San Francisco, CA
Big City Montessori School

Discipline

OVERALL RATING (4.6)

Parents at this school, on average, believe that conflicts between children:
...are handled extraordinarily well in a way that not only gives me confidence in the safety of my child but also reassures me that my child (and his/her peers) are learning the early skills needed to socialize effectively with one another

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Director's Description to School's Approach to Discipline

"We first redirect a child, then (if needed) we use age appropriate time-outs in the classroom or in the office. We will ask for your assistance when needed." Extracted from the Big City Montessori Web-Site

Parents' Notes on Discipline, Health and Safety

Parent #1
If you are looking for a brand new building this is not it. If you want an established practice with no surprises and a great education with free time play, this is the school for you! I would not have taken this time to fill out the survey if it wasn't stellar.

Parent #2
There are not rooms allocated specifically for music, library and art but they are integrated into the classrooms and common areas.

Parent #3
The school provides a home-cooked lunch that is made fresh on the premises every day with a changing menu once a month that always thinks of the childrens palette as well as their health (Whole wheat bread, vegetables and a lot of protein). The snacks are often fresh fruit. Mealtimes are also a time for the children to practice their independence by clearing their own table and cleaning up after themselves.
Classroom equipment is kept in top shape - Montessori classrooms as a rule make sure that all games and activities have all the pieces to show the children that their time is respected and to teach them the value of respecting property.
One of the schools amazing properties is the afternoon enrichment activities - each afternoon children have dance, yoga, music, art or spanish and they LOVE IT! The school also houses a monthly "in house" field trip - with something exciting for the children to enjoy (reptile man, bubble lady, puppet show etc...).

Parent #4
It's an older building, but the floor coverings are all new and polished frequently, regularly paint the building inside and out, new light fixtures, refurbished the play area, replace bikes as needed, toys replaced as needed. The school budget's it money to upgrade different fixtures every year.

Parent #5
Discipline is handled with a zen-like focus. You never hear yelling from the teachers. They show their students respect, even when it is clear the child is trying to irk them. My daughter, 4 YO, threw a tantrum and I received a note. She and I discussed the incident and to my knowledge it hasn't happened again. The teachers are fair and trustworthy.

Parent #6
This school is extremely clean.
The meals are made on site and are healthy while still being attractive to the little eaters.
Discipline is handled fairly and immediately. Timeouts are given and this time is supervised. The issues are discussed with child and the child takes ownership. When the child is ready he is put back into the system. Rarely does the problem happen again. As a parent, I am always informed about an incident when I pickup my child.
There is excellent parent, teacher and director communication. I feel that we all work together as a team. The staff, knows my child well, and takes special effort to insure his success. We are all on the same page for discipline and the same methods that are used in school are used at home.


Parent #7
The school works with you in all areas. Discipline is handled by communication directly with the parents. The school will also make a plan for your child to support the child during the day. They also give you useful information to support you at home with dicipline. I have to admit, I used this service a few times.

Parent #8
Discipline was handled in a very professional maner. I feel very safe leaving my child here. The school is well kept and is in direct contact with the neighbors. For example, there was a new building being built close by. She made it clear that there are children and the area and they respected her. Now there is a new beautiful building and the inconvience is over.

Parent #9
BCMS is always striving to improve the conditions of the school. Although the location of the grounds may throw you off at first, it is actually very convienent especially if you work downtown. Space is not a problem like it is in other schools and you don't have to drive out of your way to get there.

Parent #10
When a child is involved in a conflict with another child, or gets a scrape on the playground, or whatever, this incident is communicated in a report to the caregiver/parent. In the report are details of the incident, what was done to correct it, the CHILD's response to the corrective action, and the resolution. Then the director seeks out the parent/caregiver at pickup time to alert them to the goings-on with their child.

Parent #11
Teachers are remarquable at keeping conflicts to a minimum. All assistant teachers are careful, engaged and know their roles well. Single point that keeps me from giving them full credit on conflict resolution is their policy of allowing children to engage in exclusionary play rather than engaging them in finding a solution together. I guess, this approach works well in the large setting, but kids never learn those crucial social skills. What's definitely missing is a reading / quiet area, where kids who really need a respite can grab a book from the shelf and give themselves a time out. Their "library" is a corridor...

Health

OVERALL RATING (4.8)
Temperature and overall air circulation is comfortable
Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided More >
Toys and furniture are cleaned regularly

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Safety

OVERALL RATING (4.9)
Screen and identify all visitors
Parents may not bring sick children to school where they may infect others

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