What age children does Montessori del Mar Community School serve?

The Community School is an elementary school serving ages 4 years and 8 months to 13 years (grades TK-8) and is located at our north Fort Bragg campus. It has three classrooms: The Primary Bridge Program (ages 4.8 to 6), the Lower Elementary (ages 6-9) and the Upper Elementary (ages 9-13).

How does MdMCS consider applicants?

We take into account a number of factors when considering a student application. Returning families receive priority for both enrollment and reduced tuition allotment. To ensure the financial viability of the school, reduced tuition applicants are considered once our quota of full tuition students is met. In addition, MdMCS is committed to cultural and social diversity. Other factors we consider include:

1. Previous Montessori experience.
2. Age of the child--space for each age is limited based on classroom make-up and to ensure the multi-age experience.
3. How well our school can meet the needs of an individual child.

What About Tuition & Other Fees?

Tuition for the 2021-22 school year is being determined and will be announced on April 1, 2021. MdMCS offers reduced tuition to qualifying families. Reduced tuition is considered on a case-by-case basis and requires the completion of a reduced tuition application and documentation of need. All tuition information is confidential and remains within the tuition committee. MdMCS does not offer sibling discounts for tuition. At the elementary school, there is a $75 application fee per family. The Nutrition Education, Extended Day, and enrichment programs, like music lessons, have additional fees to be determined at the start of the school year.

What if I cannot afford the tuition deposit or application fee due to COVID-19 related hardship?

Submit your enrollment application and then contact Executive Director Chloe Reed at chloedirector@montessoridelmar.org to request tuition deposit payment modification or the application fee to be waived. Each request is considered on a case-by-case basis. All tuition information is confidential and remains within the tuition committee.

When can families see the school and meet the teachers?

In “normal” circumstances, we hold several Open Houses in the spring and invite families to visit and observe in our classrooms. Given campus closure and the shelter-in-place order, we will be scheduling video conferencing Q & As for potential new families over the next few weeks. Once new families have submitted an application, they can be put in touch with their child’s prospective teacher and have a more child-specific and individualized conversation at that time. In the meantime, descriptions of the core tenets of our programs can be found on this website. Once the shelter-in-place order is lifted, we will offer campus tours to interested families at our elementary school.

What will my child’s classroom be like next year?

Each classroom is it’s own community within our greater school community. We like to think of our classroom make-up as “responsive”. This means that our classrooms are thoughtfully designed each year in response to our changing enrollment and the social, emotional, and academic readiness of our students as individuals and a community. Despite children typically spending 2-3 years in a classroom, each year is a different experience as the age of the students progress. The first year in a classroom, a MdMCS student will be in a younger and less experienced stage. This child will have many unfamiliar materials, routines, and expectations to which to acclimate and will be mentored and guided by older students in the class as well as by the teacher. In subsequent years, the child will gain competence, further develop their identity and interests, and take on ownership of learning and the classroom routines. Finally, the child in the last year in each classroom will lead and teach others in addition to managing their own work and learning more independently. At every stage the MdMCS child:

• Is offered challenging and meaningful lessons and materials that match their readiness;
• Is free to explore and develop individual interests;
• Develops productive work habits and relationships that support learning and growth;
• Progresses at their own pace while staying connected to the classroom community through shared experiences, routines, and values.
• Each of the stages within a classroom continuum is valuable and offers unique benefits to the overall cognitive, social, and emotional growth of a child.