The Start of a New School

Ms. Lacie's Montessori School is a new preschool currently enrolling ages 3-6. Part time and full-time positions are now available. This school is conviently located minutes from Silverado Ranch, Anthem Highlands and Southern Highlands. The mission of this school is to introduce children to the world of learning by providing a safe and secure learning environmnet, designed specifically to enagage children in purposeful activity. By providing an enriching environment, children will develop and foster a life long love of learning.



Classes will begin on September 6, 2010 and commence on May 27, 2011.

If you are interested in enrolling your child, please email me at: lacie_tidwell@yahoo.com and leave your name, a contact number, and whether you are interested in full-time or part-time.

About Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori was a pioneer in the education world. Born in Italy in 1870, Maria Montessori became the first woman physician in Italy upon her completion of medical school in 1896.

While working with medicine and children, Dr. Montessori observed that a child's environment influences thier mind and body. Thus, Maria shifted her focus from the body to the mind, and in 1901 she attended school again to study psychology and philosophy and in 1904 she became a professor of Anthropology at the University of Rome.

Maria's passion for learning intrigued her to learn about how children learn, and she gave up her medical practice and professorship to create an afternoon program for poor children to keep them off the streets. The 'Casa dei Bambini', or "Children's House" was established and Maria began her most important work, a work that would change the world of education forever.

Maria observed how children learn. She watched the child, learned that a child's mind is absorbant, they take in all of thier surroundings and learn from the environment. Maria developed an entire basis and method of teaching focused primarily on creating an enviroment for the child to discover and learn. She learned children crave order, they thrive on knowing where to place an item,how to use an item. Children thrive to be independent, to learn how to accomplish a task on thier own. It is the teacher's job to provide an enviroment that will benefit the child, and it is the teacher's job to be an example and to guide the child in showing him how to master a lesson or task. In this environment, a child's mind shows no boundaries. Maria developed methods for lesson giving, skills to master, and materials to better teach ideas and concepts to children, making children's learning expereinces meaningful and concrete.

Maria began touring around Europe teaching her findings and establishing teacher education programs. In 1913, she made her first trip to the United States, the same year Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel established the Montessori Educational Association in Washington DC. Supporters included Helen Keller and Thomis Edison.

Maria continued to teach seminars, set up classes and educate teachers on her findings. She was nominated for the Noble Peace Prize three times, in 1941, 1950, and 1951. Maria passed away in Holland in 1952, but her work continues to live on. As she traveled the world, she embraced many new countries and cultures, and her work brought cultures together.

The Montessori method is taught in hundreds of countries around the world including the UK, Japan, Italy, Nehterlands, and many many more. As more independent research on education and the process of children's learning takes place, evidence shows Maria Montessori was ahead of her time. She was meant to be the ambassador of children, to teach us adults, how the children learn best, and it is through her work, her legacy, that millions of children expland thier knowledge beyond what anyone else thought capapble.

Requirements

A child enrolled must be at least 2 years and nine months and be potty trained. A child of kindergarten age may be enrolled in the Montessori program as well as an accredited kindergarten program.

Full-time positions for a child are available on a first-come first serve basis.

A non-refundable $300 materials fee is due when the application is submitted and reserves your child's place in the program as well as provides the materials your child will need throughout the year.

Application

If you would like an application, please email me at: lacie_tidwell@yahoo.com
with your email address

Schedule and Tuition

Classes for 3-6 year olds are as follows:
M/W 8:30am-11:30am ($30 a week)
T/TH 8:30am-11:30am ($30 a week)


Sessions are LIMITED! As a Montessori teacher, I believe in small class sizes to better provide individualized lesson planning. Feel free to comment or email me (lacie_tidwell@yahoo.com) to let me know if the session you are interested in still has availabilty. If it is, you may then submit an application.

Full-time care will be available to parents at a first come first serve basis. Tuition for full-time care is $180 a week. This includes placement in class sessions. There is limited space available for full-time care so please submit your applications as soon as possible.

In addition to tuition, there is a one-time non-refundable materials fee due prior to the start of school. This fee is $300 and reserves your spot in the school and provides your child with all the necessary materials he/she will need for the remainder of the school year.

*If a certain session does not meet the required number of students to successfully establish a class, that session can be cancelled at the discretion of the school director (Lacie Tidwell) at any time. I will try to accomodate your child into another session and will do everything I can to ensure that the child's needs are being met.

Tuition is due at the beginning of each month prior to the start of the month. There is a bi-monthly pay option available. If you are interested in the bi-monthly pay option please let me know.

Tuition is non-refundable and is due promplty at the first of the month (or the first and thirs friday of each month. Tuition includes paid holidays and tuition will still be paid even if your child does not attend. If a withdraw happens prior to the close of the school year, tuition for that month and the month following will be due.