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CENTURY HOUSE MONTESSORI SCHOOL, BVI.
AT A GLANCE
Founded: 1998
Principal: Mrs. Patricia Morgan
Address: PO Box 3162,
Road Town,
Tortola,
British Virgin Islands.
Phone: (284) 494-1686
Fax: (284) 495- 9657
School Starts: First Monday after Labour
Day
(second Monday in September)
School Hours: 8.45 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Drop Of: 8.15 a.m.
Pick up: 3.00 to 3.30 p.m.
Age group: 3 to 12 years old
Classes : Ages 3 - 6(Casa)
Ages 6- 12(Elementary)
Announcement:
Dear Parents and Students,
Dr Maria Montessori stated, “Education, as an aid to life, should be a source of joy.” As collaborators in the process of education, we look forward to serving your family, and welcome you to Century House Montessori School, B.V.I. Every effort will be made to make your experience here a positive one.
This Parent-Student Handbook is provided to acquaint you with school procedures. If you have any questions or need clarification on anything, please do not hesitate to call me or come by the office.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Patricia Morgan
Founder and Principal
Century House Montessori School, BVI (CHMS)
Explaining Rules To Younger Students
CENTURY HOUSE MONTESSORI SCHOOL, B.V.I.
Century House Montessori School, BVI, will be now referred to as CHMS.
CHMS broadens the options available to parents & children in the B.V.I. Pre primary through Elementary education with a unique & proven method. Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy of education for children from ages 3 through 12, pre school through grade six, or P7, cultivates the child’s natural desire to learn through self-directing materials. CHMS follows the standards set by the American Montessori Society, North American Progressive Montessori Institute, The Montessori St. Nicholas Centre, and the Tortola Department of Education. Each class has Montessori qualified teachers and Assistants who are in the process of obtaining their Montessori qualifications.
Montessori education has been described as:
“A unique cycle of learning designed to take advantage of the child’s sensitive years... when he can absorb information from an enriched environment. A child who acquires the basic skills of reading & arithmetic in his natural way has the advantage of beginning his education without drudgery, boredom or discouragement. By pursuing his individual interests in a Montessori classroom, he gains an early enthusiasm for learning, which is the key to his becoming a truly educated person.” (From a Parent’s Guide to the Montessori Classroom by Aline D.WoIf). *
Our objective is to help students’ achieve high self-esteem, independence, self-confidence, self-respect, & a sense of community as they engage in the process of becoming adults. To accomplish this goal, we encourage students to:
• Work independently with dignity & self discipline in their everyday life at the school & home
• Consider the results of their actions.
• Resolve their conflicts peacefully.
• Use the group process for planning & problem solving.
• Develop a sense of trust and ownership within the school community so they can participate in day-to-day classroom management, care of their environment, & decision making.
• Make responsible choices for themselves so they may assume increased control over their lives & realise they make a difference in the world with positive efforts & contributions to others.
• Motivate them to become more involved and excited with their schoolwork & pursue additional avenues of study in areas of special interest.
• Accomplish a sense of pride in having attained pre-established goals for learning.
• Master practical life skills appropriate to their level of development and to recognise these as vital elements of their education for life.
• Maximize their academic potential & success.
• Provide them with experiences in other areas such as arts & crafts, music & movements, sports, etc., for their healthy all-round development.
• Make them aware of different cultures so as to enable them to see “Unity in diversity”.
CHMS methodology of learning is based upon Dr. Montessori’s educational principle that education should be an ‘aid for life’. ‘Through the curriculum, we endeavour to develop a child physically, intellectually, morally & psychologically. The realisation of each child’s potential is encouraged in a culturally rich, scientifically prepared environment. The nature of our school curriculum does not depend on textbooks as a sole source of learning. Much of the child’s schoolwork involves the use of didactic (hands-on) materials that remain in the classroom and research in a wide range of reference or source books.
Homework
Nightly homework assignments from textbooks are not ordinarily given in a Montessori school for younger age groups. Reading is stressed at CHMS and nightly reading is compulsory. Spelling & project work may also be assigned. In the beginning of the School Year your child’s teacher will explain the homework policies for his or her class. However, at the request of the parents, we do give extra materials from workbooks for the child to do at home.
Some subjects involve the use of texts that will remain with the students throughout the year. The cost of the books & supplies, which become the property and the responsibility of the students, will be billed to the parents if they are lost or damaged.
We are using The Albanesi Curriculum Programme for the Montessori Method of Education, which is an objective method designed to measure academic competence through review tests & grade achievement tests.
CHMS is concerned that children be served by an environment that is most appropriate to their learning style. Accordingly CHMS reserves the right to counsel out any child from the school if the Principal determines that the child is not able to benefit from the Montessori system adequately
Referral to outside resource
The school is equipped with adequately qualified staff to deal with minor psycho-socio issues regarding children. However in sensitive cases, where the behavioural issues are such that they need external intervention, the Principal may recommend the child to seek help from outside professional agencies. This is in the interest of the child & failure by the parents to take action in this matter will result in the child not being allowed to remain enrolled in CHMS. This referral will of course be strictly confidential.
Student files
Student files are confidential records & are kept secure from un-authorised access. A copy of a students file may be sent to an outside professional, such as a psychological or educational diagnostician, if requested in writing by the parents or guardian.
A parent or guardian may have access to the child’s file by written request, stating the reason, to the office at least 24 hours in advance. The file must be viewed in the presence of the administrator or a teacher, & if the parent/guardian disagrees with any item in the file, a note may be inserted into it with their comments.
No copies of Evaluation records will be handed out to parents for admission purposes before the end of the school year.
CHMS GROUND RULES FOR DISCIPLINE
The administration faculty will work together to create a system of ground rules for discipline that are firm, fair & consistent. All students must adhere to & respect these rules. CHMS expects students to demonstrate kindness, courtesy, and respect towards fellow students, parents, teachers & staff.
The goal of all Montessori education is to establish a safe, warm & caring environment within which students are taught positive and appropriate ways to handle situations. We do not assume that misbehaviour & punishment are inevitable. It is our goal to develop self-discipline, responsibility and courtesy, and an atmosphere conducive to peaceful studies.
Students beginning with Lower Elementary will meet in weekly assemblies with the Faculty & School administration to discuss issues of common concerns & work towards achieving better understanding, creative problem solving, & consensus within the school community. This important element of student life at CHMS also allows students to develop effective skills in group discussions & creative and peaceful conflict resolution.
We follow a pro-active approach based on empowerment, positive discipline & trust. Neither corporal punishment nor physical or emotional intimidation are allowed. If anyone at CHMS consciously or flagrantly violates the social contract regarding safety, kindness, & courtesy our response is to identify the appropriate & natural consequences of their actions. For example, if something is broken, the child whose action led to the damage must repair it. In the case of very young children an appropriate amount of participation in repairing the damage is expected and this is a very important part of our practical life curriculum.
In case of failure to meet with these rules we expect a positive involvement from the parents, along with the other staff to work towards reaching a solution to help the child in coping with the behavioural problems. Any student who continues to break rules & endanger the health & safety of others, in spite of our intervention, may be dismissed temporarily or permanently from the school.
This is how we explain CHMS rules to younger students:
• Be kind & gentle to one another.
• Everyone has the right to privacy & concentration. Please do not disturb anyone who is trying to concentrate on his or her work.
• Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure. Please do not express anger in a way that might hurt someone’s feelings.
• No one is allowed to fight, push, trip, or use any other aggressive behaviour.
• Do not play rough or carelessly.
• Play tag and ball games in the field away from playground equipment or obstructions or where someone can get hurt.
• Do not use sticks or stones in any games, as someone might get hurt.
• Stay where your teacher can see you unless he or she says it is all right to leave.
• Everyone has a right to their personal belongings. Please do not touch anything that does not belong to you without the owner’s permission. If you accidentally lose or break something that belongs to someone else please replace it without a fuss.
• Always support your school when you talk about it.
• Do not run in the buildings, stairwells or around the parking area.
• No one may use bad language.
• No toys shall be allowed at school.
NEW ADMISSIONS
If you want to enroll your child at CHMS the application forms are available at the office. The academy shall charge an administration fee of $100.00 for processing your application.
An additional deposit of $500.00 will be required to save a space for your child for the school year that you would like your child to start. This deposit is non-refundable & shall go towards our “building fund” for future growth & development of the school. The school is unable to promise a spot for your child till such deposit is received.
The children need to go through a series of observations to assess the compatibility of the child in the Montessori system, before offering a place in the school.
Once all the paper work is completed you will receive a package with handbook of rules & regulations, a school calendar for the year with all the major events & other pertinent information including PTA member names, and their contact address and phone numbers.
You are welcome to attend all the social functions even if your child is not joining for another couple of years.
For current students who wish to return for the new school year, parents need to sign the re-enrollment form, which will be distributed during the Easter term confirming that their child is returning. This will help us in planning ahead and better balancing of classrooms with the new children beginning at the start of the new school year.
TUITION AGREEMENTS
All returning children need to have their parents sign the Tuition Agreement for the new school year and return to the school within the first week of the school. Readmission can be denied if the agreement has not been returned within such time.
The tuition fee is subject to change each year due to inflation in the cost of living index & also as the school deems fit on a Financial needs basis.
School officially begins on the Monday following Labour Day, which is the 2nd Monday in September. New Casa students begin school later that week. This delayed start for the new
Students allow returning students time to establish a settled atmosphere in the classroom.
When the new Casa students come into an established environment, they feel secure & adapt better to daily routine. Teachers can also give them more attention during their first days in the classroom.
If this is your child’s first year at CHMS, we encourage you to visit the school frequently before the beginning of the school year to allow him/her to become more familiar with the new setting. Come have a picnic one weekend & walk the grounds. Remember to be reassuring as you talk with your child about their new school.
On your child’s first day of school, do not linger too long or react with alarm if he/she is hesitant about the separation. It is important to reassure your child where you will be during the day & to explain by what time you will pick him/her up in the afternoon. Some children may be sad during the first few days, but reassurance & kind words from the teachers & staff almost always alleviate their fears.
A calendar for the academic year, including the holidays, will be distributed to all parents at the beginning of the school year.
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All students at CHMS are expected to wear the school uniform, which is a regulation.
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School T-shirt with the school logo, green shorts/skirt/pinafore, green socks, & training shoes.
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Jeans are not permitted. Casa students should keep a change of clothing at school at all times.
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Soiled clothes returned home must be replaced at once.
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On Physical Education days, all the students must remember to bring their PE clothing, or wear it to school. Also a cap & extra water is a must for PE days.
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The school T-shirts and some shorts/skirts & pinafores are available at the office for purchase. The green shorts & socks can also be bought at the local stores. Please ask the office for more information.
Regular school hours are as follows:
Casa (Half
day) 8:45a.m. to 12:00noon
Casa (Full Day)
8:45a.m. to 3:00p.m.
Elementary 8:45a.m. to 3:00p.m.
All students are due in class by 8:45a.m. Students arriving after 8:45a.m should report to the office where they will be given late slips, which the parents need to sign and return the next day. Late slips will become a part of the child’s permanent record. If the child is consistently late, the school will have to consider a course of strict action, which could also lead to dismissal from the school. This will be reinforced.
Drop off
The children must be dropped off at the earliest by 8:15 a.m. Any drop off before that time shall result in a fee of $10.00. The school cannot take responsibility for students who arrive before 8:15a.m.
The children must be picked up from school between 3:00 and 3:30p.m. CHMS does not offer any after school care. The school will not take any responsibility for the children after 3:30p:m.
Those children who go for out of school activities, like PE, must be picked up from the venues where such activities are held, latest by 3:00p.m.
Parents are encouraged to form carpools to avoid traffic congestion during drop off & pick up. Space is limited so your co-operation is required not to block traffic. If you need to stop for any reason please park in a designated parking space. No parking is allowed in between the speed bumps and in front of the gate. Please remember that this is not the time for conferences with the teachers or playtime for younger siblings not enrolled in the school.
Absences
Whenever a student is unable to be in school due to illness or an unexpected occurrence, the parent or guardian must telephone CHMS office, & must provide a written note stating the reason for absence when the child returns.
When the parent or guardian wishes to take the child for a planned trip for a scheduled reason such as a family vacation a written note is required.
If a student needs to be excused early a note from a parent or guardian is required stating the reason for going home early. Any appointments including doctor’s appointments should be made outside school hours, if possible.
Written notes become a part of the child’s permanent file.
School closing during Emergencies
In the event of severe weather conditions, school may be postponed, closed early or cancelled. CHMS shall follow decisions made by the Tortola Department of Education, which will be announced over the local radio station. This remains the scene in the event of other emergencies too.
If the school opens late the buildings will open for students 30 minutes prior to the announced delayed opening time.
If the school closes early the building will close 30 minutes after the announced closing time.
Illness
Because illness spreads from child to child with alarming speed please do not send your child to school if he or she has a fever, nausea, or any other symptoms of illness indicating he/she has a communicable disease.
Your child’s health is a critical factor in the learning process. Co-operation among physician, home & the school is essential.
Weather permitting students play outside everyday. If your child is too sick to play outdoors he /she should be kept at home.
Should your child contract a contagious disease (chicken pox, conjunctivitis, ringworm, stomach flu, etc.) please inform CHMS office immediately. Parents are asked to check with their pediatrician/family doctor about the effects of their child’s illness on other children. If your child has had a fever you should observe the child at home for 24 hours after the fever subsides before sending him/her to school.
If your child becomes ill at school the office will immediately try to contact you & ask you to come and take him/her home.
In the event of any situation requiring immediate professional medical attention we will contact you to take your child to a doctor, as soon as possible. It is critical that we are able to reach you or an alternate person at all times during the school day. If you or your contact person can’t be reached your enrollment agreement authorises us to seek medical care in your name. We will take your child to the emergency room & will continue our efforts to contact you.
Keep your child’s emergency information & medical forms up to date & inform the office immediately if there is any change in your emergency contact numbers & address during the academic year.
Head Lice
The parents should constantly check their children for head lice, as it is the one thing that spreads easily among children. In case a child is found with lice in his/her hair, he /she will not be allowed to come to school until the problem is taken care of.
We stress that all the parents must maintain highest standards of personal hygiene for their children. The children should have a hair cut regularly, their nails trimmed, and a neat and clean school uniform when they come to school.
In case your child is hurt in an accident at school the staff will take steps to make sure that he/she gets primary care, like washing the wound, applying an ice pack, etc. CHMS maintains an incident book where the details of the accident are noted. This book has to be initialed by the parent/guardian. In case the wound requires immediate attention from a doctor the staff will inform the parent/guardian to come & take the child as soon as possible.
We will strictly adhere to following procedures.
In general we would prefer that medication not be administered to students while they are at school. When it is necessary to give medication during school hours a representative of the school will administer it in accordance with the following procedures:
1. Any medication brought to school must be checked in at the office. Refrigeration is available for it, if required.
2. Our staff members are prohibited from administering any medication to any student, except as authorised in writing by the parent/guardian or the doctor in case of prescription drugs.
3. The medication must be clearly labeled with the student’s name, type of medication & the time(s) & amount(s) of dosage.
4. Whenever possible medication schedules should be arranged to cause minimal interruption in the student’s school day.
5. We discourage administering medication causing drowsiness or hyperactivity in children during school hours.
6. The parent/guardian is responsible for administering the first day’s dosage of any new medication at home.
7. The parents of students who require daily medication should ensure there is a regular supply.
8. No inhalers will be allowed at school without the parent’s supervision.
Health and Immunisation records
It is essential to submit your child’s medical forms, which are given out as a part of the follow up package after initial enrollment, duly completed to CHMS. The school must be kept advised of physical and mental health conditions that may have an effect on your child and the whole community. These records must be updated if there is any change in the health conditions as your child grows. The parents are also required to provide the school with a copy of the updated immunization records for each child.
Parents play a crucial role at CHMS. We strongly encourage our families to feel at home and to participate in the life of the school.
CHMS appreciates any kind of involvement by the parents in our various activities. If any parents wish to volunteer there are a wide range of activities to choose from.
• Reading to the children & listening to them read.
• Arts & crafts.
• Drama/music & movement.
• Fundraising.
• School building & grounds maintenance.
• Driving the children to or from field trips.
• Gardening
We welcome parents to give their ideas or suggestions regarding activities they would like to volunteer their time for.
Parent Education/Montessori Lectures
Parent Education is the best opportunity to gain understanding of our curriculum, programmes and insight into parenting at all ages.
To enable this CHMS offers a series of Montessori Lectures once every term to help parents understand the Montessori philosophy and methodology of education. We encourage parents to attend these lectures every term.
Parent Teacher Conferences (P.T.C.)
Formal parent teacher conferences are held three times a year. Should any concern arise between these conferences please call and schedule a special meeting with your child's teacher. A written agenda with points for discussion before the meeting would enable the conference to be more efficient, as the teacher could prepare in advance, and address the specific issues of concern.
Teachers can be reached by calling the office and leaving a message with the Administrator who shall also assist you with fixing appointments for these conferences. In turn the teachers may also call for a P.T.C at any time to discuss areas of concern. The Principal is available to participate in conferences only if the parent or the teacher believes her presence would be beneficial.
The school provides the parents with an opportunity to come and observe the classroom in order to understand how a Montessori classroom operates.
These observations are done on requests and at
the convenience of the Lead teachers. To make an appointment to observe
please contact the office. When you arrive please check in with the office.
You will be provided with an observation form, which will guide you in your
observation of the class and its normal routine. A great deal can be learned
by patient & quiet observation of your child & his/ her classmates at work.
Individual observations are limited to 30 minutes. This observation is only
for one parent at a time.
During the first two months of the school year
the Casa children are familiarising themselves with a new routine &
environment. For this reason we ask parents not to schedule class
observations during this period.
MISCELLANEOUS
The entire school community is responsible for helping to maintain the order & neatness of the school environment. Students are also expected to help with the daily clean up in their class areas.
CHMS has zero tolerance for drugs, alcohol & smoking cigarettes.
From time to time students will leave the school grounds for field trips or other activities, for which they may be required to travel in private cars. The parents must sign the permission slip, which will be issued close to the date of the trip and return it to school as soon as possible. The children will not be allowed on these field trips if the permission slips are not returned.
In spite of the fact that the school is still struggling to meet its needs financially, a limited amount of financial aid has been available for students in need, in the past. This is to help parents with financial concerns give their children the best possible educational opportunities.
To avail this benefit applications should be made by April for the next school year, accompanied with a letter stating and substantiating reasons why the financial aid is needed. The financial aid/Scholarship committee will then review this.
The committee will make a decision based on the involvement of the parents in the school’s growth. The parent might also be asked to sign a document committing to a certain hours of voluntary service towards various school projects. The amount of scholarship will be derived on the above factors.
The school has a fire drill, which is conducted from time to time. Teachers will discuss this procedure with the students and do a walk through to identity the designated areas to which the class is to go in case of fire.
The school cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage of any student items. We discourage children to bring personal items. It is advisable that the students do not wear any precious jewelry on a school day. Items in the lost & found section will be kept only for a week.
Children should bring their own lunch to school in a clearly labeled lunch box each day.
Please keep good nutrition in mind while packing the lunch. Junk food is not allowed at school. In keeping with our environmentally conscious philosophy please send reusable containers, steel cutlery & cloth napkins.
Junk items such as candy, soda, cakes, chips, and gum will be confiscated.
Report cards & transcripts
Students will receive report cards during the course of the school year. However these will not be issued if a student has an outstanding balance on his/her account that is more than 30 days past due, or if the report card for the prior term has not been returned.
During each school year, every Friday, we will send home a notice with announcements & reminders on all upcoming events, happenings, invoices, receipts, & any other letters or information. This will be put in a folder given to each child at the beginning of his/her first school year. This folder must be returned at the beginning of every week.
Please be sure to notify the teachers if your child follows a special diet for religious, health or any other reasons.
Student guest are not encouraged to visit us anymore due to our bad experience this year with one of the student guest spreading chicken pox in the school. The Principal can however make an exception in the case of ex students.
There may be costs for optional activities that are not covered in the tuition, such as book club orders, school pictures, music & movement etc.
Toilet Training
All children enrolled in CHMS must be fully toilet trained.
Party Invitations
The invitations for children’s parties as well as other private parties are not the responsibility of the teachers or the administration. Please distribute your invites at the school gate.
CHMS is proud to have a great mix of different cultures and religions. We do not encourage teachers or children to preach to others, their religious beliefs and practices. Religion is a personal thing and should be indulged at home rather than school. Let’s respect each other’s individuality.
To withdraw a student from CHMS the parents/guardians must submit a written request to the Principal. All dues must be paid one week before the last school day. No school leaving report will be issued till then. If you take your children out of school in the middle of a School term, your tuition agreement commits you to pay for the whole term.
If your child is being transferred to another school, we will release his/her school records only on your approval.
Fundraising Events