Students are 18 months to six years old. New student applications will be reviewed on a first come basis. Children must be 18 months of age (or walking and able to participate) when they begin the toddler program and 30 months of age when they begin the Casa program (may start transitioning into the Casa program while toilet training but we require that they are fully toilet trained for full entry into the Casa program). Exceptions may be made based on the individual and is at the discretion of the Principal.
Children are to be transferred to and from school by the parent, guardian or designate. AMA will assume responsibility for each child at the time they are greeted by a staff member (who at this time will check the child for obvious signs of illness) and checked in on the attendance sheet.
If/when a parent or designate enters AMA, he/she is responsible for their child.
Please take care in the parking lot to be sure that everyone is safe. An idling vehicle affects the health of those in the vicinity. Please refrain from idling for any reason.
The school must be informed as to whom specifically we may or may not release your child. We will not release your child to anyone without your consent. If you must have someone else pick up your child, the school must be notified in writing or by telephone. If notifying the school by phone, a description of that person will be required, and that person is required to bring identification to the office before picking the child up.
Mid year withdrawal from the program may be accepted in certain circumstances and will be considered on an individual basis. In the event that a parent wishes to withdraw a child from Authentic Montessori Academy mid year, a meeting will be arranged to discuss the circumstances. Written notice of intent to withdraw is required with no less that 30 days notice. The deposit that has been applied to the month of June is non-refundable. No tuition refunds for the remaining months will be issued after March 1st of the current school year.
Lunch, as well as morning and afternoon snacks are provided for the children. We are ‘nut aware’ and we ask that NO food items are brought into the school in order to ensure a safe environment for all children. The Principal may make exceptions for birthdays and other celebrations. Water is readily available for all children in the school.
Parents are responsible and accountable for dropping off and picking up their children on time. When children are not picked up on time the teacher to student ratio is affected and teachers may be required to stay late. Teachers are required to record the late pick up and include it in your child’s file. To assist us with the cost of overtime we must charge a late fee. Our late fee is specified in the “Contract/Agreement” portion of your “Registration Form”.
Parent/Teacher interviews are scheduled for November and March of each school year. See the School Calendar for specific dates.
Although it can be disruptive to the children, we understand that parents may want to observe our programs. Please speak with our Principal to make an appointment if you wish to do so. In order to ensure that the program continues to run smoothly, the teachers would appreciate parents visiting in a non-interactive role, as an observer.
If a parent has questions or concerns about his/her child, they are asked to speak with our Principal in order to make an appointment for a telephone conference or for a meeting with the child’s teacher. Any questions or concerns that a parent has about the program in general should be presented to the Principal.
In the event of parental separation, the parents or guardian must inform the School Principal of the custody & access arrangement and where applicable will supply a copy of the parents’ custody agreement or court orders pertaining to the child in the school.
The behavior management policy for children attending the school is in accordance with the Child Care and Early Years Act. There are written policies and procedures with respect to discipline in the school. The following principles are sanctioned by the staff and owner of Authentic Montessori Academy. We will:
- not permit corporal punishment of a child
- not permit deliberate harsh or degrading measures to be used on a child that would humiliate him/her or undermine his/her self-respect
- not permit deprivation of basic needs including food, shelter, clothing or bedding
- not permit confinement of a child in a locked or lockable room or structure
The Principal will review the Behaviour Management policy at least annually. Policies are reviewed with employees and volunteers (and/or students who will be providing care or guidance at the school) before they begin their employment and at least annually afterwards. We will ensure that a record is kept of the monitoring that is done under the procedure required and that each entry (if any) in the record is retained for at least five years after the entry is made.
All children who attend Authentic Montessori Academy will be taught respect for themselves, other children, adults and the environment in which they work and play. Class rules are established which enhance group cohesion and emphasize co-operation between classmates and teachers.
The teachers of Authentic Montessori Academy will,
- establish the classroom as a group
- ideally, ask children to label their feelings and find a solution
- redirect the child from a potentially stressful situation
- as a last resort, isolate (remove) the child from the immediate environment, never to be unattended. A discussion of appropriate behavior is exchanged between teacher and child. The teacher would never say the child is “bad”, but rather the action is inappropriate or unacceptable.
- after a continued period of time, if the inappropriate or unacceptable behavior continues, we will discuss the situation with the parents.
In the case of unpaid fees; the Principal will consider what course of action will be taken on an individual family basis to be invoked at any time. The Principal reserves the right to revoke any and all privileges and services rendered if the family does not comply with the course of action proposed by the Principal. The Principal reserves the right to collect past due funds through small claims court, collection agencies and any such means. All expenses and fees will be charged to the family.
School closure may be required due to inclement weather. Parents are advised to refer to the schools Facebook page for notification of school closure. If the school is required to close during the middle of the day due to bad weather, the school’s Principal will call parents for early pick up. Please be available at the number that you have provided if the weather is questionable. No tuition refunds will be issued for the period in which the school must close.
The school can request that the parent(s) withdraw the child from the program if it feels the needs of the child cannot be met. Any tuition money paid in advance will be returned to the parent(s) without interest.