Montessori Kindergarten
Entrance Procedures

Kindergarten Montessori Program Interest Cards may be filled out only if the student is of kindergarten age for that next academic year. We will not accept interest cards for students who are not yet old enough to attend Kindergarten.

For grade and age appropriate students, we will collect Kindergarten Montessori Program Interest Cards from the beginning of January until the last Friday of February of each calendar year.

In March, we will select a number of potential students to participate in a Kindergarten screening process.

If concerns arise from the screening in regard to the student’s success in the Springbrook Kindergarten Montessori Program, you will be informed by phone or in a conference of screening results. 

Students who are offered a place, must either accept or decline at the time of the offer. If accepted, we will process all paperwork through the office staff. The tuition for September of 2008 is due at the time of acceptance and is nonrefundable. If student placement is declined, that student will no longer be on the waiting list for future consideration.

We hold a small number of evaluated and accepted students, called alternates, in case an accepted student declines placement or the family relocates. Alternate students fill the first slots in the event of any opening. If all alternates are called and have been placed or decline placement, we will then go to the waiting list as determined by the lottery.

Students who are evaluated and not accepted have the option to become part of the Kindergarten Montessori waitlist, but will be added at the end of waiting list of all students that have not been evaluated.

GENERAL SELECTION CRITERIA

The Kindergarten Montessori program will strive to maintain heterogeneously mixed classes, based upon gender and ability, in order to provide children with enhanced learning opportunities.

SPECIFIC SELECTION CRITERIA

All students must demonstrate the ability to function well both socially and emotionally in a Kindergarten Montessori classroom. The student's parents must submit the following documents to Springbrook Elementary within two weeks upon request by Springbrook:

Confidential Recommendation Form, signed by the student's current teacher, indicating that the prospective student demonstrates independence, motivation to work and learn, willingness to work collaboratively and cooperatively, ability to make responsible academic and social choices, and behavior which is both respectful and supportive of others.

Parents will receive written confirmation of their child's status in May 2008.

PARENT COMMITMENTS

An effective Montessori program requires a significant parent commitment to become informed and to participate fully in both the Springbrook Elementary School and the Kindergarten Montessori program. Parents shall:

• Provide on time transportation for their children to and from Springbrook in order to ensure continued enrollment in the program, because Springbrook does not provide after school playground supervision.
• Encourage and support their children in the fulfillment of all schoolwork.
• Give their enthusiastic support to the implementation of recognized Montessori practices.
• Make monthly tuition payments on time.
• Give their full support to the PTA projects and fund raising activities of both the Kindergarten Montessori program and Springbrook Elementary School.

The IUSD Kindergarten Montessori Program is part of the California public education system and, as such, the students are required to be taught grade specific standards as required by state law. These mandated standards are integrated with the Montessori pedagogy.