrhea or a fever. If they are recovering from an illness at length, we encourage you to send them to school in a mask to prevent the spread of illness.
Also, please contact the school in the event of any major contagious illness (COVID, flu, strep throat, etc.) in your home so that we can be aware of our classroom exposures.
If you bring your child to school sick, we may ask them to wear a mask until we can reach you and assess whether they need to go home or if they can stay at school. Please let us know if there is any reason that they cannot wear a mask for a short time at school.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
We generally follow the Northshore School District’s decision regarding school closures. However, we sometimes differ from them depending on the situation. Please visit the Northshore School District for district closure/late arrival information AND check our website.
Closures will appear ASAP on our Closures/Announcements page, and we will notify parents of school closures via our Brightwheel app. A staff member will contact you directly in the event of any particularly unusual circumstance.
We make up our closures on FRIDAYS, instead of the end of the year. We will inform you if and when we schedule these make up days.
CURRICULUM NIGHT (NEW PARENTS’ MEETING)
Our annual Curriculum Night is held a few weeks after the start of school for parents only. The purpose of this meeting is to introduce the Montessori program to parents who are new to it. You will get to see your child's classroom, listen to the teacher's presentation on our curriculum for the year, and get an overview of how Montessori lessons are taught. We encourage all new parents to attend this valuable and informative evening.
PARENT'S NIGHT
Each year, we offer a night just for Dad OR Mom to come to the school with their child for an hour in the evening. The children love to introduce you to their friends and share their favorite activities and materials with you. If Dad gets to come this year, Mom gets to come next year!
CHILDREN’S SPRING FESTIVAL - THIS EVENT WILL BE ON A FRIDAY
Towards the end of the school year, your student's class will have their fantastic Spring Festival! You get to come to school to see the program of poems, readings, songs, and more that the children have prepared for you. All parents and grandparents are invited. The children put a lot of time and effort into this festival each year, and it is one of the most exciting events for everyone involved. Please be sure to mark the date on your calendar and plan to attend!
