Home-School Connection

OVERALL RATING (4.2)

Conducts an open house at start of school year

Conducts a parent-teacher meeting at start of school year

Conducts regular parent teacher conferences

Provides summary of child’s learning at end of year

Provides guidance on developmental goals for the following year

Provides guidance on best Kindergarten and elementary schools

"A Montessori education is one that involves cooperation and communication between school and home. Harmony between the two is very important. When your child enters Montessori class, your child becomes part of a Montessori family. Here are a few tips that may help your home be a Montessori home, which fosters independence and self confidence for your child: Read to your child: Ask simple questions about the story. Ask the child to retell, pantomime the act or repeat the sequence. Play games with your child: Talk about the rules that need to be followed and listen to directions. Build an understanding of number concepts: Practice counting objects Recognize symbols (1,2,3) Understanding time: Today, tomorrow, yesterday- this is very difficult for kindergarten children. Understanding words like more and less, bigger and smaller, before and after. Develop memory: Memorize nursery rhymes and short poems. Tell a simple story. Remember correct sequence of events. Help notice details: Play games that involve picking out differences between objects which are very much alike. Use objects like buttons, money, cards, etc. 'Find the ones that are similar and dissimilar.' Learn to sort objects by characteristics: Practice sorting objects by size, color, shape, function or material. Build vocabulary: Help your child learn the names of objects in your home, in specific rooms, in closets, in drawers. Talk about words and explain what they mean. Play games that describe characteristics to which the child must supply a name: I'm thinking of a long metal object, used in the kitchen, which we use to cut food. What is it? Learn the colors: Call attention to the colors of objects. Help your child point to colors when you name them and name them when you point to them. Increase his general store of information: Talk to your child about experiences he has had; an excursion to the park, a movie you watched together, a walk. All can be an opportunity to increase his knowledge about the world he lives in. Help you child use his imagination: Encourage inventive games that involve pretending: playing house, or store or school; being an imaginary hero-all of these games help in developing your child's critical thinking skills." Extracted from the Big City Montessori Web-Site

Separation

OVERALL RATING (4.4)

Director's and Parents' Comments

Parent #1
Big City is very academic and taught my children to read phonically. It is a great education in a loving environment. I cannot say enough good about our experience in Big City.

Parent #2
Parents are encouraged to make special education presentations to classes. One parent taught about the Irish culture, one taught about jewish culture/traditions, etc.

Parent #3
BCMS is as much as a community as you want it to be. Other parents are friendly and are looking for play dates with their children. Teachers will meet with you as much or as little as you desire. A monthly newsletter is published, and a weekly e-mail is sent regarding what your class did that week. You can raise money for scholarships for children to attend BCMS if you choose to do so.

Parent #4
I can drop in anytime, but I have to respect the enviroment.

Parent #5
the director enocuranges visits months before child is to regularly attends the school

Parent #6
I think the school is flexible on this issue to the extent they make themselves available based on the needs of the child and/or parent. They don't force the structure when it is not needed.

Parent #7
The director is very easy to reach as she is at the school at all times. She absolutely has her finger on the pulse of the school, and her door is always open.

Parent #8
Close to no feedback on individual progress. Weekly overview select topics covered the previous week. Individual feedback provided upon request, during parent-teacher meetings, always in the presence of the director. Feedback given did not necessarily match parent observations outside school

Discipline

OVERALL RATING (4.6)
Parents' Opinions
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

Overview

Director's Description of Approach Toward 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...

Extended Care

Notes on Schedule and Extended Care

Notes

The full time program is: Hours of operation - 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Class time is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. , morning care is 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and after school care is 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Morning and afternoon care is included in the full time tuition.

Application Process

Admissions Process

Director's Comments

We accept applications for children between the ages of 2 and 3 1/2 at time of entry. There is NO FEE to inquire about or tour Big City Montessori School. Fees are only collected after an enrollment offer is extended. Tours occur during July of the year prior to desired enrollment date (i.e. July 2008 for 2009-10 school year; July 2009 for 2010-11 school year).