As a Montessori school, we follow the Montessori Philosophy, Method, and Curriculum designed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the 19th century in Italy. The Montessori philosophy and method promote independence, concentration, child-led learning, self-awareness , environmental stewardship, empathy and care of others. Each classroom includes the areas of language, sensorial, mathematics, art, practical life, culture, geography, biology, zoology, and motor skills.
The word “Montessori” is not a trademarked name. This means anyone can put the word in the name of their daycare or school and not actually have any components of Montessori education in the facility. For an authentic Montessori school to provide true Montessori education, the classrooms must be filled with Montessori materials, the teachers must be Montessori trained from reputable training centers, and the Montessori method and curriculum must be followed according to the American Montessori Society or the Association of Montessori International. MMUMS fulfills all these requirements and is in the process of becoming accredited through the American Montessori Society. The process takes 3 years.
MMUMS is licensed by the Virginia Department of Social Services. We are members of the International Montessori Council and American Montessori Society. The school is in the process of becoming accredited by the American Montessori Society. The process takes 3 years.
At any given time, there is a waitlist for the infant classrooms; however, the length of the waitlist varies greatly from time to time. The waitlists for the older classrooms are much shorter and often there are spaces available within a month or faster. It is always best to check with administration to see how long the waitlist is and how soon an enrollment start date could be.
To put your child on the MMUMS waitlist, fill out an application and turn in the application fee. The application/enrollment form can be found here and you can pay the fee by check or cash.
Parents of children in the Nido Environment are welcomed to breast feed or bottle feed their children during the day. All parents are always invited to eat a meal with their children. Classroom teachers will work with parents on when is a good time to come for an observation or visit depending on the age of the child and the stage of enrollment transition. Parents are always encouraged to hang out with their child and his friends at pick up to get to know the MMUMS community.
Nido Communities (6 weeks-18 months) – 1:2.5
Toddler Community (18-36 months) – 1:5
Children’s House (3-6 years) – 1:10
Montessori Elementary – 1:12
Lead Teachers: Each lead teacher has a Bachelor’s degree in a child-related field as well as Montessori credentials in the age group they teach or is in the process of earning Montessori credentials. Some Lead teachers have a Master’s degree and some are working towards their Master’s Degree.
Assistant Teachers: Each assistant teacher has a Bachelor’s degree in a child related field, whether it’s education, early childhood education, literature studies, recreation therapy, etc. Most of the assistant teachers are in preparations for going to earn Montessori credentials for the age group they teach.
Teacher Aides: Teacher aides are hired because they display keen interest in the field of education or early childhood education. Often they are college students who are earning their degrees in child-related fields.
All teachers at MINE, ME, & US Montessori School have years of experience working with children.
Some children will attend public schools. Many students will stay to continue their Montessori education into their elementary years.
We will continue to build the Montessori Elementary program as our cohort ages into their later elementary years. We will continue to grow the school as long as we have interested families. Our goal is to grow up through high school.
MINE, ME, & US Montessori School requires that all children are current with their vaccinations according to the Center for Disease Control’s schedule. MINE, ME, & US Montessori School does not enroll children who are on a delayed vaccination schedule.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/index.htmlNo. We do go on walking field trips with the children. We walk on the sidewalks in the surrounding areas.
MMUMS does not use any technological devices used by the children in the classrooms. The teachers use iPads in the Nido Environment and Nido Community to document daily records for the infants; however, the children are not exposed to the presence of the iPads.
At any given time, there is a waitlist for the infant classrooms; however, the length of the waitlist varies from time to time. The waitlists for the older classrooms are much shorter and often there are spaces available within a month or faster. It is always best to check with administration to see how long the waitlist is and how soon an enrollment start date could be.
