The Montessori Program is “education for life”. The beautifully prepared environment with all the scientific Montessori material is a place where children learn at ease and reach their academic potential at their own pace.

CHILD’S PROGRESS

The children’s progress and development is recorded to help plan for each individual child. Parents receive a mid-term and final report card each year, these let you know exactly where your child is in the program. There will be parent teacher interviews in December and June of each year. If you would like more information on your child’s progress, you can set up a meeting with the child’s teacher.

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for enrollment in the Montessori Program each child must be at least 2½ years old and fully toilet trained. Upon enrolling in the program each child will take a small test to ensure readiness for the structure of the program. The Montessori Directress will give the test and make the decision in regards to enrollment.

PROGRAM DURATION AND CLOSURES

The CASA program runs from September through June. The Toddler Program runs from January through to December. Please see the attached calendar for the exact dates. The school day is from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Before and after care is available at an extra charge.

The following is a list of days that the school is closed:

Thanksgiving Day	Closed	Christmas Break	See below
March Break	See below	Good Friday	Closed
Easter Monday	Closed	Victoria Day	Closed
Family Day	Closed

The CASA Montessori Program is closed for two weeks during Christmas and two weeks during March Break.  Exact dates will be announced.  If you need care for your child during these time periods, arrangements can be made with us.  The cost for care during this time is $75.00/day or $280.00/week.  Summer programs are available upon request.

CHANGE OF INFORMATION

 Please notify the Supervisor in writing of any changes including address, place of employment, food restrictions, or pick-up arrangements. 

AVAILABILITY OF PARENTS IN AN EMERGENCY

Grand Avenue Montessori must always have current and updated information on the children in the school.  This will ensure that in the case of an emergency, the parent can be reached.  If you are unavailable on a certain day please ensure to leave information with your child’s teacher as to who can be reached in an emergency. 

ATTENDANCE AND LATENESS

Please contact the office before 9:00 if your child will be absent or will be arriving late to school.
Upon the arrival of your child at school, the parent is required to escort the child directly into the classroom and into the teachers care. If someone different is picking up the child, the school needs to be notified in advance and the alternate person must present picture identification before the child is released.

LATE PICK UP

All children are to be picked up by 6:00 p.m.  If the parents are unable to pick up their child before 6:00 p.m., the parents need to inform the school beforehand and find an alternate adult to pick up the child.  Please ensure that the person brings picture identification for verification.  For children that are picked up after 6:00 p.m. there is a late charge of $1.00 per minute and is to be paid directly to the staff member on duty.  If the fee is not paid right away, the parent will be invoiced for the amount due.

WITHDRAWAL

The Montessori Program is a full academic year (September through June) commitment and children cannot withdraw during the school year.  All Montessori fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.  Grand Avenue Montessori reserves the right to terminate a child’s enrollment if this action is for the benefit of the child or classroom.  If Grand Avenue Montessori withdraws a child the current month at time of withdrawal is to be paid and the balance of the tuition will be refunded.

ILLNESS

If a child is ill in the morning the parents need to make other arrangements for their child during the day.  We will check each child as they come in the classrooms each morning to ensure that they are well.  If we feel that a child is ill and should not be at the school, we cannot allow them to stay that day.  Should a child show signs of a fever (100.2°f or higher), diarrhea, vomiting, or any other contagious illness, the parents will be called immediately to pick up the child.  If a child is off for more than five days due to illness, a doctor’s note is required before they may return to the school. 

MEDICATION

If the child is on medication, it must be brought to the school in the original containers and given to a teacher to be recorded and stored.  A child must be on the prescribed medication for at least twenty-four hours before they can return to the school.  All medication must be prescribed and/or accompanied by a doctor’s note. The parent is required to fill out the necessary forms stating clearly the times and amounts of medication to be given. The school will not administer any medication without the appropriate documentation.

TRANSPORTATION

Parents are responsible for their children’s transportation to the school. 

MEALS

2 snacks are provided daily.  Please remember that Grand Avenue Montessori is a nut free environment.  Please ensure your child brushes his teeth and washes his face and hands thoroughly if he has eaten any peanut or nut products before coming in the morning.  This will help ensure everybody’s safety in the school.  If bringing in a special treat, such as a birthday cake, please make sure that it does not contain any traces of nut products.

DISCIPLINE

At Grand Avenue Montessori, we use a positive and caring approach to guide the children’s behaviour.  The limits and the environment are set ahead of time which is easy for the children to understand and know what is expected of them.  The children’s behaviour is anticipated through their actions and re-directed to a more positive release.  At Grand Avenue Montessori, we believe in reinforcing a child’s behaviour positively and providing natural and logical consequences that are related to the behaviour. 

SHOW AND TELL

We have show and tell once a week date depends on each classroom.  We ask that the child bring in an item that supports our weekly lesson.  Show and Tell offers the child the opportunity to express themselves verbally in from of the group as well to demonstrate understanding of the weekly lesson.  This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to become involved with our program.   The show and tell is to be placed in the box outside of the classroom.  Home Toys are not allowed in our Montessori Casa.

ANTI-RACISM

Grand Avenue Montessori condemns racism in all aspects.  The management has a specific Anti-Racism Policy.  As well, we have a Complaints Procedure to handle any racism, which may occur in our services.  Copies of the Anti-Racism Policy and Complaints Procedure are available to all families by contacting the Supervisor. 

DRESS AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS

Please ensure that any personal belongings are clearly labeled.  We do our best to ensure that the children’s belongings do not get lost, but this is very difficult for the staff if things do not come in labeled.  Please ensure that all outdoor clothing is free of strings or long pieces that may get caught in the climber.  If a teacher feels that strings or other things may be a hazard to the child in the playground, they will remove the item considered dangerous.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

We encourage all parents to become involved in the school by communicating with staff and other children, attending our annual Christmas Concert, Graduation Recital, Mother’s Day & Father’s Day events Meet and Greet events and giving us their input.  If parents have any questions, or concerns they can either approach the Administrator or the Director.

FIELD TRIPS

During the year the children will go on occasional walks in the neighborhood, especially when the playground is wet or icy.  Field trips are also a part of our program, during the school year we will go on field trips.  The destinations will be educational and related to the program.  Parents are required to sign a permission form in order for their child to go on a trip and pay the necessary fees before we go.  If you do not want your child to attend the field trip then you need to find alternate care for that day. 

OUTDOOR PLAY

The children will go outdoors each day weather permitting.  If your child is not well enough to go outside, then he or she is not well enough to be at the school.

EVACUATION SITE

In the event that we need to evacuate the building, we have arranged to use St. Louis Catholic School 11 Morgan Ave, Toronto, ON. The parents will be notified of an evacuation by the school as soon as possible and be asked to pick up the child at the evacuation school.

SPECIALTY CLASSES

LIFE LAB

Our Life Lab program run by the creator of Green Hands Workshops includes eco-creative sessions where the children learn to recycle and up-cycle different materials transforming them into useful things by exercising their creativity, embracing environmental ideas and ecological concepts that will bring lifelong experiences to their lives. Guille Campos created this program, after working 12 years in the Life Lab Gardening class in an International School, planting the seed of love for nature in children. The Life Lab Garden Program – Implementation of Vegetable Garden Program where the students have Hands-on lessons linked to their curriculum. As a group, the children work together to take care of a vegetable garden which is part of the Practical Life Area – care of the Outdoor Environment as well as care of plants. 

FRENCH 

French is offered in our Casa program twice a week. French is introduced at this level with the aid of stories, songs and games. The French component is theatrical, and based on the way young children learn, which is highly active and sensorial. 

MUSIC

Our Music program is taught by acclaimed music teachers. The program covers the basics of rhythm, singing (basic vocal techniques), simple note and music theory, FUN with music and a basic introduction to different instruments. 

DPA – Daily Physical Activity 

DPA happens once a day for 15 minutes the teachers and students will stretch and do activities that cover the THREE ELEMENTS OF FITNESS 1.Endurance 2.Strength 3.Flexibility.